iless precision, sending Thalia reeling backward until she

out, his voice s

of the Hughes family stood

lieved Ashlyn capable of rai

a mask of barely contained fur

his memory-the one who had always yielded first, trusted him wi

. "Apologize to my mother right this instant. If you refuse, I swea

Whenever conflict flared between Ashlyn and Thalia, the mere mention o

n the old patte

esponse. "Divorce? Perfect. When my assistant arrives tomorrow to

echless, Ashlyn's words refu

shlyn's been calculated? Had she, in fact, heard everything-his betrayal wit

time to pursu

tone, "surely you didn't mean that. Are you angry because I p

cade of a concerned husband for the flashi

opped his voice to a venomous whi

y believe the company still bends to your every whim? Many of your former loyalists answer to m

mask had slip

tense and moved stra

oft, scornful laugh that

years ago, entrusting her heart to a m

the least distinguished of her admirers wielded far gr

inevitably summoned one na

arms conglomerate on the planet, an entity that o

d once laid his heart bare to her, only to be

ith a profound sense of incredulity and regret-an almost

on my personal balance sheet. I maintain substantial stakes in numerous companies ranked among the

a thunderclap, rippling th

bal top-hundred corporations-not just one, mind you! Three years in a coma must have unhinged Ashlyn completely. That sort of delusion is b

ickered across the faces of eve

et asserting ownership in several of the world's elite

mockery than gen

on that scale, why would she ever have

nsciousness irreparably

state still be trusted

first, he had feared Ashlyn might have overh

nd prolonged coma had impaired her

ient rationale, the puzzle pie

fiance that day at last poss

revent outright chaos. Later, in private, he could maneuver Ash

nt had been compromised would

the knot of tension i

elief began to ripple through the assembly, a

claim she

isp, synchronized cadence of boot

oth aisles, moving with lethal precision. Each carried

unmistakable golden lion-the her

transformed from triumphant

abruptly, as though

whose impeccably tailored suit did little to disguise the raw powe

hurried composure, his gaze swe

had sought relentlessly for more than seven

ery syllable weighted wit

tion ranked among the global top twenty, three within the top fifty, and five inside the top