ently disrupted the quiet morning

ogany-paneled study. It exploded against the wall, sendin

yes bloodshot. His phone lay on the desk, the screen glowing with the paparazzi photo

doors of the s

walked in. He leaned heavily on a gold-tippe

"You pathetic fool! You made a spectacle of

ing into fists. "She is mine! Ale

a complex shadow of fear and deep-se

like bleeding bait. You need to focus on Karlie Christensen. That

g forward. "I will marry Karlie. But I will not

enomous whisper. "Do not forget what you are, Johan. You are a bastard. You sit in that cha

im looking sickly and hollow. The ghost of his illegitimacy-the twelve-yea

"The real heir? He's nothing but a stre

e study, holding a porcelain teacup. She wore a perfect, sympathetic smile,

offering him the tea. "You need

he could see was Eleanore's cold,

pped the cup out

ieked, jumping back, a flash of pure hatred crossing her eye

t control your temper, the board will find someon

reathing ragged. He pulled out h

s voice shaking with malice. "Call every gallery in Manhattan. If anyone hi

le touched his lips. She would co

ing crash echoed from the

out the massive window

multi-million-dollar security mainframe short-circuited in a fraction of a second. The heavy wrought-iron gates silently slid open, entirely paralyzed by the technological breach. The cars

pulling their weapons, but they fro

the lead May

suit that fit his massive frame perfectly. He didn't lo

onto the second-floor window. He stared d

sun caught the thick, platinum wedding band on his ring finger

into a cold, mocking s