ur crystal glasses filled with ice water. The chandelier above was blazing, casting harsh, unforgiving l

is suit jacket and sat down, his posture rigid. He didn't offer

near the far end. Arlie walked to the middle of the table. She pulle

abletop. Once. Twice. It was a sound she knew

, his voice flat

in the armor. A flicker of the man she had married. The man who

he said, her

generous. He has kept your position in this family intact despite

ivorced you the moment the doctors diagnosed you. You'r

. "Gratitude? You want me to be grateful? You locked me up. You stole

ue eyes pinning her to the chair. "Emotional outbursts won'

pulled out a thick stack of paper. He slid it across

ement to the Mari

ges. She kept her eyes lock

said, his tone as clinical as if he were discussing a st

e gripped the edge of the ta

llion dollars into Stuart Enterprises. Furthermore, I will unfreeze your personal trust fund and

d transactional. He was buying her. H

fty million? Killian, that is extremely generous. Arlie, t

r voice sharp. "It's the least you can do

he end of the table. The man she had loved. The man sh

looked at her when he slid the ring on her finger

hold onto. The medication they had pumped into her for two years had left her thoughts feeling like they were wrapped in gauze. Sometimes she would reach for a word and find nothing. Sometimes she would try to think

d it all by thi

ed her to do it again.

word scraping her throat.

iological mother. The genetic compatibility is highest with you. We need the healthiest possibl

bryo. Not a baby. Not a ch

om for argument. "I have already assembled the best

. It wasn't a marriage. It was a s

egal text. Her vision blurred. The words swam. She blinked hard, fighting the fog. She couldn't read it. Not like she used t

e didn't strategize. The motion came from somewhere deeper than thought-a primal

tore

idn't rush. She took her time, ripping the pages into long, thin strips,

eavy, shoc

ce purple with rage. "Are you ins

ened. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He looked at

staring at the mess she had made. She didn't look at Killian. She couldn

g, but her back was straight. She had said no. It wasn't strategy. It wasn