ith schedules delivered to his phone before sunrise. Conference calls with overseas pa

s prec

fice, nursing his third espresso as he stared out

y ways,

nergy. Old money and new empires stitched together by ruthless ambition. He'd inherited

er told him he had to marry M

ution, more o

he idea of his parents making such an important decisi

the thr

ity stake, and you lose everything. Do you really

there was no way Nicholas Blackwood

or love. He had never been in love in his entire l

elp nearly went bankrupt before the Blackwoods stepped in. Merging the Hart firm under the Blackwo

ly. Without complaint

even ask f

had no i

y's company. She had nothing to gain at least nothing obvious. And yet, she signed the papers, wore the dre

t unsett

n't like not knowin

t was a transaction, born

friends since boarding school, their mothers sorority sisters turned society darlings.

ways been the same:

e for years. Especially

n, the way four-year-old Mia clung to his mother's skirt, quiet and wide-

pajamas picked out by his mother, decorated Christmas cookies beside her in the kitchen. By the time

ad always wan

uring Damian's birth

Loved her. Protec

corner of his world six years younger, shy, sweet, harmless. A soft-voiced girl who s

er run in the

y knew he

dn't ha

to want to belong in

e lights off in the entryway. No scent of candles.

d his watc

aceful, quiet. sometimes th

nd found a note on the counte

dge. You can heat it

meetings

M

his day. No effort to wait up.

od in the dim kitchen, staring at

dn't wa

ld have. He hadn't expe

t s

seemed to echo loude

he games of high society. Mia didn't know how to scheme or charm. She didn't flirt. Didn't man

she walked through it like she had every r