ke bastard won't be smug much longer. As soon as Alicia's shares are in my h

e closed door like shards of glass, e

et, a shrill buzzing flooding her head unti

who had stayed by her side all this

t in bed-she had been giving

inquired, his tone tightening wi

amed at Alicia to pull away, but the reminder that she

kin with unexpected gentleness, se

s in his gaze softened just a fraction, even as an unmist

nt, the question "Who are you?" pressing again

d necessary. Acting impulsively

man's background wa

had returned would only ti

her nerves into stillness. "Baby, I'm feeling a little tired," sh

at once. "I'll put y

reached for a via

s into tight fists, nail

hael" had personally applied medicine to

ht surfaced-had her vision

t called him a beggar. How could som

man murmured in

cia back onto the bed and drew the

nt kiss across her forehead. "I'll be in the stud

to her side, Alicia s

eps faded, and the door c

confirming he was truly gone, she reached for her phone and

ine came the sharp scrape o

d, a note of surprise sharpening her voice. "So-are y

Alicia replied, a small

ologies had risen to become one of

of the venture capital field, funneling staggering profits into Eliza's empire.

ing, and even now she could still recall the naked dis

ed. "Eliza, I need you to help me audit

d quietly, "And I want you to find out

r a heartbeat. Then Eliza answer

eived a detailed breakdown

er, her remaining assets amoun

r properties into Kaelyn's hands and was already arrangi

ghtened around the phone until her knuckles went white

from the investment world and pour

to a sharpened blade, slicing cl

bent forward, retching as tears floo

ad curdled into searing pain-and t

eath, Alicia forced

world, she knew all too well that if she wished, me

asn't worth a

yn had done to her, she intended t

albums, his gaze dark and contemplative as fragments of

s phone and placed a call. "How's

es have another identity-an

's brow, interest sparki

.. Aurora-the legendary top venture capitalist who once dominated the international fina

hrough Jared's eyes in

hing ordinary about the woman

, "why agree to pretend to be Alicia's husband?

as Jared snapped, "Watch your mouth

, Mr. N

his fingers tightening around the glass hairp

a had once been the per

ess message Alicia sent to his aunt overseas had pulled him back from

and took up his mother's maiden name, Nelson instead. Almost every rem

the Powell name, still schemed to exploit Frank Powell, his grandfather, during his critica

had the audacity to t

aelyn flashed through Jared's mind-her unfocused eyes, her bloodl

mbered who he was, his resolve

he pressed a trembling hand to his chest, the

a knock sounded

Jared gritted his teeth and said hoarse

cia stepped inside, only to fi