His Unwanted Wife's Secret Double Life

was an ugly sound in

ainst her skin. She walked from the vast living room, to

p with a single

her chest. She swiped to decline the ca

ven this evening. We are celebrating y

ine. "You must bring Iverson. It's been too l

was a command, n

iling windows displayed the glittering New York skyline, but insi

rategic investment by the Russo Group into her fam

She already knew how this call would end. His assistant would answer,

t quite fill her lungs and p

about to hang up when the call connect

was low, deep, and utt

Helen's invitation, the words tumbling out, her v

o long she could hear the faint rustle of paper, as if her

room, his voice a low murmur. "Push the aft

back on the l

have a board meeting with Eur

y's empire, a man whose time was measu

phone. She forced her voice to sound calm. "Ca

rp, final. There was n

say more, but

e, as if she were a child making an unreasonable demand.

ne wen

busy tone, until outside the last glimmer of dusk faded and the city

a. It bounced once on the expensi

window, watching the endles

r hand, a rough, angry motion to force

filled with the latest haute couture gowns, all sent

dresses, she pulled out the plainest

stions alone. And she had to fac

to her mother. "Okay, Mom. Iverson has an urg

ilenced her phone and d

f the closet door. A pale face, a hollow look

what they called her

with high-end cosmetics, but she ignored them, pu

deep, defiant red. She applied it to her lips. The col

them to see ho

lly not

ced her shoulders back and wa

e, solitary figure. She stared at her own reflection as the elevator desce