Thursday “Are you ready yet?” called Cynthia. “Mother, remind me where we are going this time?” sighed an exacerbated Jessica as she struggled to put in an earring while checking the mirror. “It is an outing to the art district with the ladies of Princess Arisa’s personal house staff. These people serve in the Princess’s personal home and know the going ons of the kingdom. If you take the time to socialize with them, you can be best prepared to market our businesses and help attract new clients to our malls. It is very important.” “It sounds expensive,” huffed Jessica, attempting to slide on a high-heeled shoe while her mother draped a fine coat over her shoulders. “It necessary for ladies of our increasing standing in society to adhere to the expectation of the upper class. A simple outing such as this can secure the recommendation for new restaurants, and high-end shops to want storefronts in our malls if they see us in the good graces of the Princess and other nobil

Conor cautiously made his way up to the apartment, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he didn’t have the full amount Jessica had asked for.As he opened the door, the tension in the room hit him like a physical force. His mother-in-law, Cynthia, was in the middle of a tirade, her voice sharp and biting as she berated Jessica.“Ask him then! Does he have the money to cover your rent? Can he pay the utility bills? What about the bill to repair your car? Does he have enough for a car for himself yet? ASK HIM, Jessica!”Jessica looked stunned, her eyes wide and fearful as she tried to absorb the barrage of accusations. Conor couldn’t even begin to guess what poison his mother-in-law had been feeding her while he was out.The silence stretched between them, heavy and oppressive, as Jessica hesitated, clearly building up the courage to confront him.“Conor,” she finally said, her voice trembling slightly, “I told you we needed 4,000 dragons to pay the bills this month. Were you able to

Conor disappeared into the shower and was thrilled to have the hot water flow over him. The steam lifted the grime from the night in the park off him and his soul soothed as he leaned against the shower wall. The hot water slowly began to loosen tense muscles. He felt as if blood was finally flowing to his brain and his thoughts were able to align themselves. He would fix this, and he would make sure that Jessica was secure in the world and could provide his wife with a home, financial security, and social standing if it was the last thing he did. He was done letting Cynthia poison the world against him, and especially his own wife. “Mr. Brantley? Your suit is waiting for you,” came a soft feminine voice from the door. Conor was startled but heard the door slide shut as the lady left. he wondered if that might have been Anna who had picked him up. A brief fantasy played out in his mind but he opted to wait a minute longer, savoring the warm water before shutting off the s

Conor stepped into the apartment, the tension palpable as Jessica glared at him from across the room.“Where have you been? I’ve been calling for hours!” Jessica’s voice was sharp, her frustration evident.Conor instinctively reached for his phone, only to realize it was dead. He held it up as an explanation, “I’m sorry, the battery died.”Jessica’s eyes narrowed, skepticism clear in her expression. “That doesn’t answer the question. Where did you sleep last night?”Conor hesitated for a moment, knowing the truth would only worsen the situation. “I found a spot in the park.”Jessica’s expression shifted from anger to horror. “But it was freezing last night!” she said, covering her mouth in disbelief.“Well, you didn’t exactly give me much choice,” Conor replied, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness.Jessica’s eyes widened as she realized the gravity of what he had said. “I thought you would go to Yuri’s or something!”“Yuri is out of town this weekend at a convention,” Conor explaine

Kerrigan watched the man stride past her alcove, as she slowly scanned every patron here. Despite what it had become, this was still an excellent location. Under the right management of course, and, she thought, plenty of remodeling.“A pleasant evening to the beautiful lady.”Well at least he didn’t waste time stopping like the last one – sudden recognition flooded her as she clutched her chest. ‘what in all of Dovari hell was that?’‘CELIA HAS SURFACED’ came the deep guttural response.CELIA! Kerrigan recoiled some at the sheer primal lust coming from that voice in her mind. Did that gentleman have Celia’s heartstone?! After three years, is there finally a clue? Kerrigan froze in a panic a moment too long because when she stood to shout to her guards, the man was already out the door and gone, and the sense of him fading. ‘Nice of you to finally wake.&rsq