Twisted Hearts, Billionaire's Game

Alston entered the

fe had cast the dark shado

d mansion, the air was th

into so begrudgingly. She

ng against the highly poli

s of the light. Richard

ted

" a cold, male

s the

up, locking eyes

hing like what she had e

or being one of the most

er was an enigma-half of

he sat in was the last re

e ways than one. He watche

his sharp blue eyes cut

ating

" she returned

to hold

ichard said as i

w on a reply. Of c

ed. She should have come

etending this contractua

. But she was here now, i

did not

f what hung in the

of going under, and Rich

wasn't about the money

she said; her

an edge of d

e crossed Richard'

at would h

n them hung heavy

n the acreage of high cei

like an executioner's axe

than a hom-full of warmt

ow

stand the ter

ice cut into

and perfectly."

shoulders. "I stay mar

company and keep them from

s after

leamed from behi

s atta

e agreed, though

d heavy on

angement, but none

ton wasn't some benevolen

who could destroy one's li

tangled up in his hands

have e

for a long moment,

hing for assurance that sh

n, with an airy flick of

on the small ta

" he said, his

er and picked up th

s it; this sealed her fat

language laying out in de

here what she was bound t

g that really twisted her

ere, with him, fo

chard's voice snap

ve

her second before s

all quit

relaxed back int

sive once more

in the little table

nt, she considered turni

and leaving this cold,

ght of her family-their de

rd to be self

th, she signed her

i

d, laying the pe

t back towa

m her to the page

t. It seemed as though n

But Charlott

gned that contract, ev

new life, Mrs.

ice oozing w

a tight smile. "I

of

rd returned, low

ind this is no or

-

t her first night

life. The new room was a

framing a city skyline vi

comfort, as was the

and gazed at the tw

ically to the happenings o

gned today, to

lly? Why had he agr

d-some said he was a recl

ness. None of this explain

marriage. He had power, m

nyone he

y

oor brought her out

ess in the process. Open

with a covere

milton," she sai

s were

arlotte said, t

odded and scampere

e to her own devices. She

at, eyeing the spread upon

cely the grand welco

down to eat, her mi

n gave his new wife a sa

re whether to

rystal clear: life

be anything

-

in the air the fol

ard to be found in that m

king a stroll down the ha

ouse came into s

better of her, and

d herself surrou

, silently appraising he

Hamilton carried influen

uiet conversations and sid

just agreed

to dance across the

on Emma Hamilton-Richard

with as much as common c

a strode toward her, her h

her face, a glass o

he said, exten

u c

y have a choice,

ss but not drinking. She

her comfort-it wa

the tiniest frown t

can make it your own, y

as the

erself from snorti

for

the man she had agr

ot only for his merciless

ess part of which was con

him bound to a wheelchair

a

oken about it openl

r accident, terrible bu

een him right, and just a

t a shiver d

ightly, and there h

ith an intensity that did

black tailored suit; his d

lack leather mask. If anyt

ity around him. He didn't

y wat

he champagne glass

s the precise time when h

ype of girl who thought m

or were real. She was real

such sacrifices was to

loser to whisper,

doesn'

sideways glance

to be com

ve her a gentle nu

on; he's wait

s, Charlotte wove t

gaze toward her, it seem

as if she was approachin

to who-kn

an eyebrow as she d

im, the first thing she

eye. He didn't smile, yet

spoke volumes on the noti

n," he said, his

man who dared take

minder, her quick re

"I am here to fulfill th

you w

her, weighing, as if

the truth. "It wasn't

yalty to

knew. It had nothing

survival. Her family had

ther's company, her siste

And here she was now-sta

t a little squeeze

the fact that thi

otte whispered low, the

softness. "A business

t stake

irked just a litt

atening to break free o

e not

his jacket pocket

de - The Contract. Charlot

his hands felt like the

for a while as he

ented the end of her previ

not because she hadn

e took the contract

into he

art," she said,

ng away at her belly. "

re

wed, and for one bri

a flicker in his eye.

he returned,

ofessionals he

d could fall from

nterrupted. Mr. Hamilt

son. Two piercing blue eye

ion app

done?" he

e contract back to

nd she didn't yank hers a

hard tucked the

cket p

milton said, a

ome to the family, Charl

decis

hoped C

ht drew on, the mo

e conversation, all her

aze, the cryptic words. Wh

importantly, what sort o

se gilded

lly drew to a close

ietly sliding

tonight," Emma

ing v

to her and search

any. Emma was telling t

ver get use

mma paused a

rd isn't what he s

sn't quite sure wh

ted game she had just ente

since passed the p