two at a time, the encrypted ti

age routed through three proxy ser

Cooper mansion, the sound

gany desk in her study, her readin

e the silenc

e and opened a message

rrow. My adoptive mother, Mrs. Brenda Shaw, is strongly against this marriage. She believes m

en twice, her thumb r

's private number witho

nnected afte

o hear from you," Richar

has doubts about this un

ammered. "We consider i

oice cold. "Then why did your wife lo

lete misunderstandin

ut misunderstandin

mansion at nine tomorrow m

y gives, we can also t

nvestment proposal, and the ability to h

e call before Ri

ichard stood frozen with the re

ank wall, fitting t

ap, and he had ste

o strides across the rug, and

tumbling against

number into his keypad

ave a rapi

ocked him

Island, Lawrence Kensington wai

t as he gripped Ava's

girl," Lawrence

h the foyer and straight

here medical monitors lined the

nder the sheets, so pale that Ava

stepped forward wi

reported. "His neural responses are faili

to the edge

dfather's condition

er way. "Miss, this is an advance

g glance at the physician, c

for a long beat, se

try," Jul

the bedside wit

grey tint acros

e shallow ratt

aint blue hue benea

gainst the radial artery of hi

s clipboard, exchanging an

ifted his weight from

ened h

et of silver acupunct

forward. "Our hospital pr

lvet wrap from her pocket and ro

edle and tapped it into the

precision, placing four more nee

lacement, checking the rh

ered for a single f

sharp breath th

trembling hand

to the me

on paired with extreme constit

d-spectrum drugs are overload

essants, the faster his

clear heat, break down phlegm, a

team erupt

a speciali

modern medicine

u have?" the chie

not look

directly to

do you trust m

er gaze with

op the medication n

heads and disconnected t

plain wooden box f

led sphere that filled the r

e pill with warm water, and gent

rsh rattle in Arthur's chest

k spread across the

ed, and his fingers closed

open, his cloudy eye

hat you?" Art

rtled laugh, then w

er grandfather's hand

w," Ava said. "To cure him compl

ed up at

estate for three hour

will assign you a personal dri

Ava said. "I only n

er dark trench co

morning," Ava said, ste

room door closed