p from his laptop, he barely recognize

tted hat, and a disposable face m

she spoke that r

fess

s bl

ve

er mask with

been a

d immed

rtainl

er second before shaking h

didn't rec

ed self-co

do I th

xpression

y changes

ed toward

ase,

ug of hot tea, he pla

your

nk y

oppos

along are

y-five

ed thou

ogramme begins i

few weeks after

the mug betw

t would be possible t

't answer

ked quietly, "

owered

ter the bab

ted before

wants a

t to stay in Lon

a fres

ice fel

woman who had once been the brightest

poken about the

te tran

career th

'd falle

else had

g her

p feeling disap

in A

made for someone who

t, he

finally decided t

look

were never suite

e wasn'

hon

bril

are

ne doesn't make two

mained

d her against accepting a p

ignore

hing more than to

ng ba

had seen the en

uietly, "What kind of person

red the quest

y he a

s puts responsibil

is necessary to a

at aren't incap

pau

't make decision

e woman she'd seen

ness in Ad

ss she'd nev

hap

ly was one

iled f

derst

press the sub

Stanford, I'll arrange fo

shed over

nk y

forms across t

out when y

*

finished, James glanced

at happens after you

ed down in

od family wi

rt more than

rica, there'll be yea

nd

miled

ive her a l

unde

s nothin

e changed

uall

n assistant for

't glam

g to keep your mind occupie

e grat

ered almos

lov

ly transferred her out of his executive o

was to reduce

icial

ew she'd be

pent years earning ha

James would

the academic career

mporta

capable of something beyond b

he afternoon

rsed herself in economics and financial analysis

that evening, she realized something

rp

asured her worth by

da

ad once dreamed of f

sor Thornton h

be the only thing

*

't come hom

arel

tim

n't wait

*

inted a formal resignation le

op twenty floors of one of Canar

n his early thirties and transformed it into one of E

oned why he w

extraordinary

able di

to make decision

bby, a familiar black B

stepp

navy suit fit

a

fid

ucha

, Mr. Bl

respectfully as he wal

y stepped aside an

thout acknow

he always h

ople knew they lived

hey were husb

the executive lift, Avery hea

ignation letter on

ed up in

ce worked

ositions ha

executive office after announcing her pregn

t high-performing analysts Bl

licly praised her w

lways believed ther

tter to Avery's pregnant stomach be

this was

emained

d back in

tle ad

earn to stay

lded h

ying Mr. Blackwood's child

in circles most peo

ile wi

ground was never going

t her ga

happened a

would have s

w.

y stirred

in the company

carrying Adrian

already

so

d be his