fast, flawless,

a had ever witnessed. Before Vanessa's tawdry tale could even hit the Ledger's newsstands, the city was flooded with the "happy news": CEO Marcus Thor

a hundred flashbulbs, Elara had perfected a look of demure adoration, h

hers with a practiced intensity that fooled the room, "because Elara is a private person

ve the massive diamond on Elara's finger felt he

rs two days later, witnessed only by Marcus's lawyer and Elara's childho

ht, "but Elara, you just married the richest, most eligible bac

netrable, Elara had wanted to say. Instead, sh

an art gallery. She had a new wardrobe, a new driver, and a chillingly polite distance from Marcus. They occupied the same vast spa

-hosted by Thorne Global and a consortium of investment firms celebrating the pending Concordia mer

sen not by her, but by Marcus's stylist. It was exactly the kind of dress that Ethan's new partner, Chloe, would

came at the doo

. He surveyed her, his eyes running a professional appraisa

are inseparable. We're in love. You smile, you nod, you talk about the market, not

he talking points for the foreign investors," she c

ood. Because everyone who matters will be there ton

rcus's arm, fielding compliments on the dress and questions on the merger with the effortless ease of someone bo

nker when her peripheral vision registered a flash of familiar dark hair.

noise of the room-the clinking glasse

as E

never seen him wear. His hair was cut short, emphasizing the strong lines of his jaw.

. He had found h

on Marcus's arm. Marcus paused, sensi

it?" he

ad. His eyes-the warm brown eyes that used to crinkle at th

er died on

ing-fast sequence: surprise, confusion, and finally, a deep, frozen shock. The smile he had been

. But seeing her here, in this dress, on this man's arm

g ten feet away, followed Elara's fixed stare, sa

lliant guy. We were looking at bringing his company into the fold before the

a "major player" being courted by the largest firms in the city.

et's go introduce you. It's always useful

them was annihilated

, he offered a perfectly neutral, professional smile

than said, shaking Marcus's

on the small of Elara's back. "Etha

s-those deep, familiar eyes-met hers, con

ntic rhythm against her ribs, placed her own into his.

ce level and smooth, the title a perfect, painful

alization settling like ice in her stomac

ed, his voice carrying just enough to be heard over the background chatter, "you'll be seeing a lot of my wife soon. She's ta

d just become a cage. She wasn't just Ethan's new boss's