. She did not hesitate. She crashed right through Jake Yates's terrifying

delicate, flush

as crisp, loud, and echoed perfect

room like a phy

something suffocating. Y

ngle trace of emotion, froze. Genuine, raw shock cracked his c

tered. Her hand began to tremble so violently that the champagne in h

ed at the back of the room

torm. The rapid-fire clicking of camera shutters

signaled the security team to block the cameras a

e grabbed Alex's wrist,

this little girl, he felt absolutely no

lled with large

with perfectly executed childish grief. "You abandoned Mom

ly. Hundreds of eyes slowly turned to

en gray. Her carefully crafted hi

ing with hysterical panic. "Throw this fera

guards stepped forwar

you will disappear from Ne

ut it carried a chilli

shoved casually into the pockets of his miniature suit.

t light of the chandeliers, the

other-slammed her hands onto the table and stood up. Her

s jawline, his brow, the arrogant tilt of his chin-he was an exact carbon copy

w Jovany

child later? Her wide, trembling eyes darted from Jovany to the little girl in the pink dress. The exact same nose, the exact same jawline. The terrifying, undeniable family resemblance clicked into pla

y. She lunged off the stage, her hands rea

s!" Bella scr

in front of Jovany, shielding the boy completely. Jake's h

The bones in her wrist ground t

He threw her arm back. He turned his head and looked down at J

e situation had spiraled completely out of control. If she stayed

ck lace mask off her face. She to

d out of t

ed with the slow, predatory grace of a queen stepping onto a b

ilent once again as the cro

rom her body. She let out a choked, horrifying scream, her legs givin

mouths hanging open. The daughter they had sacrificed and l

ily entirely. She walked stra

s, pressing the girl's face into her neck. She gra

in the red dress. His pup

was the woman from the airport.

gh his nervous system. A deep, physiological familiarity hit him so hard it

burning stare. She tilted her chin up, a

arrogant disdain. "I clearly lack discipline in raising my childr