led behind Curtis's wheelchair, her arms wrapped tightly around

-built rear cabin via a hydraulic lift. Allie hurried to the other side, slipping i

p with a soft hum. The cabin b

reezing, unapproachable aura that made

t the tinted window at the blurring trees, her mind racing. She needed to figur

is's sightline. The screen glowed with a message from Richard: "Hospital just called. Her stats crashed but they brought her back. They

terror over the noon deadline that this reprieve, however small, sent a wave of nausea through her body. The clock was ticking louder than ever. She had to make eve

driver took

the door handle and tumbled toward the center of the seat. Her

n. His gaze sliced into h

ed, scrambling back into her corner,

t out a h

w ticking. "When we are in front of Seraphina, you wil

nd nodded, digging her

prawling Deleon estate. The sheer scale of the French-style manicured g

the main staircase. He bowed deeply to Curtis. When he looked

oyer. The light from the massive crystal chand

g room. She slowly lowered her porcelain teacup and dra

d to in the study," Cur

essly abandoning Allie in the middle of the

d lazily toward a

kirt, she pressed her hand against the hard outline of the phone in her pocket. The w

a started, her tone dripping with venom. "Shoving whatever tra

p. The humiliation burned in her chest, but

e replied, her voice perfectly calm and poli

eciding to test the waters. She began firing off obscure questions about Renaissance art history a

from design school, she answered every question. Her ins

owed, and then they drifted dow

was wearing. The edges were scuffed and wo

ted a gold-digger dripping in designer logos bought with Deleon money

arrived, Seraphina's to

instructed the maid, waving away the cold te

ck on the mantle. 3:45 PM. Three hours left. A cold sweat broke out along her spine. Is this wor

near the doorway, his sharp eyes scanning the space. He immediately sense

p of her tea and lo

ightly, right in front of Allie. "She isn't

thom what kind of manipulative trick this weak-looking woma

ut of sight, she pulled out her phone. No messages. She typed a quick text to the

, honey. Don't be late." Allie bit her lip so hard she taste

the corner and saw a young maid kneeling on the floor, violently sha

She dropped to her k

" Allie whispered softly, gently pulling the maid's tremblin

t in his wheelchair, watching. His brow furrowed. He coul

ved in the gra

was so tight she could barely swallow the water in front of her. She was running out

to press down and cut into the meat, but the muscles completely failed to obey his command. After a moment of pathetic, powerless trem

m plunged into a dead

ved. His pride, already shattered by his paralysis, was bleeding

in a fractio

r glass. It tipped over, sending ice water cascading across

Allie gasped loudly, jumping up from her

e room instantl

towel?" she babbled, completely cover

embling hand into a tight fist on his lap, his

re back in the Maybach

as two minutes past the deadline. She'd nearly thrown up on the front steps. But then the message from the nurse came through: "He called. He'

in the fight

insults. Instead, his low, gra

interfere a