emi's slender wrist, the light calluses on his fingers

r and skidded to an abrupt halt, their hands insti

drained from his cheeks. Cold sweat broke out across his f

sidelong, freezing glance at the two men, the suffoca

e Grim Reaper. He bowed his head deeply, grabbed his partner's arm,

urly men vanished, turning her head t

look so terr

nd casually adjusted his dia

have an inti

iny, stifled cough, earning an icy glare f

irely focused on dragging the Holman family's reputat

steady her racing heart

don't have to say a word

n her tightly wound posture, a flash o

ow, we should at least sh

red his elbow toward her with

her cheeks, before gritting her teeth and sl

ol of his suit jacket, she could feel the hard lines o

wn at her stiff pr

look like you're escorting

ced her shoulders down, and pul

his b

cool fingertips brushed lightly across her swollen lef

timate touch. She tried to pull back, but

t's be

y walked side by side toward the grand ballroom doors at t

strains of a classical symphony and the low h

eart hammering against her ribs. Once she stepped a

e warm glow of the wall lamps, his sharp jawline loo

s your

e didn't even know what

brass handles of the ballroom door

nd out in

ped playing. The emcee's cheerful v

en, please rise and

ward, clearly assuming their guards had a

en from the inside, and blinding light from the c

ce, eager to catch a glimpse of the pitiful adopted dau

tanding beside the bride, every breath

ute of champagne with a smug grin that froze so

onto the white tablecloth, her mouth fallin

crowd, Bentley leaned down slightl

r battlefield,

over the ringing in her ears as hundreds

s fingers tightly around her icy hand, and led her