NZ

r, the ostentatious decorations that couldn't fee

al banquet is mandatory. Show my face to the shareholders, shake h

s for the last quarter." Elias, my p

stence alone stoked a fire in me I'd long stopped trying to hide.

othing more. Her dark hair fell loose around a frame too thin,

he

Regret flickered through me-that she could still affect me after all

I'd ever seen, always smiling at me with that inn

ize them, even after e

h thoughts that would only drag me deepe

ast her image to the Bratz b

." I turned to the

hey in

onight.

mmand

heart of the Thorne empire's headquarters. Guests packed ever

car, and silently cursed myself for

ve. No more reports." Th

smiles, rehearsed pleasantries, veiled attempts to lure me into d

nces with clipped responses that sent them slinking

I drifted toward the b

pped

oss the room-Wren, being ha

*

R

d. But until those divorce papers were signed and sealed, I was stil

ed into the venue,

eatrical disdain. I'd chosen a simple black gown-elegant, un

gail. It covers wh

ng it is to have the daughter-in-law of Davis Industries show up looking like she sho

ed sweetly. "We could call it 'Save the Da

temple. She hated w

ea how to conduct yourself with dignity. No wonder James-" S

at?" I pressed, tho

d tonight, which means I have to represent this family alone-" She gestured grandly at herself, as if her presence was a b

e because his feelings were hurt? Should we

a joke? Let me tell you something-without this family, you'd be nothing. Less than noth

to wound. But I'd heard this particular arrow before. I'd

a Davis. Still standing here while you comp

ivoting. The dress attack hadn't drawn blood. Neither

n't given my son a child. Do you know what people say about that? About you? They say maybe th

ok

ight hours discovering just how broken this marriage really was. Maybe bec

u considered that maybe the problem isn't

owed her discretion, but because

something to say about my son? Go ahead. I'd love to hear

The word nearl

en. "I'm not having this conversat

t when I say y

ep treating me like the help. Keep letting your son do whatever the hell he does while I'm suppose

he had noth

scanning the crowd for an escape route

when I

al. Burning into the bac

urn

ss moment, I thought

nized that silhouette anywhere. The broad shoulders. The way he held himself apart

around me-his name, his title,

heard wa

el T

who'd appeared in my life like a storm and vanished just as quickly,

ded before it ev

rough the glittering crowd of strangers, hi

us thing that it was-remembere