Chapter 1: Book 4: ENTRAPMENT

“Is it really cheating if you’re doing it to yourself?”

Alexandria

I tried to process Alton’s words…

Christmas wedding.

Suzy.

His question…

Will Adelaide be well enough to attend?

And finally, his declaration…

Welcome home.

The words formed phrases in my native language. I understood each one individually, but not combined. Their meaning—in the order spoken—was beyond my comprehension. With the sting of his slap still tingling on my cheek, I pressed my lips together and waited for more, for him to explain what he’d said, what he’d decreed.

I’d played this game too many times—I knew the rules and the outcomes. My few winning moments had come in my mother’s presence. She wasn’t here. I was alone with Alton in the moving limousine. Not completely alone, because Brantley was behind the clouded glass, though no matter the reason, he’d never intervene.