a's
d by Vincent, smaller portions held by Victor Smith and Vincent's late foster father. Now that Vinc
athan were heavily involved as well-Vincent's wife and stepson from Crescent Moon Pa
u properly," Harrison said. "He wanted to reac
Syl
caught the flicker. "Mrs. Smith is.
ion: she
and glass set among manicured lawns and ancient trees whose canopy swallow
y door. "Welcome
at the towering facade, I couldn't help thinking-maybe
-
d my elbow at
es, silver-streaked hair. Something familiar in t
s hand. "A
ear warning. "I wanted to catch you before you went inside. Sylvia and Nathan have been running things here f
ything. You have every legal right to be he
are you helping me?
in every way that mattered. An
lt my lips twitch. "Than
-
ors, oil paintings worth more than most houses-and stopped at a set of h
t symmetry. Near the windows stood Sylvia-blonde hair swept into an elegant updo, diamonds at her throat an
ons and withdrew. The silenc
ylvia asked, though sh
es
me now. No need
nd this didn't feel
id, settling across from me. "We
ns and partnerships cannot be entrusted to someone with no experience in our world. We're prepared to offer you one hundred milli
d ever imagined. But nowhere near
quishment of all shares in Smith family hold
e than generous given the circumstances." Her voice dripped with false sympathy. "But surely you understand-the Smith family cannot have
sound like
n across the tab
cument down.
renade. Sylvia's cup pau
bout legitimacy-it cares about blood. Vincent left a will, hired a lawyer,
k. "You may have the paperwork. But you don't ha
your decis
ack territories. Our relationships are delicate, built over decades. One wrong
can fight for wh
n this world for five minutes. Do you really
nnual revenue exceeds eight hundred million. You're offering me one hundred million-
iscuss this by law or by family rules-I'm willing. Bu
d son. Under the law, your inheritance rights come after mine. Are you really suggesti
sil
pression hardening into so
r," Nath
rds materialized from the shadows-massive, ston
ively calm. "I suggest you cooper
directly in front of me. "If you're u
t. Vincent left me ten billio
ice-cold. "Then we'll hav
able. The other forced me into the chair, pinning my shoulders. I stru
ows, her back to me. Like she
the document and
to h
he paper. The guard's grip was ironclad. They we
awed at
't do this! Th
fted from the window, bored.
s. Nathan was seconds away f
lor doors ex
ood splintering, hinges s
d by half a dozen others in dark tactical gear.
ck from a face carved from granite. Sharp jawline. High cheekbones. And eyes... God, his eyes. Dark gray, almost black
nstantly, stumbling back
n wen
ing on me. Something flickered in his eye
t, I couldn
a low, lethal growl that
's M
/1/122282/coverbig.jpg?v=1c71d6464aac412d4a584c3a1a03220d&imageMogr2/format/webp)