Shattered Vows: The Secret Heiress's Dazzling Return

dard sat perfectly still on the velvet tufted bench, her spine a straight line, her chin lifted just enough to allow the makeup artis

cating. It smelled like leather, cedar, and the c

the hallway. The sound of

ray fill the doorway. The second his reflection hit the glass, the corners of her mouth lifted. It was a muscle memory, a Pavlo

the room and headed straight for his section of the closet. Behind him, his assistant

's reflection. It was a brief, assessing glance, the kind a buyer gives to a painting they've already purchased to make s

lace," Do

nd as biting as the winter

lvet box the size of a shoe, and lifted out a river of diamonds. It ca

tepped forward, rea

it," Dono

tove and scurried away. Donovan took the necklace from Leo. The he

of her neck. They were cold. Freezing cold, like he had been holding a glass of ice water

as warm against her ear, a stark

ur agreement," he murmured. "Adorat

in the closet suddenly felt too thin to breathe. She lowered her eyelids, hiding the sudden, sharp sting of tears

aging. Donovan straightened up. He looked at her r

able,"

ead slightly, offering him a profile that was suppo

. A tiny shift in his jaw. A muscle ticking just below his ear. His eyes narrowed, and for a split second,

en. She only caught two words in the

She looked away quickly, staring at her own hands folded in her l

reen. The black glass refle

is voice back to its usual freez

dn't slam, but the soft click of it c

ctive breath. The young assistant who had been organiz

king at the diamonds wrapped around Clementine's neck

ds were heavy. They pressed against her collarbones,

id softly. The lie taste

e moment the room was empty, Clementine stood up. She walked over to Donovan's desk in the

een was still lit. He must have left

She told herself not to look. She told herself it wouldn't chang

bold and stark: "Project Night

sela H

e scrolled down, her eyes scanning the text too fast to process everything, but cat

ay... collateral asset

tool to be used and discarded. A social stimulant. Someth

placement. She was a weapon. A weapon he was pointing at another woman

y lights. She backed away from the desk, her chest heaving. She had to sit down. S

ess makeup. The diamonds that cost more than most people'

colder than the diamonds on her neck. A quiet, burning fury that start

own phone. It wasn't the one Donovan had given her, monitored by

g app. She typed in a sixteen-character passwo

58,01

d earned with her own hands, her own mind, hidden awa

tylized 'A' made of gold. Aurelian. The most exclusive high-jewelry brand in the wor

ulant. She was the ghost in the machine. She was the on

acts and found the

ed quickly ove

ht need to

the encrypted network. She locked the

loset. The game was just getting sta