جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 185

- SIERRAAdrian was out cold in his crib, his tiny chest rising and falling under the green fleece blanket like a little clockwork engine. He’d finally stopped doing that weird, high-pitched squeak every time he breathed, which meant my heart rate had successfully dropped below ninety for the first time in three days.I was sitting in the oversized glider by the window, my bare feet tucked up under my oversized gray sweatpants. My hair was tied up in a messy knot with a pink plastic claw clip that was currently digging into the back of my skull, but I didn't even have the energy to reach up and fix it. Every muscle in my body felt like it had been filled with wet sand.The door creaked quietly, and Desmond slipped inside. He’d changed into a pair of faded black sweatpants, his massive shoulders catching the yellow glow of the giraffe nightlight in the corner. He didn't say anything. He just walked over on his bare feet, slow and heavy, and dropped right down onto the floorboards next

- SIERRAElias Galbraith, my biological father, didn’t just walk over; he practically drifted on a cloud of old-money entitlement and dry-cleaned hubris. Vivian was glued to his elbow after that, her fingers dug into the sleeve of his bespoke tuxedo jacket like she was trying to leave permanent fingerprints. They both looked so smug I could practically smell the victory sweat coming off them from five feet away."Mrs. Zimmerman, modern manners dictate I introduce myself properly before we get down to the brass tacks," Elias said. He extended a hand that looked like it had never lifted anything heavier than a golf club or a fountain pen. "Elias Galbraith. It’s an absolute pleasure to finally see the face behind all that fierce Maison Nova Creative paperwork. You’ve put up a hell of a fight for a local independent firm."I looked down at his open hand, then back up at his face. I didn't take it. I just kept my champagne glass cradled in both palms, letting the silence stretch out until

- SIERRAThe lead marshal hadn’t even cleared the back doors yet, but the whole room was already a complete madhouse. Elias was still standing in the second row, his face pale, his fingers practically embedded in the leather folder he was holding tightly. Vivian was right next to him, clutching her fingers around her designer purse, her mouth open in a tight line as the tech desks started whispering loudly.I held up my left hand."Hold on," I said into the microphone.The sound cut through the rising chatter of the ballroom. The reporters who had been half-out of their seats stopped, their heads turning back toward the stage, their fingers freezing over their laptops."Sierra, shut your mouth!" Vivian shrieked, her voice losing every single drop of its high-society polish. She took a step toward the stage riser, her red silk gown swishing violently. "You don't know what you're doing! You’re tanking the entire market value! The shares will be worthless by noon if you keep spouting th