rs in the hallway instantly. The guests held their breath, star

he blood on his sk

atly. "Because you

single stride. The sheer heat and fury radiating off him made the narrow spa

voice dropping to a lethal murmur. "Or I'll make sure you

hem, her eyes red and he

itch..." She turned her tear-stained face toward Elissa, her tone dripping with condescens

a clown performing a cheap circus act. Ignoring her complet

ed right past Alysia, clamped his hand onto

er go,

immediately as Richard Stewart walked forward, leaning on a solid silver cane with four bodyg

not break trust mandates," Richard

a's shoulder and met his father'

marry a woman co

re the stock market opens tomorrow morning, you will rece

ht, just once. He

hold forty percent of the c

oice remained calm, but his eyes turned steely. "The trust agreement makes your inheritance and your position as CEO conditional on honoring the founder's mandates. If you refuse this marriage

silver cane against

ll it the consequence of breaking an agreem

e control over the consortium, but that control existed only because the founder's trust had named him its successor. If the trust

wn she had spent years scheming to wear would turn to dust. Her tears dried up instantly. Lett

d with his bloodied fingers, torn between the empire he had built and the trap closing around him. Eli

d Elissa, his tone polite but

estate tonight. My attorneys will have

ith red blood vessels. He stared at his fathe

in

s empire from being stripped away overnight. And if he had to be bound to her to protect e

. Hayward gave Elissa a long, complicated look before hurrying afte

and Kurt remained

anted both hands on the paneling beside her cheeks, trapping her completely inside his shadow. Lea

member this-this marriage

d wood, Elissa looked straight int

l see who ends up

cheeks and thin coat before he pushed off the wall. Turning his

riage. But with Hayward threatening her mother's inheritance and the career she had fought so hard to rebuild,

the estate's back service wing. The trust mandate might have tr

about the trust mandate. No one paid much attention t