XAN

beneath me like a kingdom I'd conquered. From fifty-eight floors up, Boston looked orderly, con

y desk buzzed pre

voice was carefully neutral. "

es early.

exactly five min

make no mistake,despite the contract being ironclad, Isabella Caldwell was

ing height. The contract sat centered on the polished surface, the blue leather binding a stark contrast ag

PM, there was a

nt

In its place, she wore a simple but elegantly tailored black dress that spoke of understated wealth,perhaps one of the last vestiges of her family's fading fort

, meeting mine directly without a hint of fear or submission

rise fro

sting her name on my t

voice cool and controlled. "On

oundaries already. I allowed

hen. Ple

fluid and self-possessed. No hesitation. No trembling. She was, I realiz

me?" I asked, though we b

Before I give you my answer, I want t

xplicit." I gestured to

ering. "You want to hurt my father by taking me. Fine. But I want to understand what my life will look like once I say yes

. I found myself oddly pleased by her appro

ly. You will live in my home, accompany me to necessary social events, present a united front to the world. You

priva

with implications. Her cheeks colore

said carefully. "I'm not a monster, Izzy, despite what your father may h

es,relief, perhaps, or disapp

mother

moved to the executive care floor at Meadowbrook. She'll have a priva

re then,a slight trembling of her lo

sary. Not yet. Not

demonstration

itter. "There's nothing f

the point. "Perhaps not. But you'l

design, the complete absence of personal touches or photogr

" she aske

long

r revenge complete? A year? Five? Ten?" She met my gaze again, un

This isn't a temporary arrangement, Izzy. Mar

e. You want to punish my father. So I'm asking,how long before you've

perspective. But she fundamenta

oice cooling several degrees. "My parents. My family. My very id

ance in her eyes stirred something unexpected within me. "You'd conde

suddenly coursing through me. Moving to the window,

now about my p

r told me yesterday. That they died when you were sixteen. That

father stole proprietary information that my parents had spent years developing. He used it to undercut their bid on a project that would have secur

ghtly as the magnitude of h

ice detached even to my own ears. "No parents. No real family to speak of. Just a trust fund I

hat happened to you. Truly. But I wasn'

t her head back to maintain eye contact. "But you are the one

ust a wife. I

interpr

re close now,too close for professional comfort, but I refused to step back. "If you want to hurt

his beloved daughter bound to the son of the people he destroyed? Watching you take my name, live in my home, potential

f her eyes, the almost imperceptible shudder that pas

ike a live wire. "You expect me to have your children?

e time, of course. But yes, heirs would be expected. The u

time. I recognized the calculations happening behind those expre

ed her shoulders.

in a position

my cooperation, you have nothing but financial leverage over my father. Sign

t a reluctant flic

condit

ome from it, my decisions about what to create

d. "Acc

a reasonable allowance that doesn't requir

already my

r hands, "separate bedrooms. If this arrangement ever becomes... physica

g unexpectedly. "I am many things, Izzy, but I assure y

n. "Fourth, I want regular, private time wit

ant

at me with respect. No humiliation, no obvious signs that this is anything but

learly. Thought through her priorities. Identified the few areas wher

own,you will not publicly embarrass me or the Blackwood name. No scandalou

ted her chin. "So

and approaching her again. "There's a more trad

it, and I caught a moment of genuine surprise,perhaps she'd expected s

she asked, her curios

lly. "Rare. Formed under pressure. Beau

fusion, perhaps, at this unexpected mom

zy?" I held the

ers trembling almost imperceptib

given that I'd obtained her ring size months ago in preparation for this mo

Saturday," I said, watchin

possible. No one can plan

is arranged,a private ceremony at the Blackwood estate on the No

ut

cial situation is precarious. The sooner we formalize our arr

r, turning her hand slightly to watch ho

t of everythin

is what

mething new there,a determined res

in her voice created an unexpected sensation in my chest. "I will honor this agreement. I will be you

d smell the subtle floral scent of her perfu

my finger buys you my presence, my cooperation, even my civi

ed to feel at her defiance, I experience

hout spirit," I said quietl

cross her face. I stepped back, ret

ngements. A car will pick you up at nine AM on Saturday. Yo

r. "The architect of my fate?

n intact, despite everything. This suggestion of a rift could

my desk, pressing the interco

immediately, carrying

tections for both parties, with the specific provisions we've just discus

ith steady hands. "And if I

te. I'm not unre

arly communicated her do

else we need to dis

"No. I believe we've covered the ess

mildly. "An ancient an

oved toward the door, then paused with he

es

erceptive eyes, "that by binding yourself to me for life, you're pu

us care, focused entirely on Winston Caldwell's suffering. I had never seriously considered the cost t

ing myself with my candor. "Bu

trying to decipher something written in

u on Saturda

e subtle scent of her per

treet below. Even from fifty-eight floors up, there was something distinctive about he

er negotiations with Chen Industries. I pushed all thoughts of Isabella Cal

hoed in my mind: was I punishing myself as th

ny price,even if that price was tying myself forever

roving to be far more intri