, who was now standing in her house. The pieces clicked into place with a sicken

"Liam, this is Chloe," her father said, gesturing

got to be kidding me." She descended the stairs slowly, her eyes locked on Liam's.

ou, Chloe," Liam said, his voice s

her voice dripping with sarcasm.

r. "So this was the plan all along? Get me ou

rning you, Chloe. Don't make a scen

dangerously low. "It's a business transac

m' s arm. "That's enough. You should be grateful. This m

met, and I should be grateful?" She turned her glare back to her father. "I'm holdin

he front door.

er demanded. "Your flight to th

with a sweet, poisonous smi

in the city. She walked into the first designer boutique, pulled out the unlimit

to a diamond-encrusted handbag worth more than a luxury car.

shoes she would never walk in. It was a scorched-earth strategy. If her father wanted to sell her for fifty billion, she was going to make him f

father. She let it ring for

ared into the phone. "The credit card alert

calmly, examining a ridiculously expensive watch. "You

r ten million dol

g innocence. "I guess I lost track. I

card is canceled! You won't get another

" Chloe said

threatened, the card was declined. The sales asso

oblem with your card,

lly cut off, stranded in the middle of the city with no money and no way to get home.

r the first time in a long time, completely on her own. As she was walking do

," one of them ca

und. They cornered her in an alley. One of them gr

me," she snarled,

r shoulder, a black sedan screeched to a halt at t

nd a man in a sharp suit got out

rk said, his voi

hoved Chloe forward and r

rself against the brick wal

expression unreadable. "Mr.

himself stepped out. He walked towa

the street. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice low a

shing herself off the wall. "I thought

ed. "Get in th

N

abbed her arm, his grip like ste