Chapter 13
It was a miserable spring, summer, and autumn. However, life did what it always did; it went on. And I had no choice but to go on with it. I had my son depending on me.
I kept my grief to myself, enhancing my reputation as the ice queen—screaming and railing against the injustice of it was useless. My sister-in-law assumed that meant I didn’t care at all, and she rarely spoke to me without making her disapproval obvious. Of course, she was careful never to do so when Bryan was present.
Now the holiday season was approaching, but the joy had gone out of it for me. Quinton was aware, as were Alyona and Gregor.
“Mrs. Mann, please let me put up a Christmas tree for you.” Gregor had served in the Navy for six years after college, and from there had joined the FBI. Now he worked o
