lowns who tried to play innocent when they were rotting to the core,

ap? That was definitely a first... Well,

reaths. She looked like a woman on the verge of breaking, b

rest

took a slow sip, watching as Mary's trembling fingers gripped her phone.

impse of the text

Mary. But yo

n Ma

f them good. A man who used power and debt to crush people, wrapping them in a web until they suffoc

med, Mary was n

ddenly, panic in her

s down with deliber

l hide until he forgets about me." She clutch

son Martin wants you, there's no

hin line. "So what? I sho

n't sa

n, but she had none. And Thoma

le over their son, Nathan. Her lawyers painted him as an unfit father

. A mother figure, even

wife and Mary ne

his lips. A mutually

ling his fingers. "I hav

ckered at him. "What

his glass, watching the amber liquid

if what she just hear

deliberate. "Get married to me, and I'll ensure Jas

dy tensing. "Why on earth w

ssion hardened. "I'm fighting for custody of my son. My ex-wife is using every dirty tr

er head. "Th

slightly. "You need a way

mind visibly racing. "A

ed for a year, and then we divorce. You get yo

hesi

. Logic told her this was madness, b

hakily. "And you'll cl

er it paid in full the

retched be

vy ones filled with

men we

e grabbed onto Thomas's sle

rd her, his voice

against his sleeve. She looked back and s

es

ed into a sat

wti

pped inside. Jason's men. One was tall and broad, t

d, his gaze landing on Mary.

rapping an arm lazily over Mary's

ed. "This isn't your

is." He glanced at Mary, then

changed st

e scoffed.

Mary toward him. His fingers tilted h

sed her out

but deliberat

ary was wide-eyed, her

ason's men, his smirk u

man's jaw

t over," h

usting his cufflinks

fore the men finally tur

did Mary exhale shakily. Her hands gr

like nothing had happened. "Well," he

red at him. "

onsider it par

d, her voice low.

of his whiskey, then stood, straighteni

d. "So what

brown eyes gleaming with someth

oice deep and unwaver

ther, stepping into a world neither of