olding my breath until th

the tenth floor, so tightly that my knuckles were pale,

nes. This place was colder, more metallic, and far too quiet. The type of quiet that

ead of me, but eve

fice where Barrister Tade Lawson stood

eted. "I appreciat

"You said this w

r family is likely to merge with,

ed dryly. "If you c

have freedom here. But within these constraints, th

d. "Can we just g

nto his drawer and pulled

li

pe

un

ici

of me as gently as o

"are the pre-app

allo

pened th

E

were

eatly in bold

ily reputation, and "compatibility fact

ed them

rian

ade

ved withou

epre

ir

cut

wealth to merge with the Law

absolutely nothing

t fli

nnie L

e na

not to

le

d to the

fr

Sterli

ed so violently

ough invisible hands w

nd tr

se thu

lurred arou

o, no

e same time, like my mind refused to

t was

ea

o

eni

erling

e

irst

st hea

left witho

ht me how cruel

my present, not on a legal marriage

peak but my

e," the lawyer

ard. "Reece... is th

hing

ing was

ed dow

g – Sterling

nd check

ommendatio

ility ra

mach d

bility

i

I loved him enough to gi

lt s

hys Sterling no

DIDN'T WANT

wave I had been run

ent

ll

tugging my braids,

im back, callin

der the mango tree

d pro

hat, I'm not

he

plana

c

mes

wo weeks befo

ot from him, that his family

r forg

r the

r the

hing eternal could fit inside a

O THE

sharply the sound cra

ered. "This i

ised an eyebrow. "I

added his na

id carefully,

udded painf

When people are desperate, they sometimes make t

htened. "We

ervously. "Reece this could b

ice boy? He left me wi

le ch

ple change. Meaning I don'

ced to choose him. The Lawsons still hold priority. Adri

at's the case, why

r's eyes

he reques

slammed

t?" I w

ns of the trust, any man of qualifying wealth and s

ered. "He, he k

es

still

es

curled in

w I was

pressure I

life was

ed himself in

h

h

glo

anip

tle ol

hing he once w

tightened

hich answer sca

FIFT

on pointed to

re cand

ippe

rely saw

still stuck on

" she asked a

Lawsons approved for political a

ded b

dn't

m felt

felt t

t felt

d think of

CE I DID

awson clasp

o three men. After that, each of the three w

meeting," I rep

neces

squeezed my shoulder gentl

efu

host of their past had just reappeared on offi

d the l

d a mo

nodded. "I'll g

epped

esitated b

oft click, leaving me al

with t

th the m

ith the

REAK

oth hands t

not soft tears, but s

ople in the w

y

is t

into th

Rhys S

d the

d the

o choose between my

st of

t still reacted at t

ll thes

all th

n the exact shap

WYER R

y opened again, I wi

ied my expression wit

"Would you like to remove

ed my

close

I didn

him felt

felt dangerous i

did h

come back

erting himself

a whisper. "Why...

ated for the first

he

should ask

red a

meet him?" I as

. "If he remains on yo

eath

re

to cut

e options, for a marria

back to the li

ght on his

Ste

oy wh

who re

f my three pos

ce tre

want him gone... or

awson gave

list. For now. Answers

sed m

ened them

sion wa

keep

ice s

ook him in the eye and make h

miled faintl

r path ha

ou have to submit the lis

for my hand as we lef

vy mind. I decided to check the intern

ved that the inter

rity scandals befor

ks before studen

who unfollowed who, and wh

at night, my laptop casting a cold bluish glo

et knew Rh

know the bo

know the man

tr

had to star

name into th

Ste

, like the entire world had

ES THAT PA

s an article from

THE YOUNGEST BILLIONA

hle

ord s

lic

a tone usually reserved for myth

lingTech Capita

from foreign investors n

empire faster than

competitors

rs that terrifi

re than once, as "the

to read bet

tually execu

dre

pan

va

e him sound like

lculated

the boy I h

WS THAT REVE

a video int

Rhys a straight

sitate to make the hard

it, posture perfect,

is emotion

h. Emotion comes

o

cr

arro

.. di

to speak without letting a

d to argue passionately about everything, from football matches to his

o

the version of himself I once kn

LS THAT SA

another

UIRES THREE COMPA

USED OF 'HOST

MAN WHO DO

er article

prais

aring

derstand

ng the human

oment, pressing my forehe

asn't

re I realized none of i

de to look ruthles

be softened

somethi

hing

ned the

IA: THE EM

tag

iv

it

a

ked

profession

was immaculate in a w

was no

lnera

iends

used to skip classes t

issed me under the mango tree

ke a museum exhibit, careful

rased his life and re

URNIN

found s

ry on young Ameri

as fea

of SterlingTech, floor-to-ceiling glass, endless techno

rrator

less. Some say ruthless. But thos

nyone close eno

mach d

't the b

it was ex

d hard, then dis

the rest o

out America's future. About

e did h

tion family, friend

ges wrapped in

disguised

ye

when he looked away from the c

wa

regr

more com

g almost

ECRET

t dig

that wasn't trending, not widely shared. The

as t

fter he vanishe

ter ask

ret leaving your

jaw tig

almost..

burn," he s

y, they bur

at

art t

ppened

bur

rced hi

lieving he left beca

he story wasn

CES FAL

laptop, dawn was turni

es bu

ad th

rned one unde

ng had buil

steel, fire

the Lawsons' enti

ared by c

pected by

could sign a contract worth

ye

name for an arrange

e

d goodbye to

amily boutique

match him in power

g made

g conn

le

mpire he bui

image hid something

ed still remembered the girl

oat ti

o

ng to fall i

ag

ev

my lapt

as bus

tractual.

d to marry me be

Rhys Sterlin

calcu

acqui

conqu

stil

pered into t

you com

FORE THE CO

illed my window, I rolled onto m

submit my sho

ould determine the

aligned my life

f which carried th

ready to

eady to he

o relive the wou

that Rhys Sterling was

n't done

a lon