ah'

cab weaving through the late-evening traffic. I clutched my

, Sarah. I

name. Just

my dad twice mor

raled through every terrible possibility. Has something happened to him? The company? Was it Mom? But no. Mom had been gone for ten years. She'd left without g

to my street, m

-Class and a Land Rover defender. Sleek, bulletproof, government-grade. The kind

s, but I barely noticed. Something about the way our front door was c

lled, stepp

from the living

ed in a

and two men standing near the fireplace. One was tall, mid-fifties, commanding in a t

ader, stood partially in sh

turned to face me. His smile was practiced

Sarah," he

he threshold.

face pale. "Sarah,

I knew that name. From headlines and also

father," Dad

mach d

w Philips? The constructio

re to finally meet you. I've followed your

billionaire care about

ce said e

t," my father offered

replied, my voice sha

, Sarah. We're days from collapse. There's a lot of debt

tightene

er and I have reached a solution

o settle like dust. "W

her whispered. "Betw

stopped

ces. As he prepares for public office, he needs a woman b

dn't b

ologizing. "Sarah, if you agree... he'l

instantly. "A

reated. Andrew is disciplined. He's generous too. Comfo

d. "I want my life. I've worked too

rd. "You'd be saving ou

erything to become some trophy

," Mr. Philips cut in.

tranger,"

a response. Just sil

rd the door.

cold slapped my face, grounding me. I kept walking u

heard f

ed and

moves. He wore a slate grey suit beneath a black wool coat, perfectly tailored to his powerful frame. Broad shoulders, l

ace that rooted

for the shadow of a long-healed scar near his right brow. His hair is thick, dark brown, and carelessly tousled, looking like

iercing they seemed to strip away every layer of resistance I had. They

th a slight rasp that curled down my spine. "I figu

rt hammering.

step close

u were the person that called in the m

," he said, " So rude

to be that rich. Too intense to be that ca

ke this," he said. "But

y arms. "Ti

e said. "One that might

e that, the