very bottom corner," Raphael said, sliding a th

en chair, her fingers cold as she

?" Pearl asked, keeping her voice stead

ut a sound. "Your father's lawyers spent three months reading every line. Unless yo

ther's," Pearl said, turning past the first few

hair messy as he pulled out the chair across from her. He r

"Maybe she wants to check if there's a rule about how many days a week she has

aragraph six caught her eye, marked with thin red ink. She stop

nted to the section and l

ven turn his hea

r the bride is really who she claims to be, or if the marriage ends because important information was h

e his older brother a quick, silent look

forward, her eyes fixed on Raphael's hard face. "And why would my family l

ur family owes thirty million dollars in unpaid bank loans. We are using our assets to support the debt.

rs gripping the edge of the table. "It says legitimacy of the bride. You put a

e papers in front of her. "Every contract becomes a trap if

ard, her throat d

d sign," Raphael ordered

tle as she pressed the pen to the paper and wrote Vivian Lin on the d

in his eyes was gone. He looked at the signed paper like a ca

id, pulling the papers back and putting them inside a leather fold

She said nothing as she turned and walked out of the bright d

rrow is the wedding and a strange, he

bedroom, staring out at the dark rain falling against the gl

at she hadn't eaten since the soup sh

s cast soft orange shadows across the dark wood walls. She walked toward the service stairs at t

g to the servants' stairs, she heard s

l, listening closely as she tried to hear what t

est room in the west wing?" a wom

nger maid replied, her voice filled with confusion. "Master Raph

r tone dropping so low Pearl had to lean closer to h

s Master Ale

s for the girl brought in through the back gate two h

her chest. She held her breath, her f

?" the younger maid asked, making a soft cli

collapses," the older woman hissed back sharply. "Now shut your mout

ne steps as the two maids walked away, the

l in the corridor, the cold

wrong

brought in through the back gate. Someone h

down the dark corridor toward t

s the only one hiding

was

of the game. She