hrough the massive floor-to-ceiling window

in frame, the sleeves hanging past her knuckles. She had deliberately smudged her eye makeup, making the dark circles

ut a pale hand to grab a piece of dry toast fro

we were expanding our philanthropic effor

l, and dripping with cond

er head down, her messy hair falling over her

cost more than a car. He held a thick leather portfolio under his arm, his eyes sca

olio delicately onto the polished wood. He adju

Hillard to arrive any second. "But allowing someone with... such a thoroughly documented history of substance abuse and academic expulsion to wander the estate

felt like sawdust in her thro

ocked onto Daryl. There was no fear in her gaze, only the c

aw the microscopic tremor in his fingertips as they rested on the table. She noted the fain

l another insult, the heavy, measured so

ss shirt, the sleeves rolled up to expose his muscular forearms.

sneer vanishing from his face, replaced by a

rk eyes swept over Keira's pale, exhausted face, lingering f

ict R&D project," Hillard

ve breakthrough, sir. The new sequencing models are outperforming p

discuss this in private, Hillard? These are highly classified corporat

ack coffee. He took a slow sip.

llard said coldly, setting

llard, are you insane? The McKnight family is swallowing the Barnett legacy whole. By keeping this ti

gan tapping a rapid, rhythmic beat against her thigh. She was m

was quiet, but it carried a lethal weight. His eyes

said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you are too much of a c

a fresh bead of sweat rolled down his temple. "No, sir. I a

turned his panic back into anger, aimin

ride last night already flagged the NYPD scanners. I suggest we throw her i

b," Keira's tappi

nt look vanished, replaced by the l

ed violently against the hardwood floor, the screechi

s of ice-cold milk, and without a second of hesitat

s custom Savile Row suit, soaking through the

is face contorting into pure, unhinged fury. He raised his

ar

like a gunshot, laced with absolute, te