curity cordon across the gravel court, their

sha off, froze at the door. Her coffee mug shook so violently that

flanking vehicles

tucked securely behind their ears, stepped onto the dr

ver six feet tall stepped out. His build was solid, like a former Marine, a

ompletely ignoring Rhonda, and

d bowed his head wit

e terrace. "I am Mike Kowalski, chief of security for Mr. Augustus Collins. By orde

"Mrs. Collins? Kowalski, what are you talking about? The daughter

amily only acknowledges the legitimate signatory of the master covenant. The individ

ed. She opened her mouth, but

e frayed nylon bag from Chloe's hand, holding it with

esturing toward the extended vehicle. "Mr. Co

Mike," Chloe

d, pale face, and approached the reinforced pas

od and polished leather. The partition between the front and r

heavy door closed with a solid, pressurized thu

ont passenger seat, Isaac Hayes turned around, his

"Miss Rowland, before we arrive, you are required to r

t didn't open it. She pl

eferring to Mr. Collins's extreme aversion to unsterilized physical proximity,

r. His pupils contracted

nt except for the low hum

ithin the Collins inner circle. Outside of Augustus's personal physician and Isaa

n?" Isaac's voice lost its smooth, cor

binder directly to th

ms my father mortgaged in California," Chloe said smoothly, meeting his gaze. "He didn't agree to this union out of sentiment for an old deb

A thin bead of sweat f

hed around by her ambitious family. Yet here she sat, laying out the most sensitive corporate

nce, Isaac slowly reached over and

irely from patronizing caution to genuine professional respect. "You are far

age," Chloe said, signing the standard legal acknowledgmen

-Midtown Tunnel, emerging into the t

nce of Collins Tower, where private security teams im

ting Chloe directly to the

mbed without a vibration, stop

n, releasing a wave of dry, chilled

d with floor-to-ceiling glass that looked out over the

to the door, stood a tall man in a bespoke charcoal three-piece suit. His br