Veils Of Deceit

corner of his mouth-not because he found her amusing, but because she was every bit the storm he had expected. And he respec

the horizon like a veil. Somewhere beneath those clouds, his empire thrived-shiny, powerful, built on cont

the half of it y

*

t doing little to thaw the ice that had settled in her chest. Jasmine placed a steaming mug of tea

walked out of a battlefie

ers tightening around the ceramic mug. "A battlef

an eyebrow. "

orless laugh. "T

ckwood Enterprises. Knew the details of the scandal that had nearly ruin

g to work with him?"

She stared into her tea as if

olved. The board wants this partnership to happen.

slowly. "So, wh

ep my guard up. Don't trust him. And get what I

exactly do

"There's something he's hiding, an

she owned the place. She had no intention of appearing uncertain-not in front

oal-gray suit that looked custom-made to wrap around every angle of his lean fr

d be a war

ing to the seat beside him, th

tongue and sat down, careful to keep

ics of the merger, the scope of their partnership, the non-negotiables. Amara listened carefully,

wk. Or a

her, his tone casual but his words deliberate. "S

tated bu

nd them, sealing them in together. The moment he turned

back," he

lf," Amara snapped. "

here because our names-together-mean powe

And because people are depending on me," she shot b

something clear. We're not friends. We're not allies. But we are partner

d," sh

No sabotage. We keep

arency. I won't be kept in the da

ly. "Then you better be ready

y m

ick with unspoken threats a

extended his

is. The handshake was brief, but something passed between t

asn't

beginning

*

ity. The night was cool, the stars faint behind the haze of city lights. Her phone

verything about

he screen, her

ndra

early destroyed her mentor. Cassandra had vanished after that, swa

she mean by

to remain calm. One thing was certain-this partner

e everyone-was h

*

his fingers wrapped around a crystal glass of scotc

e's

n't turn

doesn't t

supposed to

she finds out-about the

of his drink. "Then I

this entire house of card

o one would walk