sey

triarch and Don of the family, was steeped in

at once choked me

thing but a co

wooden chair, my hands

om the foundation," I s

om behind the expanse

er, yet his eyes remained sharp-a h

he single word hea

n't b

on my own caree

er of his chair groaning

k

only currency that mattered, and

Don said finally. His voice was de

est, a ghost of a heartbreak, but I

" I r

eved," he declared. "It is logi

ibbled a note on a legal pad, the s

still a Randolph.

discreet,"

ed, sat

the separation of assets regarding the foundat

king about th

ing about m

ilitating

I said, and r

nge sensation washing over me-I fe

evered my ow

he role of the perfect w

I was summoned t

rty for the

request; it

y, the heels of my boots clicking a sh

he corner

r

ing, radiant

s that clung possessi

ted me a

n, technically, but her

y," sh

nked her arm through mi

but she held on with

ispered, leaning in close enou

s must be h

ng glance down a

so...

ffortlessly delivered, that it

arm back a

d. My voice was low, shaki

face and felt

t see a

a pa

idened, seizi

k a ste

hrew hersel

clumsy to my eyes-but effective enough

or with a dull thud and

ked, clutching her b

flew

the hallway like wa

ousins,

the floor, sobbing, and

illed with instan

men so ugly," I he

ll the heir," anoth

zen in the spotlig

t defen

ct had been delivered before

nnett w

the crowd, his fac

ri

ide her, frantically gat

? Tell me whe

ed with a terror I had nev

ooke

e black hole

my sight,"

ask what

t ask fo

ly cond

lding another woman while the family I

't say

my heel and

ght to my st

bolted it, and tu

s in isolation, restoring

on the microscopic

inting, maybe I wouldn't have to think a

ily demande

as the p

ing oversized dark glasses to

de out ont

riding

hor

foal, nursing him through sickness wh

e would ever ride because the beast wa

asn't alone i

eated in f

thrown back against his che

ed around her, his hands

owd ch

man next to me sighed

had been stabb

taken m

aken my

g the one thing t

them parad

looked

smi

, cruel liftin

owing me

the wif

ely the s