Contract Of Hearts

er overlooking Hyde Park, it was a sleek, minimalist expanse of glass, steel, and muted tones. Every piec

area where the city lights glittered like scattered diamonds. "Mr. Blackwood has given instructions for your per

r own modest belongings, now meticulously arranged in a walk-in closet large

-sized bed dominated the room, flanked by stark nightstands. A wall of windows offered a di

And if you need anything at all, my quarters are just down the hall. Mr. Blackwood would be

her voice sounding small in the enor

ly, her gaze lingering on Ellie with u

ilded cage, a stage where she would perform the role of a devoted wife to a stranger,

a life she was no longer fully a part of. Her father's publishing house, her mother's care facility-they wer

s Daniel Keating, Alexander's assistant, holding a garment bag. "And Mr. Blackwood

vision in cream silk, elegantly draped, with delicate beading along the bodice. Beautiful, certainly.

too large, and the presence of Alexander Blackwood in the master suite across the hall too unsett

Alexander's office. Curiosity, or perhaps a desperate need for a di

, the sleeves rolled to his forearms, revealing powerful, muscled wrists. His dark hair was slightly disheveled, and the

rd. There was a raw, almost obsessive energy to his work, a single-minded focus that was both formidable and a l

led. The workaholic. The solitary king in his castle. It painted a diffe

g up. His eyes, sharp and alert, locked onto hers. The moment of

his voice clipped. "

e felt foolish, caught spying.

red vaguely to the screens. "

hesitated, then decided to be direct. "You se

e question absurd. "My company requires const

tary empathy. "And what about your life

voice was flat. And it was qui

er between them snap back into place.

to his screens, effec

the ruthless mogul, only to have it snatched away, replaced by the familiar wall of cold dismissiveness. It seemed Alexa