hrough high-stakes negotiations, dangerous investments, decisions that had charted the trajectory of h

sn't seeing the city. His thoughts were of a tiny boy. Dark hair. Blue eyes. A smile he kne

er son. A cold wave of realization swept over her, stealing the air from

ed glass, but the picture of the youngster would not leave him. Each feature, each emotion, each tiny detail played back again in his head with disturbing clarity,

ir

ck from the front

rawn out of his

k absent

ad not heard a word said in the meeting. Nothing. His mind kept returning

ousands. That was nothing. Nothing. At all. But the recollection would not leave him, not the look No

hat man lo

into the dark. They kept repeating themselves,

stop it, harsh and frustrated. His assist

e city, the headquarters of the empire Liam had spent years constructing. Years. Five years. The prec

by employees as he passed. Executives bowed their respect. phones buzz

partner was already waiting. Ethan Reyes. 30 years of age. Clever. Annoyingly i

him once and grim

im, heading for hi

following him.

N

ny in

N

nment

op

an's frown had intensified. He closed th

fell between them, waiting, watching. The man had the patience of a skille

d drew a hand through

t Ethan's

aw her thi

him for a time as the realis

re. "How many Avas do you

incredulity etched on his feat

bbing a hand acro

e one yo

, stop

regarded him. "Did,

asn't

he

her

e. Then he chuckled, a genuine and unbelieving sound that seemed to aston

led at hi

ords, social media, mutual friends, private investigators," stated

that he w

ment dimmed as he took a clo

east, more cheerful than she'd seemed the previous time he'd seen her. More healthy More

ooked

him, his face t

in his chest. The moment he spoke

. "I'm sorry,

a you

S

as the sight of the small kid raced throu

happened when two people arrived to the same conclusion, yet neither was willin

and across his

my

saying

ve... How old is he? Five, right? A

yeah. E

comprehension as the consequences sank in. Liam could almost see the puzzle pieces slipping into place behind his eyes,

grew wide.

all the muscles of h

thi

w it. Or at least part of him did. He attempted to dismiss the thought, but he could

like a ghost he could never shake. Weeks went without a phone call or a message or an explanation. She'd just gone, leaving be

kid. A youngster of five, with blue eyes and dark hair and

softly. "This

ance. "Thanks for the

ave to

if he was wrong he'd appear like an idiot. But if he was right, the ground ben

ice, and halted him with a kn

oked up

her's on

moment. And, of course, s

ce, as cool and composed as always

ia

, mo

got dinn

ner with the family. Last ni

ow, I w

t, busy al

across the room b

do you

wif

ed his nose

g out loud, but Sophia kept right

for the

ened at the words. A family. Ha ha. T

line and beyond, to a modest café a

ed off the talk with a shrug and lost himself in work. But not today. Liam peered out the window, his jaw

n folded his arms and looked at him for a long perio

what

'd built through the years. The success everybody envied and pursued their whole lives. It didn't m

the stillness.

nodded, as though the answer had b

re not so tranquil. Liam Stone began asking enquiries, and once L

ant, and it was pricey. Like him. She should have thrown it out the door the instant he stepped out the door. S

ter. He leaned back comfortably, his small hands gripping the edge, his look

teeth, a knot in her

gesture Liam used when he was inquisitive about something. The resembla

hand. Liam Stone was not a man to walk away from a mystery, and Noah was fast b

to enjoy the response

ow she had to safeguard Noah's heart, too. And in some way it was so much more frightening than defending her own. She looked down at her son, and