two stories high, swung open si

s. At the end sat the Delacroix estate-a sprawling, ivy-cove

o a full stop before the h

ble steps. Rosalind Delacroix. Her hair was messy, her eyes red and

ped out o

s desperately around Lana's neck, sobbing uncontrol

s deeply uncomfortable with physical contact. During her three years with Wayne, he had cons

rmth bloomed in Lana's chest. The sheer, desperate love in Rosalind's embrace bypassed all of La

ure could shake the global economy, but right now, he was leaning heavily on a cane,

We never stopped looking. The moment the DNA alert went off, your brother, Jared, walked o

ated by a chandelier that likely cost more

ed a strand of hair from Lana's face. As she did, her fingers brushed against Lana's coll

tantly. The tender, weeping mother was replaced b

lind's voice dropped

used to hiding her pain and swallowing her gri

giving. "The Sterling boy attempted to strike the Young Miss, and his mother hurled sc

oom plummeted to absolute zero.

, replaced by the ruthless patriarch of the Delacroix

op? Call the board. Liquidate them. Buy their debt, freeze their credit lines, and cut o

N

tension. Julian and Rosalin

my life. They used my blood and sweat to build their pathetic illusion of success. If you cru

eyes when I tear his empire down piece by piece. I want him to think he still has a chance, let h

long moment. Slowly, a proud, bloodt

leaming with dark approval. "Th

sband's. "Then you'll need ammunition, my darling. Come u

ilding. But what caught her attention were the dozens of

pered. "We bought you a gift ev

bear. Lana picked it up. The psychological weight of twenty-four years of abandonment,

ning the little girl who thought nobody wanted her,

game. But in the meantime, blacklist the Sterlings from every bank, country c

eyes. Her jaw was set in stone. The pathetic, abused orphan who

Wayne," sh