every corner, and Bella felt it pressing in from all sides. Conversations stopped when she entered a room. Veronica's gaze clung to her like a shadow, cold and

orate sabotage anym

elope resting innocuously on her desk. No label. No sender. Just her name

nmistakable in her favorite yellow jacket, captured mid

a threat. Her daughter, her greatest secret, was no longer hidden. Someone knew. And the

wer with shaking hands. Panic threatened to overtake he

this far? Or was it someone else in the shadows of Reed International

on between them had grown taut, a string pulled too tightly, vibr

't wast

was a power outage in the executive wing the night you left. Just under six minutes. Long e

ity. "I didn't orchestrate a blackout, J

his screen and turned it toward her. "I found irregular wire transfers, large sums moved from di

"I walked away with nothing. You think I left because I w

u saw that night. Because the deeper I dig, the

her, You destroyed us-but she couldn't. Not now. Not with that photograph

. "It doesn't m

ast doesn't just stay buried,

cornered her in the hallway outside the boardroom. Grace was ele

"I hear your comeback here has been... eventful. Some of us were surprised

u have a point, Grace,

e careful. The Reed family doesn't like surpri

Her blood iced

she whispered, her v

just gossip. Rumors, really. But rumors have a way of becomi

ng Bella stunned and breathless. Grace knew. How much sh

ening, her ph

and steady, a tether to another life

stomach

ment. And she mentioned... a child. She didn'

Dean's sister. The most dangerous kind

ut it," she said, her v

me back to Boston. Let me help. I-" He hesitated, then s

Lila's photograph haunted her, and Jason's piercing questions gnawed at her every t

ing wa

er wasn'

alrea