ia'

ouse would've

per in the heart of Port City. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows wrapped around the entire space, offering a panoramic view of the skyline so breathtaking it looke

st luxury. I

walked into t

walk. He didn't even look back to see if I was keeping up. He tossed his suit jacket ont

t and nervous, heart pounding so har

ching, full of disdain. It was the

at moment

mess

or charm. Henry Clark wasn't just a man. He was an institution, the heir to a business empire, a symb

ng with h

was

apology I could think of-told him I had made a terrible mistake, that I didn

spoke, the more h

ing more behind his anger

bling. "I never wanted to involve the Clark family. I'll take Emma and le

made thin

lently against his knee. Whatever I was

n. "I know it was awful of me to leave like that-to leave you with

tly. A flicker of something crossed his

is pho

controlled tones. I tried not to stare, tried not to imagine what

t stop thinki

power games, the image-obsession, the legacy chains. If she got caught in the mid

ran th

to my knees at his feet, pressing m

were when we met. I never intended to find you again. I never planned to i

arrowed, u

one who should've left the bank card. If you had done

as the wr

y, eyes burnin

ameless than you wer

d. How was I the

d it with a scowl and walked away without another word, disappear

g up at the high ceilings. A ridiculous chandelier dangled above me

ly cut off from the outside world-no way to call my parents, my assi

een to sit still, stay qui

coul

a world that could crush

m. The study was dark oak and leather, filled with the scent of expensive paper and powe

y brain. H

Scorpio, I remembered that much. I tried e

oks, pristine and color-coded. I whispered a silent p

half an hou

hind a thick volume on finan

a few simp

ain no

flower

nder han

the notebook. The first page w

- The first t

fr

y c

hty heir had a se

g. If Henry caught me snooping, he'd pro

the date into

wor

nt victory. Thank

ead, and began searching. My assistant had been managing our accounts.

at their favorite influencer mom had ju

es. No rumors. No indication that the Clark

ything I could f

wasn't

e. He'd taken over the Clark empire two years ago with a swift, surgical tr

myself caught in

foolish girl must

finally gave in to exhaustion. I stumbled into the kitche

inally let myself fall asleep, the city lights shimmering behind