und her felt thick and hot, as if someone h

orange glow of flames licking up the walls, smoke fil

ith every gasp, her lun

red her mouth with her s

catching on something soft yet uny

rd came out as a

untingly lifeless. He had no visible injuries, nothing to

familiarity washed over her. She recognized this place: her

the lab, then... then her father's accident wasn't an accident at all. He hadn't

t w

lla strained to listen, pulling herself closer to the window despite the heat pres

? Mr. Montgomery, where

her. She strained further, desperate to hear

dowry to marry Amy have to do with me?

r. Using the Blake family as dowry...?

the one who'd vowed to be by her

ing her family into nothing more tha

allic tang of blood as she fought for breath. Her vision blurred, dar

every syllable laced with venom. "If

t before she could ho

-

Years

y Internationa

ring oversized sunglasses and a black baseball cap. She was dressed casually, but ther

sh, came through her phone. "M

little girl's face on the screen. "Soon, sweetheart. Mommy's

through the terminal, sending everyon

's big eyes widened. "Mommy,

tone remained gentle, as though she

ad. " I am not scared, but... my brother says it's dangerous to ta

ed eyebrow. "Where's your

int of mischief. "Still sleeping!

a light, wrapped up in his blankets. Ella sighed, her heart longing for home. "

Mommy. T

shook the terminal. People screamed, some ducking

eat, but she stayed roote

as a war correspondent, chaos an

he remains found by the police had been mistaken for her, but they were actually those

d left her unrecognizable. She'd undergone reconstructi

om the smoke, making it almost impossib

of twins, but when they turned one, her superiors h

ager to return to her children, to a li

he escalating unrest, Ella felt her heart sink. She ne

mediately calling her co

ost volatile regions, she knew how to handle herself in emergen

ere's one option. A private plane's coming through. The owner's agreed

e dealt with warlords and d

jet circled and landed, a dazzling dis

or the escape, until her gaze lo

lood r

m. Lucas M

her father's death, the man

this moment. She had rehearsed what

, mere feet away, the weight

ppraising her with that familiar air o

rself away. Not yet. Lucas was more dangerous th

ile, she replied, "Yes. And

y, a hint of amusement crossi

nalist hasn't? A man of your... rep

a smirk. "Is that so? Wha

Mr. Lucas is known for being... unpredictable." She met his gaze, her tone l

m Lucas' staff, who glanced nervously at eac

ckered, a flash of somethin

his gaze never leaving her

rself. "Well, I could tell you more, b

waiv

on't try to kill me if I tell

as no mirth in his eyes. "You think a

d, her tone flippant. "But i

secret that he'd become even more ruthless since his wife's mysterious death yea

tead, he laughed, the sound rich and slightly menacing

ugged as though it were obvious. "N