her spine, rattling her teeth. She watched the pedestrians on the sidewalk, bundled

ade of the Boyle Group headquarters reflected the gray sky. It stood at the end of

lifetime ago, but the memory

warmth of the Parker estate in Greenwich. Three years ago, the house had

cker tape at the bottom of the screen scrolled endlessly: Parker Group Stoc

turning white before her eyes. His hands, usually so steady when signing contracts, trembled as he held a glass o

s a hostile acquisition," he had said, his voice tight. "They've leveraged everything. And the SE

lank screen above the fireplace. "It's

in the air, to

t friend and business partner. When a highly leveraged real estate deal collapsed, Jonathan had lo

he last five years rebuilding the Boyle empire from the ashes, turning i

ved to the window, pulling back the curtain. A black SUV had pulle

ut his eyes were chips of blue ice. He moved with a predatory grace, walk

nock. He ju

pped crying. Albert stood up, his

voice was raw. "Hav

he room, over the antique furniture, the oil paintings, t

are. It wasn't a look of desire. I

ce was low, completely devoid of emotion. "T

a step for

It landed with a soft clatter. "This contains enough evidence to send half your board to prison f

?" Betty asked, h

es never left

like a stone in

her stomach clen

ecome my wife. The Parker family remains intact.

pping between Harrison and his da

ed smoothly. "A small price to pay for

rt's eyes. She could see the calculation happening behind his blood

Albert started, but

ip curling in disgust. "You built this house on sand. Now the tide is

hought of Ambrose, his gentle smile, the future they had pl

rom behind her fa

er, his face crump

Harrison. "But you will sign an agreement. You w

ile that didn't reach his eyes. "O

on. The venue was a lawyer's office in Midtown. The guests were two paralegals ac

t wouldn't stop shaking. Harrison had signed his wi

reath was warm against her ear, but his words w

s it had come. The cab was moving

sed. Hell. The Hamptons estate became her prison. She was the bi

er stayed the night. He barely looked at her, except to remind her of her pla

ar clause in the contract was her light at the end of the t

e tunnel ha

ain. It loomed over the street, casting a long shadow. Harr

ady dead. He didn't know sh

a red light. Arlene r

this

pen. The cold autumn air hit her face, snapping her back to reality

moving across the sky. Somewhere up there, Harrison was sitt

one. But she wasn't fighting for survival anymore. She was fighting for her chil