vibrated at 5:30 a.m. A

nd placed it on the foot of the bed. She dressed in

t number. A stock ticker for a company Charity's father was secretly shorting. She wiped it away wi

use like a shadow. Sloan

Sloan asked as

eatbelt. "Isadore doesn't trust Charity. The prenu

slept efficiently, without moving much

She breezed past the butler, her heels clicking on the m

?" she c

utler said. "He is

arity snapped. "I'll

at on the edge of the bed, smoothing the duvet. She reached out to fluff the pillow, her mov

ed against someth

black choker with a

er. She had seen it in a hundred

furious red. Her grip on the velvet

nd his neck, sweat glistening on his c

u doing here

hoker. Her hand was s

nized it immediately. He remembered th

elongs to the Harmon girl. She crashed in th

ity's sails. But the fact remained: Ashton had been

arity hissed. "Then why

resser. He snatched the choker from her hand and tossed it into the wa

That should have been enough. But his indifference

estroy her," Ch

d, pulling on a fresh shirt.

e shop, Ashton's phone b

rom him or

screen to Sloan. "

ng with fire,

ly. See you at the

rmed out. He walked over to the wastebasket. He look

why. Perhaps because it was evidence. Perhaps b

de drawer and dropp

he muttered. "W