ian

amond teardrop earring burning a hole in my pocket. The darkness of

t, the heavy oak

lled into the room, but it was suffocated by the cloying, artificial stench of hothouse orchids. Julian. He

rily calm. I didn't mention the earring. I just

carrying that familiar, arrogant Alpha weight. "Arthur mus

r the penthouse for his mistress, and he couldn't even be bothered to invent a convin

t. He tossed a black velvet box onto the polished wood. "A gestur

eavy, diamond-encrusted tennis bracelet. It was blindingly ex

s tone maddeningly nonchalant as he unbuttone

ody's instinctual reaction to protect the fragile life inside me from the sheer agony of the severe

don't want your money, Julian. And I certainly don't want he

he room seemed to drop ten degrees as his Al

for argument. "Serena is going to be the global face of the new fragrance line. Having a rejected

he was systematically erasing me. My home, my title, and now my career-the only th

rror, clawed at my throat. I instinctively p

I whispered, my voice cracking. "Somethin

t he would look at me, really look at me,

wrist, his eyes locking onto the platinum Patek Philippe watch-the wat

dripping with exhaustion and annoyance. "We'll

me and walked out of the library, leaving me

re. He would

ding straight for the cold, sterile guest room at the end of the h

ne, the Marketing Director and Serena's loyal lapdog. *Mandatory attendance

ing me to my o

ing delete. The tears I had been fighting all day fi

ng every single resource I needed to disappear forever. Alpha Julian Sterling was about to throw away his wolfless