Chapter 65

Vivienne’s head snapped up. ‘Why not?’ she whined. ‘Aren’t you supposed to go back to your dad’s house for Christmas?’ Elodie looked at her pointedly. Vivienne flinched. ‘You know he doesn’t want me there. I’m a disappointment to him.’ ‘Maybe getting a job will change his opinion of you.’ Vivienne’s face flushed, whether it was anger or humiliation, Elodie couldn’t tell. She stormed out of the study, banging the door shut with a loud thud. Elodie stared after her cousin. With a shake of her head, she turned back to her computer. *** The clock ticked to three A.M. Elodie’s eyes watered from the screen’s relentless glare. With a groan, she peeled herself away from the desk, her limbs protesting like stubborn toddlers. Hunching on the plush carpet, she traded the keyboard for a pencil. She sketched the delicate prongs, the intricate clasp. The order of the gems, a symphony of blues and whites, took shape like a blooming flower. Petals of sapphire and jade, kissed by diamond dew, unfurled