er Gon

had buried his s

ered across every news outlet, those se

pulse quickening. "Ric

tossing his phone on

a news articl

Announces Surprise Engag

Hayes... I should have finished

breath hitc

employee, Victoria. He was ambitious. Too ambitious

Victoria said, he

than that." His jaw clenched. "I made sure he

gh Victoria. "You

king connections, catching the attention of the wrong people. If

ed. "And now he'

tened. "And he's mar

ealization settled de

wasn'

was r

s right in th

*

her mother's calls, C

d, Victoria Don

ut telling me?" she snapped. "An

of her nose. "Mom, can we not do th

ia's tone shifted. "

e sti

pposed to return for

t? W

e's been aski

ard. Facing her fa

nging over her head, she knew

d already mad

I'll co

ng across from her, looking complete

coming w

sed. "Oh? I didn't realize

You're my fiancé. You'

ed at his lips, b

theart. Let's

novan

oom was thick enough

cross from Gordon, hi

expecting

of him.calm, confident, unreadable.he f

e

her husband, kept steal

undercurrent of something d

to the silent war,

udden, but Gordon and

apped against the a

ctly did thi

lightly, his expression

I sup

p on the armr

hing for some sign that he reme

was a maste

no resentment.

t c

lmost co

mo

e really d

was just a

't coming back to h

t

rved into a slow

alized, with c

no coin

days l

last time she had eaten at

usic, and the waiters in crisp uniforms made

s he effortlessly cut into his steak,

easy to see why people

e another bite, a voice cut

rtless b

ss the words before a woman in

us, her eyes bla

Claire co

lass wen

tered across Gordon'

rant went

wever, bar

his face with a napkin, as if this was

other hand, w

hot up, staring at

wisting her face. "Oh, honey. D

nked. "Tol

et out a bi

s women along, makes them believe they're s

stomach

ecting him to deny it. To

he d

st si

he s

." His voice was

man lo

er, she grabbed Claire's w

do you? He's goin

pull away, but the woman'

d

n shot thro

bbed a nearby bot

ered the impact befo

out. Someon

ent black was Gordon's chair scraping agai

s Be Gord