Bound By Blood Torn by love

lling Julie from the depths of her chaotic bedroom. Her wallet lay open on the floor, a testamen

with Den Neumann now A billionaire CEO, a man she had not seen in five years, now a Goliath in the te

r. But it had, with a dizzying intensity that left her both intoxicated and alarmed. The guilt, the shame, the fear of

e unruly strands, a reflection of the fermentation within. She

er father's booming voice fil

s their bond? No fancy contracts, no legalese, just trust and a s

iod of handshakes and gentlemen's agreements. He loved to memorize about his days at the helm of his s

s word meant something, when a deal was a deal, and you could trust everyone involved. N

t of gold, sitting in the living room, girdled by the vestiges of his past success. He was a relic

wnward, her voice warm and inviting. "

m friends, some from work. But one in particular caught her eye, a communication from D

pulling her near. Her mother, Mrs. Garfield, a woman with a gentle smile and eyes that he

said, her voice filled with w

nervous smile on her face, her ey

spaper. "You know, I was just reading about this new tech company, something about a

ed a shiver. D

o steer the discussion down from the subject

mom replied, turning to her w

the room, searching for her bag. Where was it?

e, mom?" she asked, her voic

e spatula. "I did not see it, honey. You must ha

ie claimed, her voice rising. "It

ut Julie felt a knot of anxiety tensing in her stomach. Her credit cards, her debit cards, her

a treble pertinacious chime that

oice laced with a touch of annoyance. "You answer it,

orging in her chest. She ha

er eyes zipping to the stairs, her heart

is time with a more pertinaci

father said, his voice gruff.

for the handle. She glanced back at her parents, their backs were turned to her,

at saluted her transferred a surge of cold dread washing over her. There, stand

hed, her voice s

wn leather bag, the one sh

ast night." he said, hi

eplaced by a swell of apprehension. What

e closed the door, locking it with a resounding click. She

for my new laptop." she

This time, it was a grim, pertinacious

, his tolerance wearing thin. "Are they

ing in her chest. She could not tel

d, her voice shaking. "Just

r daughter'" torture wa

she said, her voi

not a neighbor, it was not a delivery. It was Den. And her mother was about to open the door to the man

or, her smile faded replaced b

d with a raw uncontrolled fury that tr