Chapter 16

All signs of alarm broke loose in her mind, and as much as Serena tried to keep her breathing calm, the bile gnawing at her throat wouldn't allow her to achieve it.

The idea of being swallowed by the earth was very attractive to her now.

Judging by the look on Sarah's face she was just as perplexed by Elliot's reaction. She dedicated a forced smile to the listeners at the nearby tables with the intention that they pay less attention to what she considered a slight dispute, but it seemed that Elliot had other plans; he got up briefly to pull out the typical checkbook for Golden visa owners.

Serena became the living image of a marble statue. She paled as Elliot wrote on the sheet of paper.

She stiffened and muttered no word as she slowly closed her eyes.

Once again, she was taken for the sort of woman that could abandon her daughter for a mere check.

She avoided crying at all cost, retaining her tears under her closed eyelids.