Bound To The Ruthless Billionaire Proxy

ng against her soaked dress, and she wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to still the violent tremors. Outside the

m think she a

ith a loud, final metallic boom. It sounded like a prison door locking. Elsie's jaw

y the upper arm, and pulled her out into the cold air. Elsie stumbled onto the pristine stone driveway, her

e drive. A dark, unlit corridor along the east wing, its windows sealed. The glow of what looked like a

te efficiency, like she was a misdelivered package instead of a human being. June Kelley stepped out from behind him, dressed in

broidered on the uniform. J

ne commanded, her v

nough to sell the illusion of fear. Th

bric tore slightly at the seam. Cold rain and wind bit into Elsie's bare arms, but she didn't flinch. She fixed her eyes on June's g

ark, blindingly white antechamber attach

t lights buzzed overhead, harsh against her eyes. The air smelled sharply of bleac

rsonal items," June demanded, ho

oisture, unresponsive. She dropped it into the evidence bag without resistance. Then her hand

your contract. If her care is interrupted today-in any way-you won't be dealing with

. Then she resumed her motion, face still blank. But Elsie had seen it. The name meant so

e purse from her hands and tossed it onto a met

d. "Step into the de

to surface. She let it come-let it burn for exactly three seconds. Then she swallowed it whole, s

the floor in a soggy heap. She didn't look at Hall. He didn't

under the

reamed at her to curl up, to cover herself. She forced her spine straight. Arms at her sides. She stood in the freezing wat

away the girl who stood at her fath

losed h

left will be something they can

d. The water shut off autom

t floor. She dried off with a rough, scratchy towel and pulled on the scrubs. The fabric was stiff and smelled like industrial

rridor. Featureless steel walls. No windows. The kind of hallway designed to make you forget which direction you came from. Els

ve, high-security glass door. A

eavy glass door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, rel

hard between the

rself on a small table, its edge digging into her hip. P

t. It locked with a definitive, mechanica

was the slow, heavy thud of her own heart-a clock ticking down, always ticking. She became awa

Four deep crescent marks from her nails w

t turn on

visible sky beyond the stone, toward the fresh grave

was barely a breath, softer t