Hearts of Steel and Stone

ss his desk. The numbers were clean, precise, profitable. Twelve million in initial investment, projec

ad gone cold

lide into the office, her silver hair perfectly styled, her black suit tailored to

the chair across from his desk wit

m f

desk. "The Harbor District development. Davi

ss dealings before he'd made final decisions. It was one of the reasons she

ing the ter

erstand there are some complicat

n his coffee cup. "What

the way of progress." Victoria examined her manicured nails. "Ther

th

right to stay." Victoria's smile was sharp. "It's almost charm

carefully. "And how does

mstress gets in the way, you remove the obstacle." Victoria leaned forward sli

sentiment interfe

ard has been working very hard on the preliminary negotiat

suggestions sound like orders. She'd been doing it since she'd married his father fif

Morrison: "Need your decision today.

k: "I'll call yo

as she'd worked on his jacket. The careful way she'd examined each stitch, making sure every

s mind kept drifting to Elena's shop. He wondered if she knew what

o much about what happened

-

he other completed orders. Three pieces ready for pickup, two more due by Frid

n in an expensive suit walked in, his smile too wide, his e

" he said. "Are

a

elopment Group." He pulled out a business card. "I'

didn't look at it. "Wh

. Urban renewal, you might say. We're prepared to m

offers f

se. We understand you've been here for several years. We

her counter. "I'm not

Peterson pulled out a folder. "We're offering fifty

an she'd seen in her entire life. It was enough to pay off he

I don't

cil is very supportive of urban renewal projects." Peterson's tone remained pleasant

other had saved for two years to buy this machine. Elena had made her first

to think about

expires in two weeks. After that, well, we'll be

he could pay off the medical bills from her mother's final months. She could send money to he

ghborhood where she'd built her reputation. Wal

her wedding dress altered. The boutique downtown had three rush orders. Mr. Petrov

re depend

looked up to see Mrs. Liu en

d in her careful English.

e that day. "Of course. Amy, l

adjusting the ivory silk until it flowed perfectly over Amy's

u whispered. "My daught

lena agreed,

he wedding dress. Sixty dollars. It would take eigh

earing something created specifically for her, something that wou

the next dress. She had two weeks to decide,

uldn't be meas

ce, Marcus calle

cus. About the H

starting to wo

re out there, Elena was working at her sewing machine,

ore time,

er this. The window wo

I need to review

ind of

es. "The kind that k

ive desk and tried to calculate the true cost of forty million dollar

Marcus could think about was a small shop where a woman created beauti