Julian didn't know how long he walked. His expensive leather shoes were ruined, his feet blistered and numb from the cold. By the time he reached the upscale, gated apartment complex where Serena lived, the sun was beginning to set, casting long, mocking shadows across the manicured lawns.

He bypa

The fluorescent lights of the family courthouse hummed with a low, oppressive buzz.

Clara sat at the petitioner's table, wearing a sharp, tailored navy suit. Her posture was perfect, her expression unreadable. Beside her sat her ruthless divorce attorney, Sarah, who was casually organizing a thick

"Stand still, Toby. If you keep wiggling like this, this bowtie is going to end up tied around your ear," Clara teased, her fingers deftly working the dark silk fabric.

Toby giggled, his small shoulders shaking as he stood on the plush ottoman in their hotel suite. "It feels funny, Mom. The collar