Chapter 43.

NORA CARUSO It’s been seventy-two hours of silence. Since the gala, the estate had transformed into a silent house. I had avoided him and he took it seriously. He woke up before I did, and he left the house before I came downstairs for breakfast. When he returned he went straight to his study or his bedroom. It was exactly what I had asked for. I had told him I hated him, and I had walked away from him. This distance was my victory so why did it feel like I was bleeding out? It was 2:17 AM. The storm that had been threatening the city all day had finally broken. Rain lashed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the main living room, rattling the panes in their frames. Thunder rumbled low in the distance. I sat in the oversized armchair near the fireplace, my knees pulled up to my chest, wrapped in a thick blanket. A glass of water sat untouched on the side table, I couldn't sleep. The bed upstairs felt too big, too empty. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept thinking about different