Iris Harris lowered her eyes slightly, then picked up a tissue, gently wiping her fingers to remove the dried blood.
Her heart was calm and undisturbed; some things, once gone, just never return.
No matter what Brandan Hyde said, she could no longer love him.
Her heart, long ago...
had already died.
Iris Harris threw the tissue into the wastebasket calmly, then slowly packed her things.
Brandan Hyde stayed in the study, only coming downstairs when it was nearly time for dinner.
The hall was heated, and Iris Harris sat on the sofa with his laptop on her knees, browsing something with the mouse.
Brandan Hyde walked over, glanced down, and saw she was looking through financial magazines from recent years.
The webpage showed scanned copies of those magazines, and Iris Harris, with her eyes downcast, was engrossed and focused, not even noticing his approach.
