His wife was never meant to survive

I

collapsed at exact

e marble floor of the Lucas Hotel ballroom, and all

pervisor's voice cut through the chaos lik

ing was in two weeks, and his lawyer had made it clear that there wou

d tasted like ash

will escor

ng, and nearly collided wit

ll she had hit

nd of focus that made her skin prickle. He was taller than she expected. B

magazine covers. Cold.

he looked

ice was low, almost c

not a r

"Mr. Lucas, I apologize

k at the woman. His gaze st

pervis

rivate hallway behind the stage. Her instincts

on made cowar

ollow

olished marble. Arthur walked ahead of her, his stride confid

w she

ndows framed the skyline like a portrait of power. Arthur moved to the

one ou

take it. "W

t the glass on the table be

hit her li

use

just offered to buy someone. "Six lovely months of public appearances, there'd be no emotio

ght. "How do you

ot commit. You have been working three jobs to pay for an appeal. Your father, Judge Samuel Taylor, refuses to help because he believes in

o fists. "You have b

everyone I do

t your b

t y

t to throw the whiskey in his face. But

gaze. "You could marry anyone. A model. An

she could see the faint scar along his jaw. Close enough that she had to tilt her head back to hold his stare. "I need someone with a cl

s pulse quickened.

not flicker. "But someone wa

a lie and found none. That

did

l blown investigation with new evid

studying her like she was a puzzl

on

s so simple

tightened. "Ju

turning wrongful convictions. "they ar

f I re

will remain in prison. And in two weeks, when his appeal

of it was al

im that people were not transactions. T

little brother. Twenty-two years old and r

ll her soul

he was

h said slowly. "A

plet

s. No ext

ave my

rd of a man who bought peo

as out of

iah said. "A contract. Ev

into something that mi

." He pulled a business card from his pocket and

is, and a strange current passed between

her hand ba

expression, and for a moment, she wond

on to hi

tever game he

ing

thing, Mis

sed at t

to me. Every moment. Every appearance. Every breath in public

an down h

d have wa

e nodded on

TH

door closed before all

ne better t

to the window, watching the city lights blur

lor was

perf

she was al

le message from an unkno

t made a

ted it with

Anonymous messages. Leaked files. Rumors desi

ed him to be

erate enough to make a

tabilize his image. Restore investor confidence. B

he way his pulse had quicke

had trembled when she

ned long ago that emotions were liabilit

Kiah Taylor had slip

e most dangerous per

ne buzz

er me

t survive wh

t the words, hi

e made

n Kiah Taylor. Twenty-f

and looked out a

, someone was plann

ust made Kiah

not know

that contract, her life

rained h

d prote

ant keeping h