The Billionaire's Captive Heart

e strap of her woven basket. The rich scent of fried dumplings and spicy dishes mingled with the metallic tang

in as she held up a perfectly ripe fruit. Her throat burned from hours of shou

r in a sea of indifference, until a man's deep bar

t a knack

res seemed carved from stone, with piercing blue eyes that glinted in the sunlight. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and tailored slacks, h

had seen men like him before-wealthy, arrogant,

tence." His voice was smooth, disarming, but there was a weight to his words tha

cially not from men who looked like they had never wanted for anything. Sh

u're wasting my time," sh

ped closer, close enough for her to catch a faint whiff of his refreshing sce

ket tightened. "I d

s flicked to her lips, then back to her eyes. "I'm host

eath hitch

I want to know what drives someone l

ing-dangerously so-but her instincts screa

htly, sending an unexpected shock through her. "

ed away, leaving her standing in the

exhaustion. The cramped apartment she shared with Sofia smelled faintly of damp plaster and

ofia asked eagerly, her small

ep us going," she said, though her mind was far from the market.

ight and skipped off to her corner of the room. Watching her, Emily felt an intense feeling of guilt. Sh

louse and patched skirt were a far cry from the elegant women who frequent

against her better judgment. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was the

she grabbed her mother's old sha

ood and leather furniture. Conversations hummed softly, accompanied by the clink of glasse

n she s

elaxed yet commanding. He spotted her imme

id, a hint of sur

er arms. "One d

iphery of her vision. A woman stood near the far corner, her sharp eyes fixed o

to. He leaned closer to Emily, his voice drop

d. "There's no

ze was intense, probing. It made her fe

t for a moment as all eyes turned toward the sound. Maya stood there, her ha

rd Maya, leaving Emily alone at the bar. She watched as they exch

have come. She grabbed her shawl and sl

and clamped onto her wrist. She spun around to

her voice low and venomous. "You do

ee, her heart pounding.

into a bitter smi

and disappeared into the shadows, leav

a's warning hanging over her. She looks back at the bar, where

d Ethan seem so interested in Emily? The questions chewed slowly at