ed through the gap in the heavy velvet curtai

pen. Her entire body ached. Every muscle f

ess face was completely relaxed, stripped of its usual cold armor. Seein

ew off the ta

he bit down hard on her lip to keep from crying out, steadying herself against the night

into her leather handbag and pulled o

bled a single line: Your techn

his nightstand, right ne

that had been her golden cage for three years. She turned her back

later, Jul

is arm out across the mattress, expecting to feel warm s

diately locked onto the bright p

lood drained from his face, leaving it a mask of pure,

nto a tight ball and

it a speed dial number. "Lock down the airport

ars late

ling Fragrances headquarters was thick with the s

ding a highly secretive and successful life in the global fragrance industry. But the world of perfume was her shield; in the shadows, she had reclaimed the medical genius Julian had once tried to suppre

walked quietly up behind two small chairs.

were scrolling franticall

al keyboard in a blur. His little face was set in a tight, serious line. He wa

waved her chubby little hands in the air, a

mpletely unaware that her mother

out a long,

her knuckles against the

. A massive red WARNING box flashed onto the center of his s

arms around Seraphina's legs, tilting her sweet, round face up. S

, chubby cheek. Her eyes were full of overwhelmin

corporate servers before lun

ched up and pushed his blue-light bloc

protocols, Mother," Gideon stated calmly, his voice way t

les. Raising two genius-level child

assistant, walked in fast. She held a printed flight

ara's mother. Her condition just tanked. They need the

vanished from S

flight times. Her heart rate kicked up. "Bo

gleam flashed in his dark eyes. He knew exactly wh

y! New York! Real cheesecake!" she squealed, comp

ld dread washed over her chest. That city held

wn at the busy London streets. Her fingers reached up, uncons

nside her as she fled. The agonizing pain of giving birth to quadruplets, only to be told two didn't mak

er and silently slipped his small hand into hers. He

n at her son and gave him a hard, determined smile. She swore t

d out, turning away from t

n the making was about to