ished marble floors reflected the harsh morning sun. The sme

white button-down shirt and faded jeans. She looked out of

irs. He wore a tailored charcoal suit. His eyes swept

And while I respect your resilience, Ms. Reynolds, you will need more than

rds opened the trunk of a nearby SUV,

lled out. Silk, velvet, chiffon. Dresses that hadn't even hit th

't impressed by the price tags. She

r of a deep forest. Velvet, heavy and rich. It was the

ne," sh

sformation was shocking. The simple, tired mother was gone. The dress hugg

of approval in his eyes

hair tamed with a bow. Julian wore a cris

nes filled the cabin. Thurston sat acro

d, his eyes boring into hers. "If the children are

gnant and broke. I tell the great Bernardo West I'm carrying his babies. Do you think he would ha

swer. He took a sl

ce hard. "I'm not here because I need a savio

w the truth in her eyes. She was

nsion, the sound of breaking g

unded by the shards of a smashed vas

teny screamed. "She is with

icking on the floor. She held her phone to

ughter, Darleen. She's been... unstable since her return. I worry she may try to manipulate the West family with some fabricated story about her ch

ning. A thin smil

ate family matters, a whisper in the right ear

ing. A slow, evil smile

she's a head case, they'll s

l. She looked at her d

posed as unstable before she even sets foot on that island, Bernardo will never believe a word she says. He'll s

The pilot's voice crackled over the

nd appeared in the turquoise sea. It was covered

trolled the sand. Armed guards. Every ten fe

. The door opened, and th

of her green dress, making it swirl around her legs. She

white uniform bowe

p of the hill stood a massive white villa. It was all

hind the floor-to-ceiling glass of the main room

to her side, his sma

bouncing on her toes. "Look

front door

han she remembered. His face was all hard lines and sha