the towering Blackwood estate gates. Her lips curled into a smug smile as

mental note

2 p

de him, her face half-obscured by large sunglasses and windswept hair. But it di

e long drive toward the mansio

Eric's arms wrapped tightly around the pregnant woman, his expression soft, his t

her m

heart," she said, voice syrupy a

voice was tight, brittle

me. She's

Smiling for cameras, charming investors, pretending to care about Eric's tedious charity

et him humiliate h

other? Who the

ruin our plans. The Blackwood fortune is within reach. That

Georgia spoke again, her voice

he's at his mansion. Alone. Take those harpy fr

e was as beautiful and overwhelming as she remembered - high vaulted ceilings, a sweeping sta

s mornings, her father's stern voice from his study, a

was," Eric said softly from behind her

her eyes mist

se I

Emma paused by a framed photo on the wall - the two of them as kids, cha

ike a lif

e, Eric," she murmured. "After losing C

his heart and brought back a mem

shb

ny afternoon

sheets, a cold, steady dru

twin coffins were lowered into the ground. The names

iel Bl

et Bla

to scream, to rage against the world for taking both his parents in a senseless car accid

-old Emma clung to his hand,

him since the service began. Not when distant relatives tried to offer her awkward condolences, not when the board membe

t person Eric had left in the world. Hi

ll, Eric knelt beside her and wipe

s drifted away, Emma turned to

leave m

e'd been hiding behind. Eric knelt befo

going any

pped down

gone. It's j

friends, relatives with their eyes on the Blackwood fortune. He saw them for what t

er what the world throws at us, we'll face it together. I swear on everything they

, her lips

se me,

cheek, brushing

romi

t in that moment, Eric

protect h

eguard the B

let anyone co

jolting him from his memory

." He said, reaffirming the pr

believ