ors of the private

er shoes. The silence in the hallway was deafening. The only sound was the he

r voice trembling slightly. S

p by a single millimeter. He walked up to the massive double door

oor open and carried her into the

g leather sofa. He didn't set

er lips. The leather was cold against her bare legs. She looked up, her heart ham

. He threw it onto the glass coffee table. He turned his back t

ing to preserve whatever body heat she had left. Her high-end silk dres

h towel suddenly h

Carlton was standing over her. He held a crystal

Carlton said. His voice w

he blood draine

saw the way you shifted your weight before the fall. The deliberate, anchored step into her space

en the exact moment she intentionally orchestrated the trajectory to drag Jessi

gripped the towel tightly and tilted her ch

there?" Joanna asked, her voice surprisingly steady.

ss chuckle. He tossed the rest

placed both hands on the sofa, trapping her body between his massive arms. The scen

is face inches from hers, "will not be dragged throu

suffocating. But Joanna knew this was her onl

ech company Madden Group is acquiring nex

room instantl

at her, analyzing her, trying to figure out how a socialite who spent her days sh

voice cold and precise. "And another under a shell

ounts over the phone while she was locked in the asyl

eyes off her. He reached into his pocket, pulled

of emotion. "Run a deep trace on two o

speaker and tossed

he grandfather clock in the corner sounded like a bomb

later, the p

s are black holes. Massive debt hidden off the books. If

ition," Carlton or

his eyes was gone. It was replaced by something

Joanna said, pressing her advantage. "And I w

the sofa. He stopped right i

tray drop of pool water. The touch was light, but the call

ever use my family's name to play your

where he had touched her. The survival insti

the master bedroom. "Go take a sh