instructed. A long coat cinched at the waist, scarf wound tight ar

d her phon

t out of fear, but calculation. I

ok for a missing bride when the headlines claim

sa weren't hunt

uld cha

ffee truck rumbled nearby. Commuters rushed past, indifferent. Then

quietly. "Or should I

earing a leather jacket and jeans. Mid-thirties. Sharp

asked, not lookin

as Blackwell. Until he bankrupted m

hitched. "He d

rything-my name, my investors, my famil

amily's empire. And now he's tr

hem, broken only by the sound

a hand. "Name's Jax

ce. He looked dangero

w?" she

ircling. He's got that fake heartbroken act going, but insiders are asking

r image," she said. "I

tly. "Then we're

-

ct. The kind of place with no cameras and no cha

ross the table and opened

nies, falsified earnings, offshore accounts. And Vanessa

ta, his eyes narrowing. "This

d. "What d

hem look crazy. Or unstable. If you go public with this now, he'll

nched. "So what

him down. You m

ward, voice l

is allies. One by one, we unravel everything that makes him untouchab

ter down her spine.

ctly what

essa?" s

Clark will do most of th

-

r mind spinning with new plans. She'd given Jaxon copie

red her room, s

ing wa

f-open. And her laptop screen, which she alw

ocket. Her fingers wrapped around the small

e moved toward the bed

d out from the shad

na, w

ng the lamp-but

was

Eas

The one who vanished witho

doing here?" she whispe

nds. "I'm not he

Now you break into my room?" she hiss

bout Lucas," he said. "And

"You're two years

h said, stepping closer. "He paid people to frame me. He made it look lik

hands t

k alerts, the tears. She remembered confronti

ught she'd nev

think you we

ould keep you safe. Until I saw the headlines. You disappe

long moment, unsure if sh

already have someone helping me. Someo

Lucas isn't just dangerous-he's connected. If you try

ay from him,

e whispered. "I'm not the gi

he me

-

oated the windo

ed in her life-Jaxon, the strategist with scars he didn't

anted

es she couldn'

n't looking

building

pire Lucas Blackwell stole wo

contin