es of the Baker estate in Long Island and

ash, and walked toward the towering limestone entrance. Before her

. "Mrs. Baker, Mr. Baker returned from his trip an hour ago.

et heels leaving quiet marks on the white marble

tailored charcoal Tom Ford suit. He was violently loosening his silk

the leather sofa. "I just endured a twelve-hour international flig

conscious habit he displayed whenever he felt inconvenienced. On his left ri

luxury shopping bags from duty-free boutiques were piled neatly on

n suffering from severe clinical depression since my brother passed away. I took her and Chloe

gh. "A family getaway? With an

for her wrist. "She is family, Aliana! Have some basic human sympathy. You a

h her skin. The avoidance was so sharp, so delibe

e warm room like a blade. "**Did you show me any sympathy wh

tantly. "What ridiculous drama are you fabricating now? My assistant told me you only had a s

out of his mouth felt like stale poison. She did not argue. She gather

ard and grabbed her left shoulder, spinning her around to face him.

toll of losing her pregnancy. She forced herself to stand straight, refusing to let him see how much the sudden movement hurt. The pain was real, and it would take time to heal. But one day, she woul

ng directly into his with an icy stillness

he said, her voice dropping

ing, and soft-spoken, yielding to every demand of the Baker family. T

ed, and he stepped

rt, and turned back to the stairs. She climbed them one step at a

ation. The glass shattered across the hardwood floor, s

master bedroom and lock

did not touch the designer evening gowns or the diamond jewelry Aaron had purchased for high-society galas. She only pack

encrypted silver thumb drive containing the complete pro

, a child's high-pitched voice

ine said Mommy doesn't want me any

ng voice. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Aunt Charline is much nicer t

k, hot and heavy, but she wiped it away with the back of her han

er phone and c

Bryan's firm?" Aliana ask

gation heavyweight on Wall Street. His firm usually represents sovereign funds and multi-billion-dollar

Tell them I don't just want a divorce. I am bringing them t

is senior clerk toni

er to the tall bay window ov

oor, holding a large umbrella to shield Charline as she stepped out into the rain. Charline was weari

around Charline's waist, pull

the glass. She snapped twelve high-resolution photos of the embrace, watchi

d the handle of her suitcase,