By Midnight

enthouse suite Grayson insisted she use du

nd, screen dimmed, but the me

sappeared without a trac

idn't

coul

study window, the photograph of his father, the way Eleanor Astor smiled without

he was pa

he time the sun rose over Manhat

eded a

ment, if she was going to protect herself and Liam

allory's lin

," came Mallory'

Sloane said. "O

a beat o

on know you

N

request," Mallory replied

kitchen counter. "Is it

No public goodbye. No contact. She was en

d t

e press spun stories. But Grayson?

r thought tha

tors long enough to know that what's no

in the Astor Enterprises boardroo

invisible. But now, with a wedding band on her finger and a new last

s the

riefly to the executives b

gered. Conce

n't loo

brunch. Since she'd texted hi

wasn't t

expansion and mergers blurred into one another

woman Grayson had o

one dared

she followed Grayso

the door b

leep last nig

face him. "You ch

board, poured her a glass of water, and handed

nk, fingers brushing

s goin

down carefully.

. "What kind

her phone and h

ad it

n a

but the tension in his

a joke, is i

id quietly.

wa

't offer an

No outrage?

lo

d. "Did Alyssa really van

She left, yes. But

en

here are things I

nt my privacy, my name, my brother's safety. I've tied myself to you publicly, legally, and emot

ly. "You think I'm

protecting somet

oser. "I'm pr

ir sh

d at him, he

ur protection,"

said. "But that doesn't

for a moment just one he l

it wa

d marble and

unknown messages. Forward them to Mallory. And if you

his isn't just about

It hasn't been,

anded her a sealed envelo

," she said. "And it does

marked Monroe, Aly

e was safely home, with Liam o

le was

pa

w ph

, former address,

d her was the l

iled March 3rd – Withdrawn

ason

tigation

Alyssa had

st the couch, the file i

yssa been r

orse

orbell

, heart in

t expecti

partment and chec

o

velope on

oor cautiously a

was a

a man she didn't recognize old

was date

he back in th

Not with your heart

a dim café under an assumed na

o of Sloane and Gray

and s

e whispered. "