any hint that she was the source of the voice mocking him in his own head. But her expression was a plac

pushed the signed document across the glass table toward him. The paper whisp

owing signature. Ellie Hayes. She

nuptial agreement," she continued, her tone consistently indiffe

ead, dripping with disdain. The interest from one of my offs

re acc

jolt of pure shock running through him. He stumbled back a step, the carefully

ehind his eyes. This had to be a hallucination. The stress of the latest hostile takeover

he smoothed a non-existent wrinkle from her silk nightgown, p

instinct, he shot his hand out and grabbed her wri

ook at him. Her eyes were wide, filled with a convinc

d dangerous, each word a struggle against the chaos in h

her years of training kicked in. Her face remained a mask of bewildered innocence.

tment? the voice in his head demanded, sharp with suspicion

ing de

stress. He was hearing her thoughts. The realization was so profou

is legs unsteady, until the back of his thighs hit the hard edge of th

d concern. She took two steps back, creating a safe distance betwe

t tyrant is finally losing his mind. Maybe he'll

face flushed with a dark, angry red. The sheer force of his CEO persona, the intimi

to breathe, to push down the storm of confusion and anger. "How are your relativ

hing unreadable in her eyes. "They're fine

erision. Relatives? I haven't been back to that godfor

al fa

terns, went into overdrive. This woman, his wife of three years, the simple, pretty girl

nt ago, it had been his victory, his liberation. Now, it felt like the most idiotic

document off the table. His fingers d

ine confusion. "Is there a le

he shoved the papers back into the manila envelope, "re

ontrast to her silent, shocked expression. You go back on you

shot through Julian. It was a perverse satisfaction, a primal urg

the end of the long hall, the heavy oak door closing behind him with a definitive thud. He left Elli