e penthouse slammed open wit

spoke jacket unbuttoned, his tie loosened, r

Swiss research protocols. Her left wrist was bound in clean whit

d hurled the twisted, blood-stain

d against the polished wood,

ory growl. "I spent one million dollars to honor you in front of the entire cit

acelet. She closed her laptop

e exact same piece on her wrist, Julian,"

went de

on his face cracked for a fraction of a second,

ing instantly into righteous indignation. "Who gave

aunt her across Fifth Avenue. You buy her jewelry, you celebrate her five-year-old son's birthday while I sit alone

s hands slamming down onto the desk. "You know nothing about w

WHAT YOU THINK

with the raw, concentrated agony of

ity, you bought me like a corporate asset, and you made me a l

tred. "You are a liar, Julian Carlisle. You

his ego like an e

ng violently around her wrists. "You are my wife! You will play your part, y

cking and fighting with primal desperation. "

n bellowed, trying to pin

teeth viciously into the flesh between his thumb and index

damn

The coppery taste of his

inct, Julian violently wrenched his arm back, s

ady, lost her footing entirely

y flew

cry was

AC

directly into the sharp, solid ed

e cruel mechanics of her senses did not extinguish all at once. Her body crumpled like a snapped wire behind

ng heavily in the c

s voice: "Stop the drama, Hilary. Get up. I

ut her chest was pinned

tter of his car keys being

Step

nst the hardwood floor moved away-unhurried, devoid o

ian

sper echoed in the dyin

years of hollow vows... the fifty-million-

hing I ever owed you is gone. We

slammed shut with a dea

of her conscio

ogany nightstand, a thick, dark crimson stain began to quietly seep th