t of my own choices. Sitting in my study, a glass of whiskey untouched on the table beside me, I stared at th

bastard who knew how to manipulate. He'd played his

e detailing mydarkest secrets, my father's past, and the fragile empire I had worked tirelessly to build. The file contained things

owed to acknowledge. Sinclair had dug deep, deeper than anyone else could have, and now he used that information a

ur

gotten her into. She thought this was just another business arrangement, a transactio

That was the only way Sinclair would back off, the only way he would keep his mouth shut. The thou

my company, ruin my reputation, and I would lose everything-everything my father had built, everything I had worked for. I could

d to stay cold and distant, even though every fiber of my being

ed open, and I didn't have t

was Victoria,

, pretending to be lost in thought. Victoria was too sharp not to notice the tension in

she asked, her voice

g her eyes with a calmness that was

as if she didn't believe

han a prison sentence, and I was being shackled by my father's mistakes. My mind kept going back to Aurora-her

oor, and I could feel the subtle weight of her gaze on me. "You're

no problem with playing dirty. And once I'm married to A

her expression unreadable. "Then

swer was buried somewhere deep inside of me, tangled with the secr

toria," I said, my voice cold. "And

ng with some unreadable emotion. "You

is family. My father's lies, my mother's death, my secret lineage-the

Just don't forget that Sinclair isn't the only one you have to

or trying to manipulate me further. But one thing

the decision already made. I couldn't afford to waste time thinking about the

ut firm. "But I'll never forget what Sinclair did

gaze unwavering. "Just be careful,

the weight of her words settle over me. The game

he final move was played, it would