es whitening from the tremor that ran through her. Her mind spun, knowing the truth wo

outine check-up," she lied, her voice so faint that it could have vanished into the air. "Haven't you always criticized m

face, dark and unreadable. "I'

medical report beneath his shoe and

er. At the doorway, she paused just long enough to cast Caroline a look-pity

in Caroline's ears. She remained perched on the edge of

print. A dizzying darkness clouded her vision, and every breath felt heavier than the

.

m Vincent after he and Hazel f

, Caroline refus

ming annual financial summit-an event that drew the c

ting Station, Caroline had been tapped

tage; even with her health slipping, no one

stone Group only made the pressure worse. Jase's warning rang in her ears: if they failed to secure that

er career, a project she'd fought for half a year to get approved for launch after th

ided not to be stuck on one option. Since Vincent wouldn't support her, she'd set her s

ed in a whirl of glittering l

er makeup, Caroline sat in the dressing room, sip

. Her assistant leaned in, slightly breath

e, slipped the mic into her han

lked out, and a wave of applause rolled through

anchored her attention. He sat unobtrusively in the back row, y

room, the deep-blue cufflinks at his wr

. She hadn't expected him to show up-when

cough, pulling her back fr

and slipped back into her professional r

ath her skin. An uncomfortable heat pooled in her ch

rough the rest of the introduction, and then

ed seamlessly into the next segment, their delivery

r heels wobbled with every step. Her shoulder brushed the prop wa

down like quicksand. Every brush of fabric against her body sent tiny

he had been drugged! "How... How could this happen.

sperate to anchor herself in pa

foreign heat spreading through her

nce, praying no one would see her like this. One glance from a s

His brows drew together in a sharp line as he rose f