Vows of Convenience, Hearts of Fire

alls of a luxury high-rise

ea of spending one more hour walking barefoot on Italian marble floors or sippin

ies above ground, wind curling through

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fflinks with the precision of someone used to bei

at him. "Didn't

" he replied, tone ca

. "Is that

reminder. Everything we do now is

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eyebrow. "Anot

ing with me to the Lemaire

same board that controls half

re eager to meet the woma

. "I didn't

t y

and P

ed by a battalion of dresses she hadn't picked, wond

arely-tolerating-this w

tailored navy. It says, 'I'm smart, I'm sh

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never made it to the board ta

cky

eflection. "You're

d. "What doe

by power. Which makes you the m

unch M

wling property with a vineyard, helipad, and a sculpture g

rt of their media strategy. As El

members in tailored suits and sleek dre

brushing her lower back. It was for sh

id smoothly, "

with firm handsha

lder men said. "We've he

s tone with one of her own. "But I promise I

s. A few side

me had

and Corpo

e, the board questioned her-som

ur background,

ize in brand repositioning, crisis m

helping Asher with

" she said smoothly. "Though I don

marriage-was it a personal dec

yes. "What marr

embers raised

s part of this family now. Her opinion will carry w

shifted.

er-and he'd just p

ne

and Elara lingered in on

well,"

hould've warned me they'd try to test

everyone.

for a moment. "B

s the only place

ked softly. "Do you expect me to l

a beat. Then: "I

omforting-but

ow, that

thouse, Elara found a packa

over book. The spine rea

s a note in Ashe

t I thought you might a

t it, surpri

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itor

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d. It was ne

ell-dressed man stood with a charmi

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il he stopped returning calls. Thought I'd see what

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