N'S

pped, my voice echoing through the glass conference room

They're not backing down. Your sudden disappearance after the wedding scanda

im a loo

hiding in your penthouse with your new husband," h

the edge of the tab

you can't ignore the fact that your father's already moving. Victor's be

ot the gossip, but the thought of Victor Knight ci

red, straightening my

Nathan said. "If you're going to stay married t

e like a quiet

nd his waist. There was something strange about seeing someone like him in my space, too br

didn't treat me l

allenged. He annoyed me. He made me

was a w

l with it

sh further. "Fine. You have a meeting with t

ughts, not that I wanted to be. Silence never stayed

on of a man who'd built an empire on control, an

*******

and the faint sound of a movie played from the living room. I step

alanced on his knee. He looked up, surprised, a

ack early

past e

early," he said w

Normally, I didn'

chen counter, where two pl

leave anything edible here. You serious

loosened my tie. "I d

o the TV. "Then it's a good

him, gone straight to my study, buried

or are you actually going to si

he couch dipped slightly between us. The movie, some old

t, but I found myse

s, he spoke again.

m n

like you

ned sharply

e it is, the CEO tone. I

ian.

ftened. "You got humiliated on live television, your father's trying to destroy you,

wer. I didn'

o fit into my world, just a plain shirt, soft hair falling into his eyes, a fain

mistake, but somehow, he fit he

ou thinking

u talk t

sy. "You're welcome fo

't than

sho

d at the corner of my li

"Was that al

t pus

t the quiet between us wasn't heavy thi

t was d

stood by the window with a glass of whiskey in hand. Th

oed again: Make it

I'd built, I needed to turn

e this marriage look real enough, long enough, I could

have to keep Adria

lanket sliding down his shoulder. The soft light cau

in my chest, somet

d to feel anythi

orrow, I'd fix everything. I'd meet the board, silence Vict

I started believing

't tear my eyes

s right. Maybe

de me scoff un

my name in his sleep, just onc

I couldn't move. Co

as nothing. Just a

like nothing. It s

ay my name like that

d happen when

cing my voice back

muttered to the empty ro

dn't believe me. And de

mumbling softly

d down, pulled the blanket over his shoulder, and

something I could

ing to rui