Garnet smiled when she saw him but he noticed that her smile seemed a little wary and not as warm as when he had observed her unnoticed and he felt a twinge of unhappiness that he had interrupted the carefree moment she had been enjoying. He wondered if that was what he would have to go through, her recoiling in his presence and being uneasy."Well, hello, Thor," Andrea turned, her smile inviting, a touch too wide. "I did not expect you home so early.""Surprise," Thor grunted, his gaze flickering to Garnet, who sat nestled in her armchair, a hesitant smile playing on her lips. "What brings you here, Andrea?"Andrea's smile stretched a little wider and she examined him with eyes that hinted at a pleasure only she could give. "I just came by to see Garnet, of course. We used to be such good friends before..." she trailed off, a delicate shrug. "You know how it is after an accident, memories get jumbled. I thought that my presence would be able to help her piece some things together."
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 front door slid open and Thor stepped inside the house, the remnants of a long day clinging to him like cobwebs. He wanted so badly to kick off his shoes as he had spent virtually all of the day standing on his feet. As he walked towards the living room he wondered why it was so quiet, usually the gentle lilt of classical music would greet him, but tonight, there was only an unsettling quiet.He found Garnet and Bill curled up on the sofa, a shared blanket draped over their legs like a conspiratorial cloak. At the sight of him, Garnet seemed to shrink into herself and he was taken aback by that. He thought that he had started to have a better relationship with her and she had seemed to be warming up to him. He glanced at Bill’s face and knew he had something to do with her reaction."Hey, guys," he said, his voice Cold. "What's going on?"Garnet, her face etched with a worry Thor had not seen in a while, looked up. "Hi, Thor. Bill came over and we were just... catching up.""Catchi
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
The velvet rope parted with a hushed whisper, admitting Bill and Garnet into the hushed oasis of "Heaven." Plush leather banquettes hugged the perimeter, cradling patrons cloaked in the city's secrets and whispered deals. Garnet, her fiery hair left untamed into billowy curls that fell to her back, glided through the room, her emerald dress clinging to curves newly free from the shackles of matrimony. Bill, clad in a charcoal suit that mirrored the city's twilight, trailed behind her like a loyal and proud shadow, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.It seemed that at last he would have his prize. Garnet was a gem that shone brightly among others and he had waited for so long to claim her, who knew that Thor would give her up so easily after holding unto her firmly. Her amnesia had just been a stroke of good luck and she had been like putty in his hands, easy to shape.The air thrummed with the low purr of conversations and the clinking of crystal against ice. An onyx grand piano
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
“Well well well, if it isn’t Garnet.” Andrea said jovially and leaned forward to kiss the sides of Garnet’s cheeks while Garnet stood stiffly and stared at Thor who looked back at her nonchalantly.“What are you both doing here?” Andrea asked.“The same thing as you I expect.” Garnet answered churlishly. “Celebrating freedom.” “What a surprise , I did not expect to see you here."Bill," Mr. Smith's voice, a practiced charm, cut through the music. "Garnet. What a surprise." His smile was polished, devoid of the cracks their divorce had etched.Garnet's smile was like ice cracking. "And I did not expect to find you celebrating, Richard," she replied, her voice laced with venom. "Though I suppose drowning your sorrows in champagne is one way to deal with a failed marriage."A humorless chuckle escaped Thor. "Hardly a failure, my dear. Merely a...reconfiguration." He gestured towards Andrea. "I’m sure you know Andrea. She has graciously offered to help me with the transition."Andrea’s fe
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