His Betrayal Created A Ruthless Queen

ever stayed

Austin was a pillar of the San Francisco economy. His company, "Nexus," was a titan. An ar

lay of power, the kind of move my own family wa

ven glance at me. His focus was entirely on Ciera, who was dabbing at her dry eyes with a tissue. He wrapped

his princess from the dr

ld saw a billionaire doting on his beautiful girlfriend. I saw the man who shared my bed

It was no longer just an absence of

ssage to my father' s chief of staff. It cont

nator is on his way to the Austin e

o the entire family. This was no longer about a

the grand drawing-room, his face pale with fury. His parents, Richard and Eleanor Austin, sat rigidly on a silk brocade sofa

low but carried the weight of generational authority. "You flaunted that.

law." He said "her father." In their world, the alliance was everything. H

t might have been sympathy, but was more likely pragmatic calculation. "A

with a furious, hateful light. He knew. He kn

he hissed under his bre

l apologize to Aleta. And you will end this so

ve her. She' s not like this... this ice queen you

f 'love' when the family's reputation is at stake." He pointed a trembling finger at the do

ther, but the threat of being cut off, of losing the Austin name tha

say a word. He just grabbed my arm, his fingers digging i

d, shoving me into the passenger seat

eeching as he pulled away from the curb. The car flew down the win

he wronged wife, call in your powerful father to put me in my place. You lov

sea rolling through me. My hand went to my stomach. Please,

o perfect. So poised. Always in your boring black suits, looking do

ife. Passion. When she touches me, I feel something. When you touch me... it' s lik

unt of pain. He was describing my love, the deep, desperate affection I had tr

d barely acknowledged, the way I' d practiced smiling in the mirror so I' d look li

e rang. The screen

i B

art s

n instant. The rage vanished, re

What's

hone, was a theatrical sob. "Hilty... t

' d heard in the hotel suite. "I'm coming. I'm on my w

eeched the car to a halt on a dark, deserted stretch of road near th

his voice flat and d

t? Hilton, we're in t

my seatbelt with a vicious tug and leaned across me, shoving the passenger door

out of the car, catching myself

again, the sound echoi

llights disappeared around a curve, leaving me a

ed. Utterly a

were numb with cold as I tried to call a rid

d and went black. T