x P

s, their hands intertwined. The tabloids exploded with the news of the tech mogul' s new, younger lover and their miracle baby

comments were brutal. 'She' s lucky he didn' t leave her years ago

It was a power play, a way to keep me under his roof, under his control. I agreed, but only because it was the last place my fathe

lled with flowers that smelled cloyingly sweet, suffocating me. I stood beside the open c

when the heavy oak doors at t

nst the bright afternoon light.

s Cha

aring a we

railed behind her like a royal train. A veil covered her fac

ough the mourners. Dwight, st

l, her eyes fixed on me. She stopped beside my father's casket, her wh

"Dwight and I decided, why wait? This venue is already paid for, all

hall. "And everyone is a

't have imagined. To hijack my father's funeral, to tur

ose wrinkling in distaste. "Such a somber m

of bright red lipstick from a hidden pocket in her dress and, with a

inside m

my hands clawing for her face, her dress, anything I could get ahold of. We went down i

I pulled at her hair, my only thought to destro

X! S

bodyguards pulled me off her. They dragged me back,

who was being helped to her feet, her dr

trembling finger at me. "You see how crazy s

t me. His eyes were only for Charity, his face a mask of concern and fury

ce dropping to a low, venomous g

diamonds. "You're pushing me away, Alex. Every time you do

felt nothing. The part of me that cared about being close to him was dead and

three nights straight, holding his hand, wiping his brow, whispering, "I' ll never leave you

lie. A

y still in the grip of his men, a sud

letter opener from Dwight's desk, razor-sharp. In one swift movement,

ain, the only sound Cha

hands in the air

her eyes wide with a mixture of terror and insan

kay," he said, his eyes locked on m

control me. He thoug

ced with triumph. She looked at me, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Both of

readable. Then, he gave a slight, almo

ees, to humiliate me in front of the world,

ached for me, a s

ream. No

uns

nal. It didn't come from my hand.

ching for my right arm, crumpled to the

one f

pen again. This time, it wa

ir faces grim and impassive. They moved into the room with terrifying speed and eff

ure stepped thr

e color of a stormy sea. He wore a simple, impeccably tailored black suit. He m

a flicker of something-relief, pain, fi

the blade from my hand, his fingers cool against my trembling ski

rned to fa

it carried an authority t

, his eyes turning to chips of ice, "and I