Sincl

face. I pulled my silk scarf tighter aroun

private yacht. He was dressed in a flawless charcoal suit. When he

us in the Sinclai

of his words scraped like sandpaper a

nothing to offer you. I am an illegitim

d. "You have yourself. That is more than enou

was no mockery, no hidden

within five days to formalize the

d. "Tha

er. Gabriel stood and offered me his hand

he stiletto heel of my shoe caught o

t his solid chest. The sudden movement caused the wind to catch my sil

riel asked, his voice

er him, but the wor

urrounded by his heavily arme

o the nervous way I was wringing my hands-a habit the Canary had described to h

s voice a sharp sound that cut th

g Xavier's line of sight. He tucked me behind his broad sho

, his tone dangerously calm. "She is s

, I could feel Xavier's e

my heavily guarded wing at the Sinc

it down. He stood over me, his face twisted in rage. I was begging him to

ver escape this place, Serena. E

g, the sheets damp

rp ringing filled my ears, drowning out the other sounds as I rolled out of be

my half-sister, Natalie

box to the guard,"

ice that made the marrow in my bone

r asked, and the sound of his voice seemed

ing. He was righ

e staff," Natalie lied, he

had a younger sister livi

said quickly. "An illegitimate mi

which I could picture with perfect

hen," Xavier

p, defiant features looking back at me. I would marry Gabriel Romano. I would never let the Heir drag me back into the dark.