LN Cronan

 With these pictures, I've been going with my first gut reaction .... this one, it's Corrine. Holding a torch for Gideon broke her marriage.  For three years, she actively tried to get him to change. Finally, she pulled the ultimate ultimatum - broke the engagement. Probably, consciously she thought she was moving on when she married Giroux and moved to Europe. But I suspect that subconsciously, she was still trying to control Gideon -- make him yearn for her. Then she broke her marriage and via trans-Atlantic communication, started manipulating Gideon via guilt. Enter Eva -- Corrine tried even harder. She tried to break Gideon's new relationship. Corrine actually did succeed in helping to break up Gideon and Eva -- her manipulative mindgames sent Eva into a spin and was a major contributing factor to Eva finally dumping Gideon.  So now what's Corrine going to do? She thinks she has Gideon back. How badly is it going to break her when Gideon breaks things off with her, which we know is coming. Because honestly, she ought to have kicked Gideon to the curb all those years ago instead of convincing him to accept her marriage proposal. Eva had a lot more backbone. Thoughtlessly, Gideon sometimes mistreated her early in their relationship -- and she walked (well, she ran) each time he did it. Corrine? Desperately held on the whole time, it would appear. Her "walking" was part of her manipulation attempts.Â

 OMG, I hadn't noticed the initials before!!!  HAH!!!  Christian Grey - CG Gideon Cross - GC  Actually, it's Gideon Geoffrey Cross (we've been told his middle name)  So that's GGC  G2+C?  Work with me, ladies

Great big long group hug!

 Yep - the image is meant to be symbolic, but those are two real male models. It would be totally inappropriate to use a child model here.  During the first nightmare Eva witnessed, Gideon, in the role of victim, was telling his attacker to take his hands off him. What few details (yet) Gideon ultimately did share with Eva, near the end of Reflected, described "hand jobs" as the first physical form of abuse.  Thus when I saw that creepy hand, my gut instantly told me "Gideon being victimized."

 I don't see Gideon coming over again to her place after the first night they re-unite. They never can tell who Cary might have for overnight guests -- Trey, Tatiana, someone he just met. Too risky for Gideon to be spotted by one of Cary's guests.

 Remember how Sylvia's main website used to flood when new snippets went up and early on in the first weeks of the snapshots? Obviously, though, the site administrators subsequently lined up a lot more capacity -- because it didn't flood when Chapter One of Entwined hit.  I hope they're similarly prepared for a big rush here on this site.

I just realized I kinda contradicted myself -- chastising Monica for telling Eva about the pictures, yet wanting to chastise Monica/Stanton/Gideon for all having kept Nathan a secret in the first place. Â They could have gotten Eva killed. What if Nathan had gone after Eva first, instead of Cary, with that baseball bat. Sure, Angus was watching over Eva -- but she wasn't exactly acting safety conscious and could have slipped away. Indeed, that's exactly what she did Tuesday morning, left the hospital without warning and was actually walking the streets toward the Crossfire when Angus found her. Â I guess I'm just furious about the way Monica told Eva. Totally thoughtless, totally clueless -- totally wrapped up in her own drama.

I think we figured out the first e-book downloads on U.S. releases would start around 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (the earliest of the four time zones in the U.S.) Â Â I have no clue, though, whether you overseas friends can get the e-books on June 4 as well. I guess that's a question for the e-book sellers like Amazon. Â I'll be coming out of "radio silence" as soon as I get going out of bed the morning of June 7 -- which is around late morning to lunchtime for you ladies in the U.K.

 There was a chance all sorts of things could have slipped out -- including the fact Gideon committed the murder, the cops hauling him off in handcuffs. But the chance still remained that other things might stay a secret, and Gideon was counting on that. I think that next to the darkest truth of all -- he was the killer -- the second darkest truth was the existence of those photos, and he probably hoped that too would stay a secret.  Especially if it was possible that he somehow managed to locate the originals and destroy them. My own belief is the whole reason he/Stanton/Monica initially started stringing Nathan along was to locate and destroy the photos/video.  Already, the fact Gideon somehow knew about Nathan being in New York slipped out -- slipped out because Gideon was stupid enough to have gone to Eva's on Friday night instead of staying away, knowing that the body was found that morning and the cops would come calling sooner or later. They came sooner. It was Gideon's own bad he was put into a position where he could not deny he knew Nathan -- and had to dance around the question about where he'd been on Thursday.  But for Monica to come in wailing the next morning and essentially blurt out Nathan had his own little stash of homemade child p*** starring Eva -- well that was Monica at her personal dysfunctional worst.

No good quotes in Chapter 16, but the best I can come up with was the fact that Eva made d*** sure Gideon didn't blow off her off on the phone that Saturday. Because Monday, he'd barely speak to her -- couldn't wait to get her off the phone (he was on his "date" with Corrine at the time). Tuesday, he rushed her off the phone too, because he was busy (security team meeting, though Eva assumed he was with Corrine again.) Â Saturday, she got him on the phone and yet again he was pulling that "not a good time to talk" bull. She wasn't going to let his weasle his way out of talking with her this time. From page 285: Â "Then just listen. I'll time myself. One minute. One god**** minute of your time."

 The photos might not have come out. If there wasn't any arrest and the investigation was still very active, the cops would be looking to get info from Eva not give it to her. What Graves did -- leaking secrets about the case -- was highly unusual. Until a case goes to court, nearly all the investigation files are secret.

 I agree, because it could go one of two ways (well, actually it could go several ways, but these are the main two I see): Cary OK with the fact that if Eva wants to get laid, well go for it -- but maybe suggest to her she consider juggling Brett and Gideon, just like he (Cary) juggles Trey and Tatiana. Cary thinking that Gideon is using Eva -- going around Corrine's back to get laid but giving Eva zero respect outside the bedroom. I don't see Cary sitting back if he thinks Gideon is lining up Corrine as a wife and Eva as a secret mistress.

 I'm going to lurk after I've finished reading, because I'm eager to start reading the reactions of fellow fans. But I'm going to wait for some of you ladies to catch up before I jump into the fray.  I don't want to be a source of temptation. I'm going to try to tap into my Inner Eva, who was able to resist temptation for several days. That Monday evening she met Gideon, if she'd snapped her fingers instead of walking away, Gideon would have loaded her into the back of the Bentley and raced to the f*** pad. But she held out, Strong Eva did -- held out for a little respect.

 Gideon probably will forever hold against his future mother-in-law the fact she blabbed to Eva about the existence of the photos Nathan had.  Thoughtless Monica all cranked up and thinking "me, me, me" spit out something that directly contributed to (along with the party photo) Eva's heart shattering into a million pieces. That part in the break-up telephone call where Eva was essentially cutting Gideon slack for not wanting sexually damaged goods like her -- that was Monica's fault.

 OMG -- love, love, love the avatar!!! Meeting Gideon in his office, indeed!!  A spoiler thread or threads likely will get going June 4. Sylvia herself started a Reflected spoiler thread last October, because not everyone had a chance to get their hands on Reflected the same time -- the e-book and the paperback were released on different days.  Plus, one of the main reasons for this site is so fans who have read her books -- all of them -- can freely discuss stuff without spoiling things for fans who haven't yet read a particular book. It's here, rather than places like Facebook or Twitter. that fans can go wild.  The June 7 date to start discussing Entwined is a voluntary mini-movement some of we hardcore regulars have agreed on in order to give some of our fellow hardcore readers outside the U.S. -- especially the U.K. -- a shot at reading Entwined themselves. The U.K. fans have to wait until June 6 for their books, but the U.S. fans get theirs' June 4.  I'm probably going to lurk on this site once I've finished reading my copy on June 4. But I'm going to sit on my hands about posting until June 7. Sure, some overseas fans won't be able to resist and may end up reading spoilers here anyway. But I'm going to avoid contributing to the spoiler material myself -- a resolve especially hardened by some of the malarkey I've heard that's been going over on Goodreads, where some people lucky enough to have already gotten their hands on Entwined somehow in recent days couldn't stop themselves from putting out information. It's left some people, myself included, now struggling to avoid clicking on links to "reviews."

 They're already joking in bed before the end of Chapter 2 -- waking up the next morning together like it's Christmas morning. Eva's present is already unwrapped and no batteries required.

Chapter 16 is the worst, I think. Â Chapter 15 covers Thursday (Gideon mean) and Friday (Eva mad). But Saturday, which is Chapter 16, is when Eva's heart is smashed to pieces and Gideon is helpless to stop her from pulling the ultimate runner.Â

And thank goodness we have eye candy to perk us up today .... because in the re-read project, today we're on Chapter 16 of Reflected, the absolute worst of the worst -- Eva finds out about the Nathan photos, finds out where Gideon took Corrine for their second "date" -- and said things to Gideon over the phone that made something inside him feel like it was dying.

 The "funny" has got to mean Eva is at her sassiest! Looks like we're getting some one-liners to top even the hilarity of pages 51-52 of Bared, when seriously sexually frustrated Gideon pestered her by telephone as she was just about to leave her office for the weekend. That conversation where she got snarky enough that he threatened to take her over his knee and where she let him know she'd planned a date with Battery Operated Boyfriend over anything he might have in mind instead.

 I think you're right.  But what the heck - the picture of the elevators (snapshot # 12) is back. That was the original, then it got replaced with a vase of white flowers, and now it's back to elevators? #13 is women's clothing tossed at the foot of a bed - a white blouse and classic black pumps, the sort of stuff Eva would wear at work.  So ....love nest set up in one of Gideon's many pieces of real estate?

 Wednesday had been a low point for Eva - willing to settle for scraps Gideon would throw her way, despite him spending his time with Corrine now instead of her. Thursday was another roller-coaster ride: Gideon made love to her for hours before dawn but then was so cold in that business meeting he was downright cruel. By then, Eva ought to have told him to go f*** himself (or go f*** Corrine if he so choose, but no longer was he welcome in her own bed). But I think she made the right choice to want to go to couples therapy with him that night. When he didn't show, she took the time to talk things out with Dr. Petersen herself. Friday was when we saw flashes of New Eva. Via one of his own employees (Raul) Eva told him f*** himself. She cheered herself up a little by entertaining passing fantasies of putting another employee (Angus) in a position of having to tell Gideon she was now going to spend time with Brett (not meaning to really do so -- just imaging.) She hoped he wasn't going to show for dinner, and when he did so anyway, she wasn't going to pretend with him anymore -- in her mind, she decided that night she was going to take a break from their relationship. Saturday was when we saw broken Eva - now knowing Gideon had seen photos/video of her as a rape victim, and now herself having seen photographic proof (so she believed) he was sleeping with Corrine but lacked the common decency to break up with her. Fast forward a week from Monday another low point, her willing to let Gideon use her sexually in the elevator. Tuesday, the following day New Eva out in full force - facing down Corrine, attacking Dr. Lucas -- and telling Gideon his shutting her out was the deal-breaker.Â

Sylvia said back a while ago the reason Gideon went through with dinner at Eva's was he feared she'd never forgive him if he cancelled. Â But I wonder whether the only reason he stuck to the plan was that she called him on Thursday afternoon to check whether he still was coming. Had she not specifically asked, I think he might have backed out without explanation, just like he'd blown off going to the hospital Monday and Tuesday, just like he'd never made any plans to see her Wednesday (him showing up in the middle of the night was in direct response to her email, not pre-planned) and he definitely wasn't going to be with her Thursday. Â Only twice that week did he call her, period, both times furious (and underneath panicked) she'd gone somewhere without bodyguard (Angus) protection: Tuesday morning:Â she'd left the hospital on her own to go to work Wednesday lunchtime: she'd gone to lunch with Mark and Stephen. Â Monday night: she called him, and he barely said hello-goodbye -- and he said nothing about the fact he had no intention of coming to the hospital. It turned out he was in the middle of his "dinner date" with Corrine. Tuesday night: despite their huge fight over their exes, she called him too, at home. Again, he rushed her off the phone, but not before she figured out he wasn't alone. Wednesday night: instead of calling, she sent him an anguished email. Thursday night: he didn't show at Dr. Petersen's, and he didn't call to explain. She didn't bother calling him. Friday: neither called the other, not in the morning and not during the workday.

Re-Read a Chapter a Day -- Today is Chapter 16 of Reflected in You  This chapter starts Friday evening (day 32) and ends Saturday morning (day 33, sixth day of their estrangement, day one of the break-up).  Key plot developments Eva got two devastating blows Saturday morning -- and Gideon himself faced emotional devastation too. Her mother told her Nathan had possessed photos/video of Eva as his rape victim years ago, and had been using them to try to extort money from her and Stanton. Eva guessed, correctly, Gideon had seen those photos too. Victor showed her an online news photo and story proving Gideon had taken Corrine out again, this time to a work party -- at the hotel he'd always had sex with Corrine during the years they had first been together. The picture convinced Eva that Gideon was a cheater and too much of a coward to end things -- and Eva told him so over the phone as she ended the relationship herself.  Favorite quote or paragraph needed from each of us, for Sylvia, after we've re-read the chapter. If "favorite" is the right word, because we're in the very darkest part of the story now.

Chapter 15 of Reflected in You - The Readers Guide  This chapter starts Thursday morning (day 31) and continues through Friday evening (day 32 and the fifth day of their estrangement.)  Key plot developments This is one of the pivotal chapters thus far in the Crossfire series. Eva finally found out Nathan had been in New York. She found out that Gideon somehow already knew this. THEN ... she finds out Nathan was found dead. The shocking news came Friday evening when a pair of NYPD detectives showed up at her apartment to question her. In progress was the family dinner she'd planned so that her father, in town for the weekend, could meet Gideon, who came to dinner anyway even though he'd cut Eva off. Thursday, Gideon had deliberately hurt Eva yet again - this time to her face by all-but-ignoring her in a business meeting. The ne blew off couples therapy, despite saying he'd show.  New characters Detective Shelley Graves Detective Richard Mincha Raul (Gideon's second driver, not yet named - minor)  The homicide detectives show up The detectives arrived at Eva's place looking for her - and as a two-fer, unexpectedly finding Gideon there, said they wanted to talk with him too. Victor told the detectives he himself also was a cop. In order, how the questioning went, with Graves and Mincha taking turns firing off questions: Eva was asked if she was familiar Nathan Barker. She was too stunned to answer, and as she got dizzy, Cary grabbed hold of her and answered the question himself - saying Nathan is Eva's former stepbrother. Then she was asked when had been the last time she'd seen Nathan She answered "eight years ago" and added mentally to herself "in a courtroom". She was asked whether she knew Nathan "was here in New York." Violently, she shook her head no. That's when her father (who knew nothing about Nathan) stepped in, wanting to know where the  detectives' questioning was going. Switching gears, the detectives turned to Gideon, asking him whether he knew Nathan. "You wouldn't be asking that question if you didn't already know the answer," Gideon replied (page 270) Gideon's answer further stunned the silent Eva, but yet again her father asked the detectives to explain the point behind their questions. Ignoring Victor's request, the police asked Eva to " ... tell us where you were yesterday ..." As a cop, Victor recognized the questioning was headed toward alibi territory. That's when he put his foot down, ordered Eva to not answer, and told the detectives the interview wasn't going any further until they told Eva (and him) what was going on. "Nathan Barker was found dead this morning," was the answer -- the cliffhanger ending to the chapter. (page 270)  Before: Friday On schedule, Victor arrived for his visit to New York via red-eye flight from California. Eva picked him up at La Guardia -- by cab, flatly refusing to get into the Bentley waiting outside her apartment building. Instead of Angus, the Bentley was driven by an employee Eva had never seen before. But furious at Gideon, Eva gave the guy a snarky message to convey to his boss. As planned, the family dinner did happen Friday night. Eva expected Gideon to not show, because he'd blown off couples therapy without explanation the night before. But he came, and as promised, brought his sister, Ireland, along. To Eva, Gideon alternated between iceman and struggling with small gestures of affection. However, Ireland revealed (while Gideon was off taking a cell phone call) that he'd been very nervous beforehand and had gotten teary-eyed watching Eva dance with her Dad, not yet aware Gideon was watching. And Gideon was wearing his promise ring. But he'd been treating Eva badly for days now, and she'd had enough. The night before with Dr. Petersen, Eva had started to discuss the possibility of a break-up. Friday, she decided she wanted to cut him off. "I didn't want to say we were done and over, but it was certain now that we needed a break from each other. Gideon needed to figure out what he was doing, what he was looking for, and whether I had any meaningful place in his life. Because this roller-coaster ride we were on was going to break me, and I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't." (page 268)  Before: Thursday He'd made love to her for hours before dawn, but despite her plea for him to stay with her, he slipped away while she slept. Thursday turned out to be another really bad day in their seriously deteriorating relationship. Whereas Tuesday had been angry, Thursday was ice cold. Weeks before, Gideon had awarded the Kingsman Vodka advertising campaign to the agency Eva works for, with her immediate boss, Mark, being given the project per Gideon's request. On Thursday, there was a meeting to go over the project: Gideon plus two of his Cross Industries directors, one of the owners of Eva's agency, Mark -- and Eva herself. Aside from greeting her (without even looking at her) as Miss Trammell, he ignored her. Later that afternoon, she called his office, expecting her call to be rejected but surprised he took her call. She wanted to know whether he still planned to come to her apartment Friday and bring his sister. He confirmed he was. "I have a late meeting tonight, so I'll have to meet you at Dr. Petersen's. Angus will drive you over. I'll grab a cab," he told her (page 256). Unbeknownst to her colleagues, who were working strictly on the advertising concept for Kingsman, Gideon had his PR staff plan a publicity mixer for Kingsman that night. He had no intention of going to Dr. Petersen's - he was quitting couples therapy and had already stopped individual therapy (a no-show for his Tuesday appointment.) All along Thursday, he'd planned to take Corrine out again, this time to the PR party, and once again, staging things so that they'd be publicly photographed looking like a couple. And somewhere along the way Thursday, follow through on his plan to kill Nathan in order to save Eva's life.

 HAH!!!!  Let's see ... The Crossfire His apartment building Her apartment building  Of course, the f*** pad hotel, too, so part of this could apply to the exes conversation we know is coming, per one of the snippets ...  Nah, this one today is meant to be fun. Some morning sex, a nooner in the office (sorry, Corrine - not you), evening home together