erself to swallow down the suffocating panic that clawed at her throat. She dug her fingernails so deeply into her palms that the sharp pain grounded her, dragging her mind back

nd and wiped it hard across her mouth.

arrowed slightly, tracking the obvious, visc

sed his hands and calmly adjusted his suit cuffs, shooting them p

shook, but anger was beginning to burn through h

esk, the leather of his shoes silent against the floor. He sat down in his

llion-dollar corporate rescue, M

iated anger flush her cheeks. Her

she accused, her voice rising

eek, black leather folder sitting perfectly centered on his

and slid it across the polished wood. It

lead. Her eyes darted frantically between the intim

ck ink at the top of the first

ement and Contr

he quiet room. She looked up at him in absolute di

voice devoid of any emotion. "I will clear your father's

iolently. Her damp hair w

her voice breathless. "Why? Wh

He lied with the smooth, practi

id. "They want to see stability. A respec

dark eyes drag over her

his tone, "given your current bankrupt

rained from her head. The harsh, clinical business valu

to Jerrad Hutchinson," she argue

The sound was ha

company's stock," Gerard reminded her. "He abandone

it into her palms. She hated it, but she knew Gerard was ab

rejection, a violent buzzin

ed aggressively in he

bright screen illuminated the dim room. The

tight. She turned slightly away from

said, her v

ugh in the quiet room. "This is a courtesy call. The foreclosure on the Gonza

ne tight. "Just give me a forty-eight-hour

coldly. "Have your bel

ne wen

b. The crushing reality of her total destitution crashed

ked up his expensive silver pen and tapped it

heavy Rolex on

pires in exactly twelve

g it tightly around herself like a fragile suit of armor. S

to think," sh

ally ran out of the office, her heels clicking frantic