ace was absolute, broken only by the ragge

ure, but the cold, immovable iron

er beneath her designer hemline, her throat constricting as a

.. Uncle

, not a single trace of f

r branch of the family to toss around generational titles in public

eatrical anger, but with the casual indiff

tective perimeter of his shadow, the final

cl

primary lineage frequently held senior rank over distant cousins of the exact same age. Rhett was her cousin-uncle-a senior elder by blood despite being only a few yea

rifted downward toward the stone floor, where Jordy had backed against the

r as he tried to scramble to his feet. "I'm Jordy Norton... Meridian Capital. I'm engaged to Ke

e French doors, adjusting his wire-rimm

es ago, Stone Holdings has initiated the total and immediate liquidation of its short-term liquidity facilit

blood draining from his face u

ility? No... wait, you can't do that over a misundersta

pitying smile that d

on the marble. "Mr. Rhett holds the Chairman's unreserved proxy across every capital

tatement hit Jordy li

an's perso

gendary, invisible phantom who ru

t heaving in shallow, hyperventilating gasps as his entire world, his car

ned his hollow, horr

gging. She wa

dowbrook, looking down at him with an expression of cold, detached b

ing tracks through her foundation, fully aware that her father's firm

m. They had ceased to exist the mome

h, lethal planes of his face softening into an

harmed, Mis

ing, feeling the steady heat of his p

y and unapologetic. "I had the situatio

d, a ghost of a low chuck

her leather-gloved fingers. He did not care about the dozens of society ey

othly toward the interior pavili

wn the wide, marble-lined private corridor, his

eled walls, parting like water before them, bowing their heads in silent, awe-s

y stopped and released her hand. His thumb lingered for half a second,

aristocratic face close enough that Ivy could

low baritone vibrating directly against her ear, "do not waste your energ

ythm against her ribs, but she held her groun

lm, mocking smi

r the perform

the deliberate use of the nickname, his lips curving int

for a fraction of a second before meeting her eyes. "Though you should know, my intervention

g firmly back into place as the heavy, electr

aid quickly, stepping into th

he VIP parking exit, her riding boots stri

resting casually in his trouser pockets, watching the retreati

ntly beside his shoulder, h

Capital has cleared the desk, sir. Sh

where she had vanished, a dark, completely capti

resume is permanently flagged across every financial desk in the