y's

r to Austin, clearly

?" he asked, laughing. "

n't answer

e stepped

eath

ering in my throat. I didn't dare look up. I d

bright. Every second dragged out

oice broke thro

said casually, "I'm n

ere was something sharp under i

y," he said, not r

evator

eached t

thout another word, n

s slid s

ttle laugh. "Wow. You're re

t say a

scared of my big bad

oice flat.

Always stirring up trouble. Women, money, figh

still not mee

y thoughts we

la

ept my steps steady, ignoring the heat still

tart the car when h

wered without loo

r. I heard her shar

already morning and she didn't come pay her res

e in m

at me but s

but he finally cut the ca

seriously just going to let

hioned. You kn

That was an insult. She's been like this from the star

't look

nd I get that she craves respect-but that's her issue

Seriously-what does her broke

ggressive again

est b

s your job-as my husband. You're supposed to be the bridge between you

how much pressure I'm under. The compa

gh

ame back to

ca

im

once a

eavy after our argument, but

lit up agai

hesitated, then

careful. "What happened? Slow down..

indow, my nails di

. "It's okay. I'll come find y

the call, he

ve to go check on Lisa.

y? You're leaving me on our first day afte

that guy to help us with the company's image-she was trying to support what we built. And

ck. "I didn't ask her to do any

ng wheel. "I'm not abandoning you.

sfortune isn't a chain around my neck. I didn't force her into anything, and I'm

n't re

defend m

it for him

nd stepped out, sla

rove

like

on my skin. My heels stabbed into the concrete, every step a

I could

ll these years that I ended up mar

g to relieve the sharp ach

uxury car glided to a

ry car glided to a

dow lowered wi

st

lm, unreadable, but

someone who cou

straight at me

was something sharper. Deeper. Like he knew s

ylight all around us, there was s

dat

I wasn't a woman st

as

d but focused, his eyes never leaving mine. The movemen

se kic

ay. "I'm fine," I said qui

my heel, f

ed right int

the engine-just t

my head

g. My body froze, instinct locking me in p

ever

, I fel

. Then a loud thud, meta

es, Austin was stan

early hit me was now skidding sideways, its front end crumpled like it ha

didn'

slowly to

asked, voice

bly, still n

red a

ay. There was no way he c

he

hispered. "Ho

dn't

with that same unr

sure if I was more afraid o

he had s