ng moment. Then she turned and walked up the grand staircase. Each st

tique French oak furniture, drapes that cost more than most people's monthly rent.

llow herself

The leather was worn, the brass zipper tarnished. She had bought this bag eight years ago, on her

Mechanical. Effic

al company data, her father's old notebook-the one where he had handwritten his strategies f

ce. Her and her father, laughing at a company picnic. Her and her mother, before the di

nocking the silver frames face down into the trash can. The

Emilee Costa-her best friend, the only p

n speaker as she tossed a pair

"Are you ready for our dinner reservation at Le Bernardin? I am star

," Allison stated flatl

n: "Why? Wha

Cheyanne screwing

d silence hun

r blush. "That worthless, spineless, Wall Street parasite! I am going to fly to New York rig

most smile

gement ring to Cheyanne," Allison cont

re, raw scream of disbelief and fury.

d. "They did WHAT? Where are you right now?

duffel bag and pulled it shut. "I'm leaving

nd a baseball bat waiting for you. We're going to des

r strap dug painfully into her collarbone, but the physical discomfort kept h

used by the staff. She would not walk through the main foyer. She woul

kitchen. The private chef looked up from chop

omery? Is e

ce doors, walking out into the crisp New York ni

re hailing another cab. She threw her bag

he told t

eviewed the Montgomery Group's shareholder structure. Her father had left her twenty-five percent of the voting shares.

ing. He would try to strip her of her voting rights. He would argue that she was "unstable," "emotionally

to terrify Baker. Someone whose name alone woul

ranked Finn's branch of

ator up to Emilee's loft-a sprawling space with exposed brick walls, a massive sky

Emilee instantly tackled her

. 5, the same kind her mother used to wear before everything went wro

the kitchen island, and poured a full shot of Pa

Emilee

inching. The liquor burned a fiery trail down h

er of the loft. Allison sat down, resting her e

id. "Baker is going to use this to take everything

e Six. We ruin Finn's reputation. We burn them to the ground socially. Finn's mother Eulal

would tank Montgomery stock. That hurts my own in

a marriage of convenience. Someone with enough capital to ma

Let's just go to the billionaire store. Should we get a

didn't

he bespoke charcoal suit. The terrifying, suffocating aura of power. The he

d

amed with sudden,

know about Ad

e table. It clattered loudly, sloshing tequila ont

s in, Finn's uncle? The Wall Street phantom? The man who e

's th

orce of nature. He's never been photographed with a woman. He's never been in a relationship. Wall S

genuine, sharp smile th

e perfect candidate for a sham marriage. No messy phy

ane," Emile

coming Finn's aunt is the perf

r ran down her arms. She realized her best friend w