cade of the Hall Corp headquarte

suit. Her hair was slicked back perfectly. She adjusted the heavy Rolex on h

ve assistant, hurried to

aid, his voice tight with the usu

replied, keeping her

ightened their spines. Executives waiting for the elevat

e unquestioning respect-it was intoxicating. She step

stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the city. Then, sh

ining a merger acquisition p

om on the

speaker. "Ms. Bird Blair is in the lobby. S

cold smile touched her lips. The white lotus had co

r up," A

pink cashmere sweater and a modest skirt. She carried an expensive-looking insulated thermo

been working so hard, and after the fall... I stayed up all night

the thermos

rms over her chest. She didn't look at the s

Ava said, her

se to Ava's chair. She reached out her small hands and placed them

Bird whispered, leaning down

e office doo

side yelled, "Ma'am, y

oat. He was panting, his face red with exertion and anger. He had rushed here the moment he r

dead in h

he desk, her hands intimately

linding rage wash

heading straight for the desk. "Get

ening in mock terror. She sa

de table next to the desk. Miles had just placed a fres

tioning herself perfectly betwe

arm and pull her away from the desk. His fingertip

a blood-cur

eramic cup over. The boiling hot black coffee splashed directly

clutched her arm, tears instantly streaming down her

the air. His brain short-circuited. He had

, drawn by the screaming, appeare

ysterical wife standing over

looking wildly at the executives in the doorway

ormance. She saw the calculated flick of Bird's wrist. She saw

She walked a

ed the sobbing Bird into her ar

nneled every ounce of Eldridge's c

nd? !" Ava roared, her masculine

wife's body, watching his own body hold the woman who had just framed h

into Ava's chest. "Please don't be mad at

dge nauseous. He took a step forward, wanting

he burn," Eld

his path. She shoved

alance in the female body, stumbled backward

red, their eyes full of pity for th

, her face a mask o

"Call security. Throw this cr