it was a loaded question, though gerri knew the ammunition behind it, allowed a wry smile through her perfectly polished gaze. it was not unfamiliar to her - perhaps more so from a woman, which made it all the more gratifying. " i'm >

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* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 6, 2026 · 11:30 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 6

< widowed, actually. long enough ago that you don't have to do the apologies. i'm bored of them now. "

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 6, 2026 · 11:30 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 6

thought so. he's a little more predictable than he realises.

𝒉𝐞𝐚𝐝 ‍ ‍ ‍ᵒ͟f ‍ ‍ ‍𝐩𝐫⁎@lunariantalesAug 6

actually… yeah… interesting observation.

126

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 6, 2026 · 2:15 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 6

" oh, please. no need. i thrive on hard times, i'd be hurt if you let me off lightly. " she took her hand and shook it firmly, ever the businesswoman. " gerri kellman. which you already know. the pleasure is mine. "

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350

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 6, 2026 · 2:14 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 6

they're in her home office. it's the room she's in most often, which is a little detail she thinks he'll want.

𝒉𝐞𝐚𝐝 ‍ ‍ ‍ᵒ͟f ‍ ‍ ‍𝐩𝐫⁎@lunariantalesAug 5

no need to. for as long as she liked them is enough for him.

114

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 11:55 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

. . . they're nice flowers. she'll send him a thank you note.

𝒉𝐞𝐚𝐝 ‍ ‍ ‍ᵒ͟f ‍ ‍ ‍𝐩𝐫⁎@lunariantalesAug 5

unfortunately，sometimes be does enjoy with the whole show off. even if it is mostly playfully and to push a button or two.

160

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 11:51 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

oh. she'd attributed that to the ninety year old octopus from the gala. she never had him down as an old romantic.

𝒉𝐞𝐚𝐝 ‍ ‍ ‍ᵒ͟f ‍ ‍ ‍𝐩𝐫⁎@lunariantalesAug 5

of course. that goes against his morals. the bouquet of flowers and the stupidly expensive bottle of wine delivered to her doorstep in the other hand…

119

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 11:48 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

" we're working very hard on outcomes. we're making great progress. " no point asking for a chance, of course ; the american public were far too impatient for that. " it's a thankless task at the top. hence. " a nod to her drink.

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215

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 11:47 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

. . . is he sure?

𝒉𝐞𝐚𝐝 ‍ ‍ ‍ᵒ͟f ‍ ‍ ‍𝐩𝐫⁎@lunariantalesAug 5

… of course not.ᐣ

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* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 2:18 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

gerri cannot watch her, though the statement demands her attention. if she looks up, she knows she will begin to wonder how her grown daughter looks so small, a girl who has taken up the same space in her house since she was five >

‍ ‍ ‍ 𝓙𝒐 , ‍𝒚𝒐𝒖 ‍𝒂𝒓𝒆 ‍𝒂͟𝓵͟𝒐͟𝒏͟𝒆 .ᐟ@MARTYRDOOMEDAug 4

her heart churned inside her chest, little ballerinas dancing on her ribs every time she tried to breathe. joan turns her back on the divan opposite her mother's armchair, her hands playing with the crocheted blanket covering it: she

258

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 2:18 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

< years old. and gerri will begin to wonder what she did wrong - or maybe what her father did wrong, though perhaps that is a little more obvious - and will find she can't bear it. appropriate, then, is joan's observation. but gerri >

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ · Aug 5, 2026 · 2:18 AM UTC

* 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙄𝙉 𝘾𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 .ᐟ@SERVESINTERESTSAug 5

< shifts, just slightly, in her chair, and doesn’t look up. " — i do. i don't know why you think that. i'm not expressive, or demonstrative, maybe, but we all still have emotions. "