HIS FIRST WIFE NEVER LEFT

Just like everything else, he made the decisio

papers,

p his sleeves - but honestly, he looked as tense as ever. That stare of his hadn't changed since

d at the

rce ag

ing ring felt lik

aid. "You couldn't ev

what I want,

re you of

ve a way out befor

st wife was 'dead,' knowing my father had ties to your family, and knowing you weren't

w went

ng back change

g back just exposes everyth

ed on the env

ou ope

N

oo

t away in

ssage - they know you're here, what happened tonight, they

why someone's threatenin

know who

know who

nt si

Is he tied to Isabe

e no p

anything to

n't k

father

e mine. "I have reas

ose words. I thought I'd run toward them, demand an address, a p

s, staring at my husband, wondering how l

cracked. "You let m

ason to believe.

w l

enti

g have y

ut a slo

e I pr

he room felt sm

how a man could ask for someone's

t o

ace c

s my be

I'll l

er, but my hands were shaking too m

me

t tou

ped rig

have. I expected him to insist, remind me we were marr

, he ba

another r

ed anything

is house isn't

d towar

- who should I

ld answer, so

sharp

s face

is

it's Daniel. We

remembered him at the wedding, watch

opened

ecked the east entrance and private corr

d she g

iewing the

t qui

ted. "One mor

ulders stiff

the private arch

tightened o

rning about my father's re

e dropped. "W

cial file. La

ed at

ile was opened using y

en f

can'

access came from

ce felt s

en's security clearance to g

h to know everythin

ut down the archive. No one

s,

Dan

ir

ho accessed

ded and sl

ed Lu

me your family has nothi

bed hi

er sai

t me believe wha

ssing table and too

you to stay m

gener

at happened tonight, you ne

the paper

eturn mean our mar

lly registered three years ago. I believed

like a lawy

also

she say you nev

nts to

ied hi

he suc

d for a flash -

s her r

me more than

did yo

ton

ways sa

divorce p

onight. But someone's using your father's

to beli

e most humi

e looked at me during our vows, his hand warm around mine,

e man I thought

do with the man standi

finally got my w

a guest suite across the corridor. Lucien made sure two

iste

bed and pulle

ges from the

der, searched the

ent to th

uld've opened

ning had scared

was exactly what eve

ke th

f paper, an old photogra

andwriting fi

searching for what I left behind. Don't trust anyone who clai

allo

e original ledger. Alexandre knew what happened; I

nds s

dre De

n's f

ead

ther's sins, but he inherits the same house, power, and tho

arker, as if he'd press

ing began. Find the old Mor

d the ph

in front of an old office buildi

se stood b

bel

ped it

s written

lexandre Devereux

under

en yea

de my door - a foot

nto my handbag and mov

ne st

allic

t beat

one, pulled up

ld call, the

pped

is

le

le jerke

d the ca

ang

's voice ca

Deve

s outside

pa

s tone

the door.

rash in th

fr

d something. Rapid

eath until D

r, he stood with two

u hurt,

hat ha

anced

ve lay besi

t up. "Someone

ou cat

t y

toward th

, the archive

ything

looke

e che

dio cr

fast; Daniel's

u mean, it'

then lowere

ed cl

t is

photograph. Of your father

mach d

hotograph I found

oked at m

e a phot

odd

Lucien appeared in the corridor, fully dressed aga

said. "Give me

ung

hy

t the names

time that night, Lucien

y, "that photo was taken

d at th

en yea

ticed something

n the picture, almost hidde

ace had been

neath the photograph in

THEM IS