made her way back to the secluded residence wher

iet, forgotten property hidden d

er bedroom and quietly be

y a handful of clothes. Noth

ree years, she realized none of

e doorway, surprise evident in her vo

d, Melanie answered, "I

emotions flickerin

rcely seen Shawn. During that time, she had witnesse

r. Pres

my place soon," Melanie replied evenly,

ed to say something, yet eventu

s the bedroom she had occu

k, white, and gray-a lifeless elegance

r relative had ever crossed that threshold.

oadcasts were crowded with stories of the President's accomplishments and

bance echoed fr

the staircase and found two orderly lines of bo

, his commanding presence

lted where

ected him to

ears, he had returned to t

the stairs with a suitcase cause

you going?"

response and cont

eps and positioned himse

ression growing noticeably darker. "I asked you some

ve at your office tomorrow," Melanie replied evenly. "Sign it and sen

a few moments before letting

that brooked no resistance. "You're coming with me first. You

gaze directly. There was a chilling stillne

ly underwent surgery, and her doctors specifically warned her against

tightened around t

ose words struck her

s innocent or not. Ask her if you want the tr

tcase forward, slipped past h

hrough the room. "If you leave tod

s paused

er. "That's fine," she responded

d her standing there in a simple white dress-

e's no point dragging this out. Sign the agreement, an

ordinates, who immediately br

g a single page. She simply

ad treated her with such indifference that no

e. Her decisiveness had caug

she was acting on impulse, never imagining she woul

ulders and passed him withou

ly collapsed because of another woman. Since someone else already occupied th

man like you will never un

rds before she walked a

ial aides rushed into the hall, p

lessly. "A convoy of luxury vehicles has arri

forehead

ptionally strict; ordinary visitor

e for this?" Shawn

ond, synchronized footst

d an entire group

entrance and saw rows of men dressed in black forming

nglasses, standing with military precisi

the formation s

ing his commanding stature. His features were strikingly defined, his gaz

anie-and the icy edge aroun

oice unexpectedly gentle,

warmth, as though countless unspo

him in bewilderm

rtain they had never

met, something stirred unex

anxiety

lainable feeling of recognition that seemed

Vincent Reid. I'm your brother, Me

the

how fallen i

ed to search for had tru