I

h. Ten minutes an

he was gone. Maya Sullivan was a lot of things, a brat, a chat

e told when to speak her vows. She spends every

rtains were snapping in the wind like white flags of surrende

s and felt a pull of admiration. She'd rather gamble on a

asked from the doorway.

on the boyfri

e heading toward

ed it, my voice flat. "I ha

undred-million-dollar bride is currently in a taxi, racing toward a Marriage Bureau with that pathetic boyfriend. I

l," I repeated, my eyes trackin

fool of the Blackwood name before the ink o

as I gripped the windowsill. "I knew she'd

ld no humor. "She is the leverage, Silas.

s fixed on the empty fire escape. "I'

are already digging into the docks, and the authorities are getting too close to the shipping manifests. The regulatory boards are looking

e of the

e perfect face for the family, innocent enough to make the public look the other way. We need a dis

asked, watching a loose piece of

ly. "They are watching us. One wrong move and the whole house of cards comes down. We need a

'd had enou

g through my protest

a girl with no shadow, Silas. Once she's a Blackwood, she's our silence. If she marries that boy tonight, the narrative d

s I looked out at the city, my eyes nar

nk I've been paying that little rat for the last three months? Liam is exactly where he needs t

am taking my father's money to lead her into a trap

d to me while taking a paycheck to do it and I'

ing like a final warning. "And Viktor? S

efore he co

ng away from the window.

arrived, my security team had already cleared the hall.

looking exhausted and unraveled, clutching the arm

t tighten. She tugged at him, her eyes darting toward the side exit, but she didn

rat didn

forehead. He didn't look at me with defiance. He didn't even

at the man she thought was her savior. She didn't know yet. She didn't realize she was standing

hoes the only sound in the room. Even with h

es are up, Maya

ches from hers. The soft scent of her jasmine perfume fille

iam, who was staring at his own shoes. "Li

r again. I reached out, my thumb catching

eetheart," I murmured, my thumb

r illusions. "Are we going to do this the easy way, or do I need

for her to ans

ound her waist, claiming what was

car. We have a