ear l

elentlessly. Her ponytail whipped back and forth, and sweat soaked thro

machine and walked t

stomach, and long, graceful limbs defined by hard-earned muscle. The girl wh

rapid loss. She had learned to conceal them with high-neck tops and long sleeves, a small price for the armor she now wore. The loose skin on her upper thighs

essay strategies and interview prep tips in under five minutes. The call ended, and she allowed herself a small, grim smile. Her reputation as one of

, her phone rang. The

She answered, her voic

oney, how have you been? I've arranged a meeting for you

her damp hair, her tone flat. She

name is Rick Tucker. He's a truck driver, a big, strong guy. He's been divorced twice, has a bit of a te

her reputation wasn't enough. Now they wanted t

ed, her voice betraying no emotio

d in her ears. Chloe looked at her reflection in the

go. But not fo

ir party and give them a g

been intercepted for months. Chloe knew every detail: Tiffany's desperation to secure a meeting with Julian Sinclair, Brenda's back-channel negotiation

the long game. And toni

Julian Sinclair stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows

Sinclair, your grandmother, Mrs. Eleanor Sinclair, called again

een a year. He had used every resource at his disposal and st

stigators traced it to a freelance data scrubber hired by an unknown third party. The trail went cold. All he had was the memory

ft from his late mother

was mounting. He needed a wife to silence them. If he cou

, with dark hair and a distinctive red mole on her left hip. Every lead had b

s now filled with perfectly ta

e, black silk dress. It was understated, but the quality w

ing her bright, emerald-green eyes. Her lon

rived. Seraphina rest

r "9" on her screen and l

er. "Chris, do me a favor. Check the rese

k. Rick Tucker. Attached was a driver's lice

eck if there's a reservation

able 6 reserved by the Sinclair Group. Note

f course she knew who he was. Tiffany had cha

iffany gets the billionai

ed idea began to

ne last time, a captivating and dange

oing to be ve

r heels, and walked out of her apartm