hia

rtment building. The yellow cab pulled over with a

ind was somewhere else entirely. For the third time in ten minutes, I rummaged throu

e USB drive containing Ethan Blackwell

when my fingers finally closed

en counter, I would have bee

Blackwell meant mistakes weren't tole

ut the window. Every day, I told myself I should quit. E

es, I'd worked as a cleane

barely cover

without connections. Not without powerful family members. Not wit

lse fought

instead of leaving her untreated. At least Leo could stay in sch

idn't have a choice. The taxi finally pul

the city like a monument to wealth and

ed the pavement, a famil

phi

Of cour

le. He worked in accounting and had been flirting with me for

mazing toda

te smile. "Good

. "No, seriously

in days. I was drowning in debt. My mother was battling cancer. A

e last word I

tever you're doing," Emeka

usly. "I'll kee

d continue, my

stantly. Ethan Blackwell Com

d. Immediately. N

go," I sa

oked dis

h later?" "

usual way o

a response, I hurrie

stood alone inside the mirrored cabin a

Each second stretched endlessly.

No. Impossible. Nobody knew. Not even my mother. Not even Leo

open. I stepped onto the executive floor. T

stood outside Ethan's

Cold. Controlled. Just like a

gh the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, casting the city skyline

it

inued reviewing documents as though I weren't

in my ears. Finally, he set his pen down. His gray eye

phi

my name made my

r. Blac

ed a

or? That wasn't

ind of

ned unreadable. Busi

discussing qua

ed a

I'd heard him correctly. My

ha

wife," h

n it opened again. Nothing came o

rtain conditions regarding my inhe

ll unable to process

ore my thirtieth birthda

small. "You want me to

N

mediately. My puls

nto mine. "I want

t vanished. I could only stare at him. Surely this was s

't mar

I could stop them. His

u c

N

l be com

hough marriage were another busines

aid

dangerous flickered in his e

hit me like a physical blow. Ten million dollars. Enough to pay every hospital bill. En

together. "Think carefu

or the first time in my life, the solution to all my problems was si

he had just ma