ith expensive whiskey and some

official ceremony. Whatever agreement Judith

le fireplace. A vast bed dominating the room. It looked like a receivi

vy door

ad-shouldered and unsteady. He moved like

ross the bed until her spin

a rough voice as

through her bones.

eneath him. Whiskey flooded her senses, mixed with soap and something wild, like ai

owled. His hand closed around her wrists and pinned t

a name like a

el

went

n the dim light, she caught the hard line of his jaw, the shadow of stubble. Then the voice struck

s Penn

. "I'm not Bella.

from his skin. Slurred edges in his voice. Aggression.

hest. "So you know my name. Did Bella teac

switch. They

just enough for her to breathe. In the

will pay for

ffended. To him, she was not innocent.

olled off his skin. His lips grazed her n

ed herself

keeping her voice steady. "If this cont

fro

, and I ca

oosened by

as e

uster beside his carotid artery. The movement was precise, desperate, a

body convulsed once, violently. Then

he madness in his eyes receded, replaced b

did no

tting the cold rug. She backed toward the

ght fille

edge of the be

e, cut with aristocratic sharpness, dark hair falling slightly over s

ined eye caught

wrong. Under the lamp, the surface carried

osth

y were not wasted or twisted. The

ppled. He was

prete

had not been locked in a room with a broken man. She had

arded heels from the floor

is mouth. "You think y

s slipped on the brass knob before

ond was long, d

e

over polished wood. No serv

enough to confirm wh

in his w

ntrolled

She ran down the winding driveway of the Pennington estate, her chea

ared on the empty road. She waved

aza," s

rvice door. In the late-night rush of staff and deliveri

eded a

ng toward the VIP wing. Amara stopped, then followed him in silence. He

been left s

lf against the wall

gle drifted

voice followed

c housekeeper's daughter is out of the

ent to Amara was business. Her research data was the last

ara could not fe

ery careful plan. Reduced to

self to look t

His jacket was gone. Bella's dress was hiked up, h

arter muttered. "A col

ourse not. She's tra

and until she tasted blood.

r phone, opened the camera, and recorde

but the tears dried before they could fall. Pain remain

love Bella. He loved the Beaumont name,

erved ea

tel with her back straig

?" the dr

d. "To the Penn

the massive oak desk. He sat in a leather chair, a g

returns," he said.

at him. His legs were crossed casually,

led. Not

interest. "Are you tired of li

loud server, deleted the local copy, an

l," she said. "A

sition to propose anything. You know

family, no connections, and no agenda. Someone the board can dismiss.

d not change, but

who will not interfere. I need a place to disappear. They betrayed me, sold me, and left me w

ong time. His gaze was deep

r than your si

not my

the public appearance of a devoted couple. In private, we lea

fect

hosts of the Pennington dynasty, they sealed

ith a

lated meetin