ght of dawn filtering through the floor-to-ceiling
marble floor where he had left her. The ruined gown was stiff and cold against her skin.
prison of h
r back down with a groan. Her mouth tasted like copper. Her shoulder,
crisp suit, Giovanni's personal assistant, walke
ting his eyes from her state
oice was a dry rasp.
n early flight to Tokyo. He left instructio
left. He had done what he wanted t
llers on a low table, pointedly not helping her up. "Mr. Baldwin also instructed me to info
cold floor. He was cutting h
eyes finally meeting hers. "To refrain from any... unusual activi
activities," she whispered. It was
box down on the table next to the water. "Mr. Baldwin sends his apo
The words didn't ma
herself up. Her gaze fell on the velvet box. Inside was a diamond necklace, co
n her burner phone flashed in her mind. Code Red. The Nightingale contract. A family, a child of her own-the one smal
sting them in the ruined silk of her gown, her nails
ace as he held her down flashed in her mind. The cold satisfaction. The deliberate cruel
. The door to the study was slightly aj
h, feminine, and sickeningly familiar. He was on the phone, his tone
t to the ice he had shown Edith. "He's handling it. He said there will be no m
eezing her from the inside out. He knew. He had done this on purpose. Not just to hurt h
the hall. He hadn't even bot
al effects. The ruined white gown was inside, the red stain now d
up with notificatio
trembling hands, she retrieved the burner phone from its hidden compartment. She scrolled through the messages, h
er, her finger slip
brisk voice answered,
I'm calling about my
er voice cracking. "I'm he
silk supplier. It has Giovanni Baldwin's fingerprints all over it. He's acquiring smaller textile companies, and our s
h dropped. "Fr
the agreement, if payment is not received within twenty-four hours
mming into her again. "He can't do that. He's cornering us
ose are the rules. You hav
ne wen
room. Her body was broken. Her secret empire, the one thing that was tru
e, hollow-eyed, defeated. But deep in the depths of her own stare
the diamond necklace. It wa
Evans protested, jump
ver the side of the bed. Her knees buckled, but
e said, her voice
ition to leave. You
stic bag with her ruined dress and stumbled toward the bathro
e to turn to. But she had to get th
velvet-lined box in her pocket. The Patek Philippe watch. Her m
ain through her body. But her direction was clear. She was going to
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