and silence swe

briel beneath Capri's stars, looped again and again in her mind. Not because

zed int

rms folding around herself. "They

ir, his expression stone. "Not ju

s?" Her voice cracked. "Not just to

d. "This isn'

ed toward him.

s on the brink of an acquisition worth billions. If this goes public, it

und her ribs. "So this is a PR prob

ice low. "That's n

't i

as the sea thundered against the cliffs. Her

orld might see me half-naked on a beach, framed

said through clenched teeth. "I'll b

y? Threats

have

he said, voice sharper now. "You figh

y looked at her. And for a momen

this either. I didn't

eeding me to clea

oser. "Don'

wh

e enemy. I'

h hitched

st. The people w

etimes it's hard to t

k, the lines around his mouth tightening

o think right now. I'm tired, Gabriel. Tired of being a liabili

a weakness

always the one

no an

f together. "We shouldn't have gone to Capr

ot how I

e that's th

y, then turned toward

en

e that, he l

idn't

't afford

aptop and began doing wha

he security logs. If someone had used her name, her credential

rust her with the whole pictu

ur pa

ne cold. But Ivy found something-somethi

ed me

ancial reports was a name sh

am G

istant at Valo

ure files... the only one who hadn't ret

d inside the metadata of a

. Ivy was compromise

en, the words swimming

ri

en her al

random. It wasn't

been pe

vy still in the library, her face

at the thre

nd. "Wait. Just.

ng the screen. His expressi

muttered. "She stil

operational side. He hides behind her. She's been funnelin

"We can use this. Lea

tood.

nked.

your war.

vy

Used me like a pawn. I nee

ard. "You're not goi

won't be a passenger in t

ted. Then

stunned her more

d quietly. "Even when

oat thi

he added, reaching for

kno

," he continued. "I want you because of who you are. Eve

breath of laug

ed. "But it felt like the past was rep

et i

yo

e years blaming myself

You never told

, his expression

a lot-parties, pills, bad boyfriends. I tried to help. Paid for rehab. Go

rry," Ivy

the night she died. I was i

etween them li

some days. But I've learned that guilt is a terrible le

d. "You're not the only

e can carry i

e billionaire, not the stoic CEO, but the man who had

o run anymore,"

n st

e first time in days, she let herself sink in

sion, but out of need. They didn't make love. They just h

was e

ing, Ivy woke

ed onto the balcony. The wind carried the salty scent o

ulled up the message she'd

Miriam

ct: I

ed me. You framed me. And you

ared of yo

same women w

One week. Face to f

v

hit

l watching her from the doorway, hands

," she sa

kno

u come w

way