THE STERLING INHERITANCE

: Dom

between me and the rest of Seattle. My penthouse had been featured in Architectural Digest twi

oticing the v

n. E.A.'s latest email glowed against the darkness, her words cutting

nd noise in everyone else's story. The supporting ch

again. T

face I'd never seen-she understood the particular hell o

. Everyone had called it a success. My publicist was already pitching it for the society pages. And the entire time, I'

had asked how I wa

ept

pondence, rereading her response

bed-drowning in a room full of peo

ed it-a hospital charity pen-pal program I'd agreed to as a PR move. My assistant had s

write once and

mething honest and searching

Cro

st thing I had to a friend, stood in the doo

me," he said, holding up his phone.

.'s letter tightened again. James only showe

t is

wn a leather portfolio. "The lawy

pulled me from nothing and taught me how to build an empire. Dead

took a drink, letti

u have exactly six months left t

mo

ree billion dollars, controlling shares in Cross Industries, properti

with has nothing," James quoted from the wil

lve bedrooms." I set down my glass harde

can't actually be consi

owing on the screen. *Is it pathetic that my most me

six months to figure out if I'm willing to

at me. "You

k like I'

's work. Everything you and Harrison built tog

w what

lk away. Find someone. There are

Dominic Cross, billionaire. Not one who'd marry Domin

e when I entered Harrison's world, trying to shed the kid whose pa

going to do?" h

om view. "I'm going to try to find something real

f you

out what it's like to

years ago, you would've picked the most s

have approached marriage like any other business transaction.

en. I knew what it was like to be truly seen by someone. And the thought of marrying someo

candidates," James continued. "Society women, busin

roman

Which is what you

E.A. had written again while we'd been talk

in room 342 who calls me her "favorite nurse" even though I'm probably terrible at this job. She made me a bracel

red so much emotionally but kept concrete details vague-part of the safety of our arrangement. She

perform for each other because we didn't

d a re

r E.

of the few things I do that feels meaningful. Maybe because kids don't care about my

, by the way. I know I've said i

o tell her. About Harrison's will, about the impossible choice ahead o

, and she might look me up, and suddenly she'd become like

up. A choice to make. I'll probably

ep w

D

back, looking out

fe. Six months to secur

no idea-was a woman who saw me clearer than anyone ever had.

her question: *Is it pathetic that my most meanin

whispered gentl