ng over the magazine that featured her on the cover. She

ympathy. "I' m so sorry about all the terrible thin

e," I said,

Look. They' re calling me the Oracle. Isn' t it wonderful? Fathe

cruelty. She meant her and o

game, Bethany," I said, loo

r a second. "I don'

of cards on a foundation

by her usual mask of hurt innocence. "You' re j

. This time, I didn' t let it pass. I

let? Your desperate need for attent

osing over the gaudy gold bracelet. She yelped, tr

f me!" sh

re you so afraid of people seeing? Th

about to rip the bracelet off an

do you think y

y, his face contorted in a mask of rage. He rushed forward and violently shov

ying her face in his chest and letting o

d me! She' s gone c

glaring at me over her head. His

that I chose her over you. You tried this before, trying t

't understand what it was, but he remembered the f

ng," I said, my voi

m. He saw Bethany crying in Liam' s arms and me standi

ou to leave you

the words finally bursting out of me

come from a board meeting. Thanks to Bethany' s insight, she has been

I had worked for, the one place I had managed t

t corporate strategy!"

degree or experience you have," my father ret

am' s shoulder, gave me a look

corporate world, made her next big move. She held

ging with false confidence. "Their new solar technology is about to revolutionize the

ed into Helios Corp stock from investors, big and small

ent picture. Helios Corp' s technology was flawed. There was a critical defect in the

earch in hand, showing the technical

t," I pleaded. "Bethany is wrong. This

permanent fixture in our

ister, Ava?" Liam sneered. "You

e' s gambling with other pe

is voice dangerously low. "I

Helios Corp' s technology. The stock plummeted, going from hundreds of dollars a share to pennies in

ration for Bethan

y what to do. She went on national television, h

.. Ava... she was working on a rival project analysis. She must have leaked fal

ous, insane. And p

stors needed a target, and B

ng out my desk, a mob of angry investors cornered me in the par

iar

ruined

itc

, and I fell hard onto the concrete. They closed in, kicking, spitting, their rage a terrifying, phy

this time. Not by Liam' s hands, but

e noise. A sleek, black car screeched to a halt just i

ckwood st

' t shout. He didn' t threaten. He just moved through the crowd, his cold, discerning eyes

lt down. He gently brushed the hair from my face,

d, his voice a low, steady a

protective presence around me. He turned

t of her

ttered l

ingly gentle. He opened the passenger door an

I whispered,

ulled away from the garage. We drove in sile

at me, his expression serious. "I think it' s time we

od estate, away from the Hayes mansion

ce quiet but firm. "But you have to

d to radiate from him. For the first time since my rebirth, a tiny

as h

ur help. We need to cancel my father' s arrangement. I will no

brow, intrigued. "

arry you