WHEN HE FINALLY KNEW.

an'

e on the 48th floor of The Marlowe was absolute. My penthouse alw

if I could shrug the day off. But the echo of it followed me in-a boardroom charged with tension, a bold pitch

r eyes-familiar, but not.

w from the glass wall looked out over Manhattan like a throne surveying its kingd

cked open

a housekeeper," a familiar voice

ca Lan

ong in a home and a white dress that was too polished for someone just droppin

said with a wrinkle of her nose, glancing around. "No food,

ust to remind me I don't live in a P

rked. "

er, watching her as she dropped he

ren't i

s that mattere

ecause I wanted to. Because the merger between Harper Corp and Lancaster Holdings was

he said, idly opening the fridge, unimpressed.

sely. "You readin

ht become mine one day," she s

rriage, Veronica

, eyes sharp. "You th

d. Don't snoop. And stop pretending this-wh

moment, shar

d faintly. "To

a lon

ust thought

t h

lan

amatic flip of her hair. "Fine. But don't keep me wai

romised hi

she said with a win

ngered longer than she did. I exhaled

wn, hot and unforgiving, dragging my thoughts back to Elena-the way she'd stood her g

to what couldn't wait. Internal memos. Overseas calls. A brea

office before 8 a.m. Lucas, my assist

e?" he

lena Reyes' file. I want a back

"Personal or

t cover yo

d slowly

the coffee and walked into the fir

yes & Bloom was our newest partner, I had to know who I was dealing with. But part of me

di

y office. Lucas appeared five minutes later with a man

placing it on my desk. "There are

d I opened

A list of previous addresses. One in New Orleans. Edu

hen-a

hot. Not pr

from a neighborhood newsletter. Elena

nds with a

st tig

Hair dark. Eyes striking. Somethin

tar

re. "Local Entrepreneur Mak

rom Elena: "Everyth

i

the lin

se kic

the fil

a long time, I didn't know

h