The Billionaire and the Single Mom

ike sitting on the surface of the moon. Everything was cold steel, polished marbl

uring a small measure of amber liquid into it and sliding it toward her without

were discussing the weather. "He has been siphoning client funds into shell accounts for years. The evidence has been anony

hiskey untouched. "He was

ief that rules do not apply to them, coupled with a need to

s." It had all been a house of cards, built on theft. The revelation was shocking, but it also vindicated her. She

" she said softly. "And th

whiskey. His eyes fell on the c

From s

a bite, chewing thoughtf

perfectly Julian thing to say. "Adequa

It was there and gone so quickly she wondered if she'd

mfortable silence. He seemed to be stud

from my initial ass

your initial

ve. A victim of

was so devoid of malice that it didn'

your children, which indicates a high capacity for risk assessment under du

mathematical equation. "It didn't

glass. "It informs the body of a threat. The logical

her a compliment. "What about you?" she ventured,

is expression closed off. "My history

ble house all alone. You work constantly. You seem to understand

al. She expected him to throw her out. Instead, he looked awa

e built an empire. He was also a narcissist of the overt variety. His

thletic, social. All failures. I was too quiet. Too analytical. I preferred coding t

rt aching for the lonel

me to become him." Julian's smile was thin and cold. "He was wrong. I took his empire and I rebuilt it in my own image. Efficient. Profitable. Unemotio

ife as a monument to defiance against a ghost. He hadn't built a home

you know," El

his gray eyes sh

es. It's the most illogical, ineffici

g flicker in the depths of his cool detachment. Not agre

s unproven," h

rough the mountains, and the lights in the house fli

absolute, the kind of deep, c

seconds," Julian's voice came calml

few emergency lights clicked on, casting long, eerie shadows through

switched for a full reset. It's in the

diately, not wanting to be left alo

asement was a stark contrast to the upstairs: all exposed concrete,

ver the walls. And that's when she saw it. Tucked away in a corner, covered

dscape. The view from the mountain, but rendered with an impressionistic, almos

d. Julian followed her g

asked, her voic

se of time," he said st

beau

switch, and with a deep thrum, the main lig

impenetrable coolness. The moment of vulnerability was ov

ld return to your children. They

that she had seen something he considered a

d just become infinitely more complex. He wasn't just a cold, logical machine. He was a man who painted with passion in

of him up there in his glass house d

do with the thunder, that her fascination with hi