Bound By Blood Torn by love
lling Julie from the depths of her chaotic bedroom. Her wallet lay open on the floor, a testamen
with Den Neumann now A billionaire CEO, a man she had not seen in five years, now a Goliath in the te
r. But it had, with a dizzying intensity that left her both intoxicated and alarmed. The guilt, the shame, the fear of
e unruly strands, a reflection of the fermentation within. She
er father's booming voice fil
s their bond? No fancy contracts, no legalese, just trust and a s
iod of handshakes and gentlemen's agreements. He loved to memorize about his days at the helm of his s
s word meant something, when a deal was a deal, and you could trust everyone involved. N
t of gold, sitting in the living room, girdled by the vestiges of his past success. He was a relic
wnward, her voice warm and inviting. "
m friends, some from work. But one in particular caught her eye, a communication from D
pulling her near. Her mother, Mrs. Garfield, a woman with a gentle smile and eyes that he
said, her voice filled with w
nervous smile on her face, her ey
spaper. "You know, I was just reading about this new tech company, something about a
ed a shiver. D
o steer the discussion down from the subject
mom replied, turning to her w
the room, searching for her bag. Where was it?
e, mom?" she asked, her voic
e spatula. "I did not see it, honey. You must ha
ie claimed, her voice rising. "It
ut Julie felt a knot of anxiety tensing in her stomach. Her credit cards, her debit cards, her
a treble pertinacious chime that
oice laced with a touch of annoyance. "You answer it,
orging in her chest. She ha
er eyes zipping to the stairs, her heart
is time with a more pertinaci
father said, his voice gruff.
for the handle. She glanced back at her parents, their backs were turned to her,
at saluted her transferred a surge of cold dread washing over her. There, stand
hed, her voice s
wn leather bag, the one sh
ast night." he said, hi
eplaced by a swell of apprehension. What
e closed the door, locking it with a resounding click. She
for my new laptop." she
This time, it was a grim, pertinacious
, his tolerance wearing thin. "Are they
ing in her chest. She could not tel
d, her voice shaking. "Just
r daughter'" torture wa
she said, her voi
not a neighbor, it was not a delivery. It was Den. And her mother was about to open the door to the man
or, her smile faded replaced b
d with a raw uncontrolled fury that tr