e was sharp eno

faint, disorienting prickle of familiarity skittered across his nerves, leftover echoes of the drug‑fever haze still lingering in his bloodstream. He dismissed

e was smooth, quiet, the edge in hi

h from her apron pocket, stepping forward on instinct. "I a

nst his chest as she tri

The touch sent a sharp elec

suit," he said, r

with terror. "Mr. Montgomery! I am so sorry! This is a te

pered, the word tasting

billionaire whose family was forcing her into a pro

acket, slipped it off his should

if he had stumbled across an interesting little puzzle. "The fabric was hand‑woven from vicuña wool. The dry‑cleaning alone

heaving. "One million? It was a

h how this sharp‑spirited young woman would react when cornered; he was toying with her, curious to see what she would do next. "You have three days to wire

ng her pride down for Julian's sake. "I can work off the

alf‑smile. "I do not normally hire clumsy

ely ignoring the tension in the corridor. He leaned in close to Alistair'

We foun

ire body went

ctured right fibula, consistent with a high fall. Boone Capital's moles inside the clinic fed us only selective evidence

memories refused to align perfectly with the report, yet hard physical evidence of

se, dark focus. The trivial amusement he felt toward Hazel vani

eel, his long strides carrying him toward the private el

owed him, leaving

"You're fired! Get your things and get the hell out of my cl

lowly to the floor, her back pressed against the cold wall. Her hand

n dollars

sand dollars fo

g, she had to sell

hopedic Annex, Valerie lay in a luxury hospital b

ft collarbone. There, perfectly applied beneath a layer of waterpro

e room was pushed open

istair strode into the room, his dark presen

asped, her voice dropping int

opped to her cast, then moved up, fixing onto the red mark