alynn's gaze kept returning to the

e bra

ivid it felt like i

the verge of a hostile takeover, and he

r him, for his peace of mind, f

herself as a lucky charm, h

to him, he'd been

d never take it off, that it would b

nother woman's wrist, a

f comfort, now felt like a

didn't

et it

it b

forward would be a reminder

e hospital, Julian was trying to charm Mr. Kn

aying the part of the conce

re that Julian's wife was lying in a hospital bed

y the nurses' station to inquir

ar two nurses, Patty Hicks and Ol

head. "So beautiful, and she had to go through that emergency

the baby, a little girl, so premature she's still in a

an f

e "Mrs.

m numbe

d "C-se

ng traced do

sharper than he intended. "What d

Craig. She came in last night. Emergency C-secti

eartbeat, the truth hung

pened hi

ramble of denial and a terri

lyn

o

uldn'

hand clamped d

her grip bruisingly insistent. "We'r

esit

d at the

who was supposed to be at Sloane's, safe and angr

insistent, her nails di

was too big, t

ed it, everythin

ant anythin

his comfor

e di

is voice flat. "I

tion and walked toward the elevator

't look

his head with every st

didn't

't shown his

kne

rt of h

ready chosen

Hayes walked directly into their path,

ped dead in

s smile spread a

d, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Fancy meetin

ned. "Sloane. What

issively over to Carl

was too busy wining and dining his mistress to answer his phone while she was bleeding

ained from J

ked like a man who had jus

n his arm tighte

cted facade of indiff

he managed, but his voice ha

unded

ens

il

ghed, a cold, h

ingle detail about Adaly

dn't n

se I've seen what happens to men who cross the Hayes family. Spoiler alert-they don't recover. And you?" Sh

a full-blown scene, pulled Julian's arm again, more insiste

ast glare before letting

rritated and vaguely uneasy, but

knew so

g about

ld know but was t

them go, her

breath before turning bac

ot to mention

't need the

he room, her expre

alynn a picture she'd snapped through the glass of the isolette. "She'

aughter, a tiny, perfect creature co

hed over her, so powerful it mome

on was all tha

e might have felt for Julian, the man who

s not

rang

bsta

doubt in Julian's mind, a seed that would