hia

rry

ng between u

at Ethan Blackwell. Waiting.

d perfectly serious. My heart skipped a beat. Was this man insane? Of all the things I had expected to hear

rrogant, controlling, emotionally un

y to make my job difficult.

I finall

you to m

h he were discussing quarterly profits instead o

." The answer

mething flicker across his face. Surprise. Apparently,

walked on. Nobody told him no. Nobody challenged

and stood. "I think thi

as the way he had asked. There was no com

m, Ethan sounded almost... sincere. And somehow t

topped me. "One

body locked. Slowly, I loo

iage," he continued calml

se quickened. That amount of money could change every

fu

awake at night suddenly had

dangerous second, I was tem

N

elf to continue. "I don't care

Desperately. But I coul

ral seconds, neither of us spoke. Then h

n through

nto mine. "Your mother

abou

w she'

mach d

our holidays at the hospital i

t speak. I couldn't thin

ing up." My fingers curled into fists. "And

drained fr

lector wasn't connected to the company. There was no r

Ethan said calmly. "A man who dri

punch. I felt exposed. H

on his desk like one o

wasn't a question. His s

ed. Without another word,

ion. I didn't ask if I co

t Blackwell Enterprises, I walked out of Eth

y small office. I slammed the door shut

felt su

ike that. My mother. My father. Leo. Victor. He

gnored it. A second later, my d

a spea

s Ha

he recep

sitor here as

ach tig

isit

es

made me sit up straight

ief pause. The

cto

ond, I couldn't hear anything. Co

workplace? No. No, t

me. The one place where I could hide. The one place wh

uickly my chair rolled backward. Fear sur

st spoke again

ard. "I'll be

ely sounded

and hurried tow

lt heavier t

t was pounding so hard I thought everyon

ing near the

the look on his face, he

my father-the drunk gambler who never st