na's eyes open. Blinding fluorescent lights stabbed at her retinas,

, tearing agony ripped through her cracked ribs, stealing the breath from her lungs in a

room swung open with a violent crash,

fectly combed without a single strand out of place. There was no fatherly worry in his cold, calcula

ed in sand, a fragile shred of instin

the foot of the bed, towering over her like an executioner. "You smashed a wine

aw, broken rasp. "He was naked in our future bed with my assistant,

in the air, dismissing her words a

nly thing securing our credit lines across Wall Street-and the very deal funding that little indie game studio you are so obse

weaponized to defend a cheating coward,

fter that?" she whispered, he

kening with absolute authority. "You will check out of this hospital today. You will go to Jordon's apartment

her blood, a wave of profound, phy

into his furious eyes. "I would rather rot in the gutter an

us shade of purple. He jabbed a

rality clause in Clara's estate trust before the sun sets. I am the sole legal executor. I will freeze every single bank account to your name, cut off your

ned fiercely behind her eyelids, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break. She

w laugh scraped

nbreakable fire. "Take every single cent. I would beg on the sidewal

st. "You'll be begging on your

vy door behind him, the concussive forc

nto a suffocati

r bruised face with her trembling hands and began to sob, the sound tearing from her throat in ugly, broken, gasp

ic

d open with ne

k jacket and grease-stained jeans, holding a steaming

so hard a muscle ticked violently in his tanned cheek. A dark, dangerous sha

heavy work boots making almost

, pulled a clean, folded white napkin from

jagged scar over his left eyebrow. The stranger from the burning wreckage. The man wi

rs brushing his calloused hand. "Thank

s forearms on his knees. "Cruz Clayton," his voice was a deep, grav

rugged strength. He looked completely foreign in this sterile private

nly allowed family control if she was unmarried. If she was legally wed, the

te gamble spark

pped the edge of the hospital blanket until her kn

are you

stiffening almost imperceptibly. H

shuddering breath,

ge. On paper only. I need a legal husband to block my father from seizing my mother's trust fund. I'll pay y

g against her ribs, waiting for him to

e dark, possessive gleam that flared deep in his pupils. He tapped his thick finge

his dark eyes locked onto hers wi

," he

t room, settling the agreement w