PTE

lose eve

ss his face before sh

through the stu

, nobody moved. Then slowly-terrifyingly slowly-he turned

lit

whole body shaking. "Hit me bac

is side, knuckles whit

lding it between them like a shield. "For the first time since they died,

that

I'll remember what a real father lo

frame from her hands. "Your father was a

bled against the desk, surprise flashing across his face. "So

or bur

r faces carefully neutral. But Kate saw it-the calculation in t

van asked, his tone suggesting he

at the door. "All of y

e. "You inherited this house, Kate. But you don't own it. Not really. Not when you can't

ran cold. "

into place like armor. "Gentlemen, I apologize for my niece's

t you

g the Drays' representative as if Kate wasn't there. "I've scheduled an ap

o fists. "I'm not seein

uring for the other men to follow. "Mr. Donovan, shall we co

e men, but she planted her feet, her chin raised. "You can't j

throat. "Miss Jones, I u

broken. "Your family is trying to buy me li

id carefully. "William's investment kept Jones Cons

d. "But my father said the co

industry took a hit during the recession. We've been hemorrhaging mone

t weak. "That's

briefcase, tossing it onto the desk. "Here. Financial stat

ed the folder. Numbers swam befor

red. "Dad would

now-which somehow made it worse. "He kept thinking he could turn thi

you're using his death to force me into this

. "Miss Jones, I assure you, Will

er shut. "I've read about him. The 'Ice King of Wall Street.' The man who destroye

fe, I want you to think about consequences. About what happens when you lo

. "What I need is time to mourn m

ets in seventy-two hours. They're voting on emergency leadership measures. If

an't do

will. I've already

nched. "You... you did this.

hat your father should have done years a

stroyi

door, the other men following. "You have until Su

-

closed be

s things-his books, his awards, his legacy. Everything h

mrests where his hands had once been. The leather

ed to the empty ro

dead don

-

ght. Her uncle's words ke

't have

t, and now, before she could even grieve, they were ta

ed and into the shower, letting the cold water wake

t her attention. She followed them down the hallway and s

ered i

n in suits sat across from him. Kate's stomach turned when she reco

ned in

about it," Mr. Carlos said.