His Deal, Her Heart

wers, no music, no guests. The only witnesses were Julian's lawyer, a severe-looking woman named Ms. Albright, and the bored city clerk. I wore a simple cream

t star. The entire ceremony took less than ten minutes. I walked in as Clara Hill, a girl on the verge of ruin, and walked out as Clara Thor

a watercolor of gray buildings and rain-slicked streets. Ms. Albright,

Thorne," she said, the new title

d receive a settlement that would ensure I never had to worry about money again. My family's company, Hill Textiles, was to be immediately cleared of all debt a

hat made the hairs on my arms stand up. It was handwr

mstances, access, inquire about, or attempt to view the sealed re

able clause in a marriage contract? It was a locked door in the center of my new life, and Julian had just handed me the one key

e pulling me from my thoughts. He was w

ing the folder. "No.

ssed some kind of test, and turned

ed into the private elevator, the scent of his cologne-that sharp, clean cedar scent-seemed to fill the small space. I was acutely aware of hi

the entire living area, offering a panoramic, god-like view of Veridia. The furniture was minimalist and modern, all clean lines and shades of gray, black, and w

dern art on one wall, was silently flashing a news report. M

NCE QUESTIONED IN TH

gest competitor. A known enemy of Julian's. The threat was no longer an anonymous shadow in the rafters; it had a face. And now

Which is why tonight is important. We are hosting a small, formal

twisted.

s a long hallway. "Your room is this way. I've had som

with designer clothes, shoes, and handbags, all in my size. It was a gilded cage, and the door had just clicked

s preparing for a role she hadn't rehearsed. By the time I met Julian in the

-approval? surprise?-crossed his features before being suppressed. "You look acceptable,

't have a sign. The air inside smelled of old leather, woodsmoke, and power. The

personal, yet it sent a shiver through me. The warmth of his palm burned through th

ommanding immediate silence. "I'd li

a murmur of polite congratulations. I smiled, nodded, and sh

was in his late fifties, with Mark's familiar jawline but with eyes that were colder,

ulian's hand on my back, the pieces clicking into place with an audible clang. The woman his son had so publicly and carelessly discarded, the gir

pt warred with a dawning horror in his eyes. He o

the doors to the privat

as M

drinking. He strode into the room, ignoring the gasps from the b

nger at me, the gesture childish and ugly. The entire room fell into a dead, horrified silence

in from my face. Every eye in the room was on me, a mixture of p

se his voice. He didn't rush. He rose slowly from his seat, his calm more terrifying than an

y at a sputtering

e like ice, slicing through the suffocating silence. Ever

most thorough due dilige

n flickered acr

d," he continued, the formal address a deliberate insult,

ible nod to the two security guard

the ba

-