His Betrayal Forged Her Empire

with a weight that spoke of

the warmth that had gathered there. Gemma Valdez stepped over the threshold, her stil

ows near the coatroom, her s

take your coat. The

lid from her arms and hit the floor

hands remained suspended wh

la

epped forward from the alcove where she'd been waiting, a re

a's fingers closed around it,

le. Half an inch. An unconscious movement, the body

he folder onto

aulted space. Every servant wi

ly, taking positions at the room's only exit. Their hands hung naturally

the door. Then the sta

ored. "You called Carmela Bronte from the kitchen landline at 9:47

. Closed it. A wet clic

name. The same day, you photographed the guest list for my father's private dinner with the chairma

ma, I can

e meeting with Dr. Alistair Finch. The meeting about my brother's trust. That meeting led to a fals

t herself on the entry table, her

t have access to my personal calendar. You don't know about my meetings with the

e to keep her informed, she wa

rough three intermediary accounts. Final destination: your son's construction company account in Jac

second-floor landing, searching for the woman who

ding wa

hing came fast and shallow, sm

ctive immediately. All access revoked. Your personal effects will be sear

, fingers grasping for Gemma's w

renda's upper arm, wrenching her away from Gemma wi

igh and desperate, the sound of

ith detached interest. "Federal charges. The FBI has a particular interest in cases involving attempts to influence orga

out as a gasp. "You can't

head. "Did you think we couldn't trace the beneficial owner of the shell company? D

thrashed in the soldier's gri

. Let me-she promised-she s

onte is

enda's other arm. They began to move her toward the side door, the serv

e, leaving black scuffs. Then something

ldier-he'd been careless, overconfident, and she had thirty years of

e

Toward the second floor. Toward the woman who had

more steps to the first landing. Her

shoe caught on the ed

disaster. Her body tilted backward, arms windmilling, f

flat on t

wet crack, like a melon droppe

nts turn away and retch. Dark liquid spread beneath her head, seeping into the white ma

en, his hands still in the position

ked towar

gone glassy, staring up at the chandelier. Close enough to sm

et pocket. Her phone came o

ental fall. I want the family's doctor here before any emergency services. I want the scene secured. I

g each face in turn. The maids. The gardeners. The u

eld her gaze for

the space, calm and absolute. "This hal

hand. Gemma took one, wiped her fingers methodically, a

stretched hand, close enough to notice the chipped nail polish, the calluses from

d not lo

udy, where the real work of manag