e had forced her to take Alessia's place after her cousin refused to ma
tammered, the words lost betw
leaving his face. He looked at her with such raw conte
egnant wife, Pamela, had carved out his heart, leaving behind a cruel,
er measure
talking about? Was he talking about her
embling. "I swear it. No one tried to decei
ruggling to face him. Her mind raced, scram
at happened, the fate awaiting her-and everyone else-would be terrible. Everyone knew the po
our word worth? Your life is a pathetic joke. Someone with your past isn't f
e paused with his hand on the knob
better disappear-you and every trace of your ridiculous
t catch her breath. She couldn't leave. He couldn't throw
he could not afford to fail. Her family's company was bank
knees at his feet. He thought her proud, conceited? She had never bee
ou need me to be. I'll do anything you ask. I'll stay out of your way. You won't even have to see me unless you command it. It's an arranged marriage anyway. Does
on Benedict's face told her
a unique disgust. She had no spine. Her groveling repulsed him. For a fleeting moment, he'd thought she might
nt, he grabbed her by the wri
A sharp jolt of pain shot through her, jarring but bearable
eyes that were tearing her apart. The blue eyes of the man who was now her husband
hers. His cologne, the sheer heat of his presence-it was all suffoc
only ten minutes ago have
limp at her sides as his hand closed
hers she could feel the heat of his skin. His whisky-laced breath m
do... a
whisper, forced past the ti
l her breath. Her face flushed a deep, suffocating red. The
the bed and shoved her down onto the m
ing to do anythi
ly manage a faint
do exactly as I say. You will be at my beck and c
ingle finger
st. But the weight above her vanished. A moment late
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