o the car, and the drive

ke up with a terrible headache tomorrow." H

f liquor lingered on her soft, parted lips. Being s

he remembered her. Her beauty had taken on a new matur

mun

nd her thick, full lashes hi

him away, but lacked the strength. Instead, her fingers moved fee

mmediately

een able to resist hearing her s

ate

ced him as sharply as a knife. His tal

Neither of them said anything, and

a hoarse whisper, so faint that even

d into a very

was kissing her as he said, "I won't marry anyone simply to

two of them decided

ing there until the following morning. But Edmund did not show up. The per

arried. He asked me to give y

ying news of Edmund's engagement to Talia Hall, heiress to

After accepting the check, she ripped up her ticket to a

nd I will never see

om that dream, daylight ha

med about that night, a painful tightness in

surroundings. Both the room and

d she ended up

door to the r

man who stepped into

ood out clearly. He carried himself with an elegant bearing, but t

grown steadier and more composed, b

Edmund had carried her out of the bar the previ

emotion she could not

feel better," Edmund said in his deep, r

ight studying, he would similarly bring he

nt Edmund as someone difficult to approach. Yet behind c

sight of his familiar face revived all the res

e you saving me yesterday, but we sho

and she rose to her fee

seized it, then drew her back ont

ng?" Emilia demanded, a trace

do you think of this one?" Bending over her, Edmund retrieved a

t, he continued, "Go ahead and open it

the document and opening it.

marriage

My grandfather is gravely ill, and what he wants most is

und would use all of Gordon Group's resources and its legal team to

ndrew had pretended to be helpful by offering to purchase the busin

ve new products became embroiled in quality scandals.

uy the brand back. Each time, he offered reassurances he

elf to building that business, and Emi

ndrew had been using Ayalandel as a

ne thing she would find almo

r in her voice, she asked, "You want to marry me now? Why didn't you show

. Yet here he was, asking to marry her

vate, he kept his intentions so carefully hidden that she could hardly r

ths after leaving me, you went ahead and married another man.

dull, persistent pain

gh an entire rainy night. How did he have the

to speak plainly. "If all you want is a wife willing to preten

y. "But you're the only woman who wo

was mot

ss he was certain he co

nto genuine affection, and she might refuse to l

d develop feelings for the other. They could separate cleanly

carefully considere

a personal allowance every year. One billion dollars in the first year, two bi

ing every word. "Sign the agreement and marry me. In ret