red down at Ellie, his mind still reeling from her cold-blooded internal calculations. He was about to demand an explanation

wl, annoyed at the interruption. The sc

his patience alread

h and controlled, was a panicked shout on the other end of the line.

fascination with Ellie-it all evaporated, replaced by a cold, sharp spear

y're taking him t

s grip hard and unyielding, all pretense of civility gone. "Let's go,

of genuine concern. Arthur Hayes was the only member of this cold, calculating family who had ever shown her a

or change out of her silk nightgown and slippers. They bypassed the main eleva

d faces as it descended. Julian stared at the floor number

quiet of her own mind, she offered a small, sincere prayer. Please let Ar

He glanced at her, a flicker of confusion in his stormy eyes. For a woman he'd pe

is black Maybach, pulling open the driver's side door himself. Ellie quickly got i

ike a man possessed, weaving through lanes on Fifth Avenue with a reckless disregard f

Emergency Center. They abandoned the car and rushed through the automatic doors, headin

corridor of the penthouse wing. The scent was sharp,

ed. His older brother, Connor, was pacing anxiously. Connor's wife, Lauren, sat stiffly on a leathe

oice low as he questioned Connor

, dismissing her in an instant before turning away. Tiffany looked up from her phone, her lip curling in a sneer of open di

unified rejection. She was a contamin

her. A pack of vultures, pretending to grieve while they're

e swept over his family-his anxious brother, his aloof sister-in-law, his

combined with the early stages of her pregnancy, made Ellie's chest feel tight. A wave

s making no sound on the polished floor. She turned and

s glint in her eyes. She pushed herself to her fe

of the others. The chief of cardiology had him cornered, explaining the complex and grim details of Arthur's condition. He was trapped