Ava stared at her reflection in the mirror, the cold balcony air still lingering in her lungs.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she wiped away the smeared mascara from under her eyes, blotting her face with tissues until the black stains disappeared. She reapplied her lipstick with care, her lips pressed tightly together to keep them from quivering. A light touch of powder to hide the redness around her eyes, and a final sweep of highlighter to restore the illusion.

The woman staring back at her was composed.

Immaculate.

A lie.

She pulled Damien’s suit jacket tighter around her shoulders as she stepped away from the mirror and walked back...