earing a simple cream sweater and a long skirt. Vivian sat at the table cu

d a cup of Earl Grey tea and set

r eyes lowered. "You're right. Once I pick up my mother's books from Brooklyn this mo

previous night's argument had finally broken her resistance. In realit

icion melted away. She patted the back of Elissa's hand with

through the glass wall onto Kurt's wide black-ebony desk. Kurt uncapped a Montblanc fountain pen, signed his n

s special assistant. "And tell those old

trol of the Stewart empire. As long as the marriage mandate remained in force, his fa

on high heels. Dismissing the assistant with a wave, she

garet said. "Elissa ran out of the estate last n

ubbed his temple, a dangerous

e r

thing," Margaret replied, frowning. "She only asked to go to her old apartment in Brooklyn

jaw l

ndate. She hadn't looked like a woman desperate to marry into the Stew

d against the hallway wall last night. Eight years ago she might have been weak, but the

a cold laugh. "It's a smokescreen.

pear from the estate. Now she's suddenly obedient, but only after

her chair and grabbed his

York for Boston and Europe tod

pidly on a tablet by the door,

s more, the payment channel is linked to an account that recently surfaced in the financial trail following Elissa's disappearance from the Hopkins Estate. W

es turned

ertainly plann

er Elissa had arranged the flight herself or had someone helping her, but he had

ice doors, he barked or

f that Brooklyn building, including the

kins?" the assistant ask

elevator and threw h

prey. I'll cat

by three black SUVs pulled out of the consortium's undergro

bouncing in a barely visible tremor. Closing his eyes, he saw the faded white scr

of his concern. He had no intention of becoming emotionally involved with a woma

e, crushing the feeling u