living room. The two halves of the check on the

cture of pure, undisguised shame. Being exposed as a thi

pered, more to herself than to anyone else, tryin

the front of his suit jacket, his express

raught ladies, then at the

cably polite, yet colder than the marble floor. "

allowing the weight of h

ued, "I think we need to reconsider. The Sterling family's v

a heavy blow to V

ng. "Grant, please! It's all Anya's fau

urther. He simply turned and walked out of the villa, his departure

away. The marriage alliance with the Sterling family, the key to e

elpless rage directed at the phantom of

ne. Grant Sterling had called his father, George Sterling, subtly but clearly expr

came through the phone, cold and clear. "Your wife insulted someo

years trying to climb the Sterling family's ship. Now, it was all gone.

rld seemed to tilt. But he didn't fall-at least not yet. He just stood the

the exclusive residential area. The warm sunlight sho

had been found. But holding it didn't bring the peace she expected. Instead, an ominous premonition enve

in her pocket. A New York

a moment, then a

ked. His voice was smooth and confident, w

Anya asked, h

eep and magnetic. "I'm your brother,

left the only place she had ever called h

hint of distrust in her voice.

don't know," he said, his voice softening. "That'

she'd seen that name on the cover of Forbes, heard it on financial news channel

ain gate. A sleek black Maybach was parked by the roadside, but

d white helicopter was descending, its rotors churn

ly pulled up beside her. The tinted window

ced up at the helicopter, h

of trouble," he said, his

r, her phone rang again

harsh through the receiver. Then, he sighed in annoyance. "Oh, fo

e her stood the imposing presence of a Grant Sterling Cadilla

of "real family" felt both terri