The Betrayal Of Blood

ia's

**

esn't begin

the heart, watered by comparison and doubt, growing slowly-too sl

ause when you've loved someone your entire life, it's hard to

-

hat many would envy. Our father, Richard Alden, was a powerful businessman-respected, su

e, we were the

ion is just

rena and I had ne

yself. I climbed my way up at Alden Enterprises, not because I was the boss's da

y with people. But she lacked patience. Discipline. The hunger to truly succeed. She

was the

her entire life l

hated me

-

obs should have been ju

glass-walled office with my tablet in hand. Meetings, deadline

ns have a way

, followed by the deep, rich voice of a man I didn't rec

with sun-kissed skin, dark curls, and the ki

y Ja

father's oldest friend. A name whispered around the off

on me, curious

ging at his lips, "this is

n eyebrow.

ll the time. Says you're the

ite smile. "Th

ne of the most brilliant minds in the com

unreadable flickering in

it. I had work to do, meeting

sed mysel

difference betw

lked

di

-

e relaxed, her eyes bright with amusement. And sitting across

doorway, unnotic

lightly grazing his arm. It was effortless, the way s

ld have ignored the way my stom

I di

led, making my

mile. "Soph! You didn't tel

eadable. "I was just telling Serena

he way he said it-almost li

ght smile. "G

r head. "You sho

y watch. "I ha

omething in her eyes-something tha

said sweetly. "Yo

-

was how i

sent. Always avail

Da

not

iked

Serena was friendly, and Danny was new. T

d seeing the way

wo

he loo

-

e, buried in reports. By the time I fin

o the parking lo

a and

g up at him. He was saying something, his voice low, his

fr

oment, I real

one people admired,

Se

the one peo

-

d, I couldn't shake the un

time in my lif

ing to take so

e already

-

he person you trust the most is the