ed against the conference table, her palms flat against the cool wood, trying to anchor

d to use the most intimate of acts as a corporate weapon. The sheer, calculated cynicism of it mad

pocket. She pulled it

nown n

tally simple: Have

have to guess who it was. Without a second thought, she blocked th

. She had to focus on something, anything, other than the suffocating presence of Creed Scott. She sat down, pulled a diffe

It was the front desk receptionist. "Ms. Sull

him I'm in a meeting," she said, her voice a low, co

st could reply, a small, bitter s

or less tha

n to ring. The screen lit up with another unknown number. He

't run. She couldn't hi

' icon. "What the hell do you want from me?" she hissed, keeping h

rough, but it was different. The cold, commanding edge was gone

ppened was a moment of mutual, drunken insanity between two adults. The sun came up. It's over." She

of his breathing. When he spoke again, his voice was low, serious, and

said quietly. "Bina, you ha

ty, that Bina was struck dumb. She literally could not process what she

ly sputtered, the words bursting out

uld buy and sell entire city blocks was whining like a jilted te

he said, his voice regaining some of its commanding tone. "The Daily Grind

ve to threatening in a single breath. It was emo

en he

Bina stared at her phone, her knuckles white as she gripped it. She wanted to throw it against the wall.

ng Central Park, Scarlett Sterling threw a silk

ked outside that stupid law fi

te leather sofa, the picture of bored elegance. "I told you, Scarlett. A man like Creed Scott doesn't like to

nobody lawyer named Bina Sullivan! What could he possibly see in her? I'm t

ent was gone, replaced by a cool seriousness that always made Sca

ed, planting her

without a reason. If he's personally visiting a lawyer, it's not simple. Whatever he's doin

at look in her brother's eyes. He was rarely serious, but when he was,

na Sullivan. She repeated it to he

r don't go? Face the crazy, or hide and risk him doing God knows what? Every instinct screamed at