orthlessness in his eyes. Her vision blurred, and the chic café around her dissolved into a swirl of indist

desperate fury. She would not be dismissed like this

yes scanning the crowded sidewalk. She saw him, a hundred feet ahead, his tall frame cutting t

the sharp protest in her ankle, her low-heeled boots clic

ut her voice was swall

and smelled of exhaust fumes and damp concrete. The sounds of the city faded, r

eek, black Porsche, his

an,

look on his face was not just cold; it was glacial. It was

he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

her as he would a fly. That final act

eeve of his expensive suit jacket, he

ly, his eyes locking onto her han

with chilling precision. "This pa

ully constructed facade she had built-the confident seductress, the vengefu

nd spilled over, tracking clean paths through her makeu

, her face stripped

game. Not anymore. I'm... I'm in trouble. Jake... he's not who I

, her foolish plan to use him. She was handing him

hard lines of his face seemed to soften, just for a second. The contempt in his eyes was

was used to calculation, to games. This raw, unfiltered desperation

tle, brushed away a tear from her cheek. The touch was elect

hifted, charged with a

UN

Both of them flinched violently. Someone had slamm

a small scream,

ts, stood Jake. His tie was askew, his

He pointed a trembling finger at Kassie. "You leave me,

m, his hands reachin

tumbling backward, trying to h

pure, lethal menace. As Jake's hand shot out, Ethan moved with startling speed. He pushed Kassi

face contorting in pain

The authority in his tone was absolute. The power of the Reynolds name, of the family hierarchy, radiated from him like a physic

the full, unbridled authority of the family heir, he crumbled.

e, but his eyes were fixed on Ethan's

him with a di

re at Kassie, then turned, kicked a nearby trash can with a frustrat