The billionaire's blind bride

rm hadn

trying to remember something it had long forgotten. Thunder rolled lazily in the distance, an

't return

y after Blaise had disappeared again-retreating to wherever he went when e

he di

, she w

klessly. With purpose.

self in the l

tral territory where the past and present blurred, and

lready lit whe

dn't l

t... he'd

n behind the curtain. It hung still, untouched by wind, d

ere?" she a

le

at warmed her bare arms. Her nightgown clung to her skin, and the si

tended none of

he co

seeing t

ring the brea

sharp bloom in her chest when he sa

of you," she s

n still di

favor by staying hidden. But you're not. You're just... alone. An

, not

"Wow. Great monologue. Maybe next

urned-only to f

he was

ng beh

ind the

the s

e enough that she could feel the shift in the air,

be in this part of the

ck to the fire. "You'r

pa

"I c

art st

firelight-still cloaked in darkness, his face hidd

from me," she said. "But I thin

he man I u

said without

stopp

hy

uette of him. Strong. Tall. Ri

h people who left him. Who hurt him. Who took and neve

id no

re cra

t a monste

pped c

n't bac

arred,

am

hitched. "N

im. Her voice was a w

y tense

y n

see me, really see

y m

be

ething that sur

ed into

fu

e, stubble-dark jaw, the suggestion of an old scar trailing from temp

arely a

t was

t was

p. Didn't look a

t said,

bli

it?" h

id you

isgust.

e final space between them. Close enough now to

ose," she said. "You wa

id no

-slowly-and placed

eath c

d feel his heart thudding beneath her palm, steady but uncer

olding my breath since I

nd

ally e

sed hi

dn't k

dn't n

ch said

did

lifted his hand to hers a

followed wasn't h

She didn't

id, "Would you st

kipped. "In

won't cross a line. I just..

er di

no

ir strange marriage began, they

touc

slee

de a fire, warming ea

e couch with a blanket draped ove

the silen

as smiling until she saw h

he staff acted di

r-just...

st as the fake wife, th

her as hi

ch. But it w

r to the study

"Shareholders. They'll call in virtuall

know ab

ome will be

a brow. "And

d. Be calm. Be confident. D

s like

only s

t

d worn before. Blaise didn't join her in the office at first. She sat alone at the head of the ta

dn't sa

evalu

leaned forward. "So

sed. "Mrs. Thorne

is Bl

join sh

en, you'll sp

present

"Do you even know how to spea

enough to recognize vultures i

as a lo

en-lau

o of the board members.

een fli

voice came through

es for t

eads

ff-only his voic

e con

nsights are valuable. Her instincts, sharper than most of yours. She's not

throat t

contracts, mergers, quarter

questione

fter

e floor beside the fire. No curtain. No hiding. S

credible tod

inge

own. They don't

otic

couldn't quite see his face. The flicker

didn't n

ld feel

othing to do with attraction and everythin

you something,"

sk

if I let you see what the world

dn't h

es

e cracke

oken people build t

ached

pull he

soft and slow, like sh

do me,"

"That's what

fro

ed, "Don't s

y n

mean it... it ch

hing her forehead again

n le