. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the grand grandfath

stament to Victor's ego, was now a graveyard of shatte

watching Victor pace back and forth like a caged animal. He had loosened his bow

rystal glass from a passing tray, his knuckles white. "My entire reputation is

ssion of sympathetic distress, my hands clasped

"I never would have guessed Sophia would do something so...

ion crossed his eyes, as if he was trying to connect the dots. But Victor was

ubbing his temples. "Of your money, your status. I sho

thought. But you were to

m. I placed a gentle, hesitant hand on his arm. He didn't

tion that made my heart sing. "The Vance partnership is the only thing hol

sk. This was exactly what I wanted. I needed Victor

ole of the devoted wife. "You're a genius, Vi

flash of guilt in his eyes. The man who had shot me in cold blood f

need to head to the office. I have to secure the accounts before t

pleaded softly. "You're exhausted. Stay,

d. "I can't. I h

out of the front door, the hea

red to life and faded into th

ile spread across my lips. I walked over to the bar, poured myself

t. Try to save your accounts. You

n my past life, the day before our divorce-to access his private financial servers. I hadn't drained them completel

lking int

-

ilk robe replacing my red dress. My laptop was open on the

chunk of Victor's liquid as

everything there was to know about Victor's shell companies. I knew exactly where he hid his m

ic

as pending. I

m door made me jump. My ha

heart racing. Victor wasn't

security, Marcus, stepped inside. He lo

voice low. "I'm sorry to disturb y

hought he left with

ers," Marcus explained. "He said he wanted to ensure the...

Vance. The Ice King. He wanted

ave retired for the evening,"

ent, ma'am. He's wai

ipation. Damien Vance was dangerous. He was the only per

voice calm. "Tell him I

dded and

robes. I pulled out a simple, elegant black dress. It was plain, but it hugged my

he house was eerily quiet. I walked through the empty ballroom, steppin

sp air that smelled of wet earth and blooming ros

taken off his suit jacket, and his white dress shirt was unbuttone

light caught the sharp, dangerous a

ty rumble that cut through the silence. "I apolog

feet away from him. "It's quite late.

at held no humor. He reached into his pocke

It was the fake diamond nec

the necklace lightly into the air, catching it with a quick, practiced hand. "It

fectly blank. "I don't know what you mean,

dalwood and cedar. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "It's not. Because the real Heart of the Ocean is sitting in my private vaul

he silence between

out of the party for stealing a fake necklace. And even more interesting... the Ming vase that was supposedly s

o flinch. "Are you accusing

s lips that didn't reach his eyes. It was the

Elena," he said, dropping the for

gainst my ribs. "I

ratorial whisper. "He is arrogant, incompetent, and a thief. He has been stealing from my compan

ut it seems I'm not the only

t, my hands trem

nt. You didn't just humiliate him. You neutralized his mistress, turned the investors aga

. I had a choice. I could lie, play the innocent victim,

voice steady and cold. "I am going to

ess moment, he just stared at me. Then, a genuine smile-a

me his hand, "perhaps we

life. The pain, the betrayal, the bullet that tore through my chest. I thought about th

s hand. His grip was warm

rs," I

snapping back up to my eyes. "One more thing, Elena. When this is ov

Vance," I said, pulling my hand

toward the house, my hear

now. A dangerous

s to my bedroom, the clock

bedside table. A noti

ened

ty million dollars

t of the screen re

thought. Seven hun