Cilla sat in a secluded booth at

ng a meeting. Cilla only agreed because sh

gner sunglasses inside the dimly lit room. Her Her

pulled out a sleek blue folde

yl said, her tone dripping with super

h the folder. She

" Meryl c

r open. She scanned th

l claims to Hudson Tech shares, give up the pen

ive a one-time severance pa

er sparkling water. "Consider it an act of extr

er face comp

d, "the Hudson legal team will bury you. You won't even be able to af

ature line. Jace's messy, arr

e papers, but he had secretly sent his moth

porcelain coffee cup

ilence. She thought Cilla

er voice dropping lower. "Carolyn is pregnant

ly pregnant, the news would have been plastered on every high-society blog for a week, celebrated with sickening extravagance, not wea

ached into her blazer pocket and pull

it with a s

with triumph. She

Cilla pressed the gold nib to the paper

the next page a

he folder back across the table. It slid

uments. Her mouth opened and c

rms?" Meryl stuttered, completely th

oked down at Meryl, he

said, her voice cutting through the quiet

hand flying to her

g family," Cilla stated clearly. "I just want t

less. The intimidation tact

p her bag and

of the booth. "Don't

e cafe and pushed the

w York air

tal assets, but as she stood on the sidew

was

er phone and dia

ng her lips for the first time in months.