life being uprooted. Amelia barely slept, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer. She had

formalize the business deal. There were no white dresses, no flowers, no celebration. Amelia ha

black dress she would wear to her wedding, she felt the weight of it all. The heavy r

nside, his presence filling the room, the air thickening around him. He was dressed in his usual d

p and down. It wasn't a compliment. It was an observ

mask the coldness in her voice. She didn't want his

ur last chance to back out, Amelia. If you want to walk away fr

er. The stakes were high. Too h

re clenched at her sides. "I'm doing what I have to do to protect my

orward, closing the space between them, his proximity making her skin prickle. "But there will be more to it than that.

fied her. She had been warned about him. She had heard the rumors: ruthless, cold, incapable of love. Ye

te the way her pulse quickened. "I'm here to protect what my father built, nothin

a certain darkness to it. "We'll see. I don't think you under

or, pausing just before he left. "I'll have the car ready for you a

of marrying a man like him-a man who seemed to have all the power, who didn't seem to care about any

oo late to t

streets. The night was dark, the world outside a blur of lights and shadows. She had no idea where

stark reminders of the world she was entering. There were no friends, no family, just Alexander and his b

der barely looked at her as they stood together at the altar, his mind seemingly elsewher

st of moments, sending a shockwave of heat through her body. She qui

, his voice low. "And I'll make sure it's e

ming with something unreadable, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had jus