uckles white on the steering wheel, his occasional sighs filling the car

ess digging into her skin. For the first time, she felt a profound, crushing sense of powerlessness. All

re," "final notice," and "canceled contracts" drifted through the door. The Roy propos

r personal freedom warring with the primal need to protect he

the door. Her parents looked up

aid, her voice stea

king the city, Alaric Roy was eviscerating a G

ul thinking," he said, his German as fluent and prec

eek, encrypted phone on the polished desk. Alaric glanced at the caller ID: Grandfathe

all with a curt dismissal

heerful voice boomed from the other en

ngers holding the phone tightened, th

say that. Which is why it's fortunat

The sister he'd been searching for f

allowed. "What's the condition?"

ding, once the marriage is publicly

t before she vanished from their lives, flashed in his mind.

olor of storm clouds, cold and empt

ng beneath him like a conquered territory. He felt like a pawn on his grandf

a complete file on a woman named Aracely

eady on your desk, sir. Theodor

sified. He was a puppet in a play h

within painted a very different picture, a carefully constructed narrative of a social climber who had frequented events kn

onto his desk. To him, she wasn't a person. She was jus

veryone. Arthur answered it. It was Alaric Roy's assist

ail pinged on his phone. He opened

age contained a sing

has been signed. The weddi