esca's eyelids lik

ad throbbed in time

e sheets were silk,

rashed i

The shoes

pent

af

d carried her in here, thrown her on the bed... and then? She frantically scanned her own body, her hands trembling. There was no soreness, no bruises, no trace of violation. H

room doo

billow

n walk

ps. Water droplets ran down a chest that

wheelchair park

at d

ly. His shoulders slumped s

rrifying tr

her. "Coffee

ast night... what you

lf toward the bed. Th

covered by your fiancé's brother?

hook. "I'm leaving. I won't s

for a folder o

o the bed. It la

gn

opened t

Agreement. And a rider t

legal jargon.

ou want the voting rights. You want to

e picked up a tablet. "He'll bankrupt

family's legacy," she said.

k. He tapped the sc

d it tow

from the hote

tside this room. It show

ut to the

s wrist. It showed her pu

aid calmly. "If Julian see

pau

off, who pays for your

the blood drain

k

out her mother's early-onset dementia. He kn

onster," sh

he corrected. "Sign

ked at

er voice trembling, "wil

rked. "Consider it

ed her name. The ink looked l

ed. Julian will be here in five min

oze. "He's c

eesome," Grafton said,

ed to th

orbell

came through the heavy w

bed. She grabbed the clothe

r the balc

eavy velvet curtains jus

herself agai

Julia

through the cra

the middle of the roo

lian asked. He frowned.

hair. He looked weak

rafton said. "She w

he room. His eyes ling

tep toward