ony

rknob when Theodore's voice, strain

rl, w

but did

He moved to stand between me and the door, blocking my exit. Hamilton and Sterling followed

proud. It was serious. Pleading. "Harmony, I'

I never made you a

ne. He was playing his final card. "You didn't. But your m

place. My master. The one person in the world who had ever mattered. T

y only w

narrowed, sensing he had just been given a crucial piec

ied, he told me his heir would repay it for him, should I ever call it in." He

as r

y, seeing the reluctant acceptance in my eyes. "I just need

orporation were pressuring him to have Hamilton marry into another powerful clan, a mov

an unknown, a complete outsider ... it will throw them into

man's promise against my own freedom. The silence stretche

my composure was restored. "One month," I said, my voice flat and businessli

heodore's face. "Of

h a thunderous expression, finally spoke. His voi

t. This is a transaction between your grandfather and me. You are simply a

elined in his own home by a girl he despise

erting his authority as the Alpha. "As the Carter hei

own pride, Hamilton let out a short, harsh soun

ered to him, "This is insan

y, but the look in h

one. I turned

t Hamilton drive you home. You t

N

N

at each other, and the mutual, unadulterated loathing

r, down the stone steps, and along the winding gravel pa

Hamilton paced like a caged wolf. Sterling, trying to distra

t's official. That mystery chess grandmaster, 'H', just accepted

r months, he had been obsessed with the anonymous player 'H', who had appeared from nowhere and d

his anger. He stopped

Online match,

ntract were forgotten. All that mattered was the game.

ged to the woman he had just b