The news hit Thor like a wave crashing on a beach and throwing him off balance then spitting him onto the rocky shores of reality. Nurse Thompson, the angel of death who had tried unsuccessfully to silence Garnet with a poisoned needle had been eliminated so easily. Dead. Obviously by the hand of whoever had hired her in the first place to kill Garnet. Thor was pleased. A person who was tasked with saving lives and decided to take away a life simply because of some money did not deserve to live. The only regret he felt was that he had not been able to get her to confess before her death.The police were ruling the death as an accidental death, by some twist of fate so cruel that had felt preordained, the squad car which had been transporting her from the hospital to the station got into an accident suddenly they said. Witnesses to the event reported the speeding vehicle losing control on a slick road, spinning into oblivion. No foul play, they said. Just bad luck.But Thor was not bu

The invitation lay heavy in Thor’s hand, an ivory card inscribed with an address he'd seen only in hushed whispers and fleeting articles. The Grandiose House, a sprawling mansion draped in the city's oldest money and even older secrets, was summoning him, a lone entrepreneur amidst a pantheon of power. Thor knew that this was not just a simple luncheon; it was an audition, a gauntlet flung at his feet. He was not the only one aware of the stakes. Greg had happened to be in the living room when then invitation had been delivered. The look on his face had been one of shock and his expression had been confusing until he showed Edward who explained that the letter was offered to people The Big Tree were interested in.Thor could barely contain his excitement. At last, he was in.The venue, a sprawling stone mansion overlooking the harbor, held the air of gilded secrets. Thor, impeccably attired in a suit that held the distinct scent of a seasoned tailor's magic, stood out amongst the cro

The early morning sun, a pale ghost against the dew-kissed windows, found Garnet still in bed, a half-finished mug of chamomile tea sat untouched on the bed stand beside her. Sleep, that elusive butterfly, had finally fluttered in after several hours of tossing around restlessly in bed. Atlas’s exit last night had left behind a gnawing anxiety that had her twisting the sheets into tight knots and being unable to sleep. Today, the silence in their home felt more pronounced, the air thick with an unspoken question: what was coming after, would he grant her wishes?A sharp rap at her door startled her into wakefulness, shattering the fragile peace she had been enjoying. She sat up, heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Who would be knocking on her door so early in the morning? Crystal usually let her sleep in for as long as she wanted and would not come up unless summoned. Was Thor back with some scary pronouncement? She climbed out of the bed and padded to the door and

Garnet looked behind her at whatever it was that made Bill frown and like a spectre from a forgotten past, Thor materialized across the room. His arm was linked with a woman, blonde and elegant, her laughter echoing like a foreign melody in Garnet's ears. On closer examination Garnet realized that the woman was Andrea and she was dumbfounded at the scene.The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Garnet's champagne glass slipped from her fingers, shattering with a crystalline drop. Her smile vanished, replaced by a mask of icy fury. The celebratory heat in the air turned frigid, the music replaced by the deafening roar of her own blood.Bill, sensing her anger, grabbed her arm, his concern etched on his face. "Garnet, are you alright?"But she could not answer him. Her gaze was locked on Thor, his eyes which were once veiled with indifference, now sparkled with a newfound amusement that tore at her, he had never looked that happy around her. Andrea, leaned into him, her laughter a cruel ta

The early morning sun, a pale ghost against the dew-kissed windows, found Garnet still in bed, a half-finished mug of chamomile tea sat untouched on the bed stand beside her. Sleep, that elusive butterfly, had finally fluttered in after several hours of tossing around restlessly in bed. Atlas’s exit last night had left behind a gnawing anxiety that had her twisting the sheets into tight knots and being unable to sleep. Today, the silence in their home felt more pronounced, the air thick with an unspoken question: what was coming after, would he grant her wishes?A sharp rap at her door startled her into wakefulness, shattering the fragile peace she had been enjoying. She sat up, heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. Who would be knocking on her door so early in the morning? Crystal usually let her sleep in for as long as she wanted and would not come up unless summoned. Was Thor back with some scary pronouncement? She climbed out of the bed and padded to the door and