e leather chair beh

no tears. Crying was a biological response to pain, and rig

hone and connecte

ank transfer receipts, and the DNA repor

cent, I unplugged the USB, wiped the syst

legs felt com

ropped to my knees and reached under the bottom shelf, pres

t a dusty

d. Resting on a bed of faded velv

en I walked away from the Montgomery family fi

ead phone into

Memories of my grandfather's furious face flashed behind my eyes. He

ckered to life

internal secure line. A nu

time before a

eaking." The elderly lawyer's

am," I

through the speaker. "Miss Har

indow at the darkening sky. "

voice trembling with suppressed excitemen

f I come back, the board will demand I fulfill th

confirmed. "The fam

urrent candid

his aggressive overseas expansion plans. They are demanding a strategic marriage with the historically grounded Mon

re Clay

a ghost, a ruthless predator in the financial world. And

red. "I want an informal m

edule is locked down months in

y's leverage. Get me an invitation to

ing back to the ruthless efficiency of a M

ung

in the tin and shoved it i

and straight into the maste

irts. Cheap, unassuming dresses I had bought to make Barrett feel

ense disgust

ic snapped. I threw them onto the floor. I tore down the skirts, the blous

to the very bac

thick, blac

haute couture gown. It was a piece

nthouse chimed. The elec

echoed through the hallw

epped into the black velvet. The fabri

of the closet, holding a brown p

dead in h

his eyes dragged up my body, taking in the black

are you doing

't yell. I just looked at him like he was a

solute zero temperature in my

boardroom arrogance. He set the food down and took a step towar

im. His fingers

r, right where he had almost touche

ke Tom Ford,"

dropped to his side. "It's... someone in t

blink at the

m the vanity and walked past h

nic turning into anger. He grabbed my elbow. "

at his hand gr

," I wh

e as if my sk

id, repeating his

ont door and let it