ntic energy upstairs. The carpet here was thicker, the lighting dimmer, desi

rs, stood in front of the double mahogany doors at the end of the corridor. They

one of them rumbled. "Mr. Ho

She walked straight toward them, the white d

opening this door," she said. "Or get out

le of the mahogany door turned from the inside. A frantic-looking

and shoved past the assistant, slipping thr

and expensive scotch. It was a masculine cave

of amber liquid resting on the table beside him. He wore a tuxedo, but the jacket was unbutto

ok up when s

ehind her and twisted the lock.

lock, Fletcher fin

swept over her disheveled state-the slightly askew vei

sn't a question. His voice was a deep

m to move. She placed the iPad on the coffee table in front of him,

Paris,"

sign that he was processing the collapse of a multi-million dollar event. He didn't

contracts," he said, his thumb hovering over

his hand with hers. Her skin w

her face. His gaze was heavy, a physical weight pres

e didn't retreat. She took

me," sh

in the air, a

en, the corner of his mouth ticked up. It wa

med over her, blocking out the light. The sheer size of

Estella. You have no leverage. Your father is a fraud, your fiancé

cial pages. "If you cancel this wedding, the merger with the Kensington Group falls through because it relies on the family im

narrowed. He w

ameson is unstable. They'll dig into his partying. They'll question his fitness to

ant that idiot sitting on your board? Because if I don't walk down that aisle, my father will

t Central Park, his hands clasped behind his back. The tension in his s

usiness transaction,"

table image. You need to block the side of the family that w

need protection. I need

with new eyes. He wasn't seeing a daughter-in-la

Estella?" he aske

ly. "And the power to make Jame

ummed. He seemed to be weighing the cost o

p rap sounde

rand Dame's voice. "Open