penthouse was thick with the smel

s of sparkling water. She was already dressed in a cris

unlocked, and B

His suit was wrinkled. He had clearly spent the entire night at the off

y plastered on a sickenin

laced a small, velvet Tiffany-blue

ke sincerity. "The stress of the merger... I lost my temper. I had

the blue box. She

h her index finger. Inside s

ice deadpan. "It was heavily discounted during last year's

tened. A muscle ti

Harlow," he forced out, tryin

d pulled out a thick legal docum

f the other investors, so we look like a stable entity. We just need to weather this sudden mar

with impossible vesting schedules and clawback clauses. He wasn't giving her equity; he

ail against the marble

er, sweating. He thought

ld speak, the

authorita

nterruption. He marched over to t

g an immaculate, bespoke English suit and white cotton g

you?" Barr

. His eyes bypassed him and locked

n air of absolute authority. He walked straight to the

troduced himself, his voic

cream-colored envelope. It was sealed with a heavy dol

ton fami

e envelope toward

he wax seal. As a man desperate to climb Wall Street's ladder, he knew exactl

dilated in

e the wax seal-the sharp crack echoing in the

ton IV request

ardin.

into the envelope and gave

, Arthur,"

d on his heel and walked out of the apartment,

r click

the air near the envelope. "What is that? Ho

into her leather handb

lied smoothly, her face a mask of indiffe

d up in disbelief. "They sent a butler with a

vibrating violen

ID flashe

loud, obnoxious,

his face flushing with embarrassment and

bing his briefcase. He pointed a trembling finger at

ally ran o

ed up the Tiffany box and dropped it str

up the two percen

living room. She fed the document into the slot. The machine whirred,

o the bathroom an

he fastened a pair of heavy, heirloom emerald earrings to her lobe

coat of bloo

e submissive, quiet girl Bar

d out the door, ready to meet th