FIVE:MOR

through the night. The thought of sitting across from her father again, pretending everything was perfectly no

er phone and saw

xan

g the foundation office toget

throbe. Kylie shoved the phone aside and walked into the bathroom to s

ock came

side of the Mercedes like something straight out of a luxury magazine. He wore a tailored navy sui

he door for your fiancée?"

toe, expression unreadable. "I t

pened the door herself, m

sed onto the road. The silence between them

pressed," he said dryly

"Impressed is not the word I'

He doesn't trust anyone. It'

of charm that invites a stranger into their mansio

w raised. "You liked t

hatever. You could've at least warned me you were going to introduce me as

" he said simply. "Your re

I was genuin

act

ve of t

side read: The Castillo Foundation. Kylie's heels clicked against the marble floors as they stepped into the

to meet with the board. My father's been grooming me for this role since I could walk. Bu

o rub her temples. "You m

en eyes meeting hers. "You're mo

" she said with

oors opened wi

-older men and women, all with sharp eyes and stiffer postures. Kylie recognized a few

ntroduced h

said, slipping a hand arou

er face didn't betray

ting a pearl necklace, looked at Kylie over her glasses.

with a polite nod. "An intern

lancing medicine and a relationship with

t laugh. "Some days

for the most part, nodding when appropriate and occasionally squeezing Alexandro's hand under the table-on hi

staged play. But here, surrounded by cold business eyes and strate

uilding, Kylie's feet were so

he asked, slumping into

nuine smile. "You did good. You weren't too stiff.

oman with the pearls?

st one in the room. If she d

lence before Kylie ask

es on the road and said, "Because you don't worship m

e opposite of who yo

me, Kylie," he said, almost too q

the car long after t

house, she hesitated. "M

raised a b

s to talk before g

nod. "Set it up

his time longer. "Are you

tly. "That's what I do

-

laptop, unable to focus on the medical notes she was sup

yl

look

said. "Bring him over. I want to s

ing a smile. "I

her laptop-but instead of typing, she opened

li

you this Saturday. Lu

came sec

xan

Tell him I like