smooth halt beneath the grand portic

orward with massive black umbrellas, shiel

lla sat wrapped snugly in Cha

r ankle. She leaned her head against Chas's broad shoul

," Anabella murmured, gazing up th

eyes, the nightmares come back. I keep seeing th

complet

s fixed on his own crisp white shirt collar. There, stark and

shed onto him when she had

d her slender neck, letting the sweet scent of vanilla perfume wash over him. Her

han an inch apart, Chas's p

the pit of his stomach. It was an uncontrollable, instin

ision, Chas jerk

naged to graze the cold, rig

e luxury cabin fr

sh of deep humiliation and rage

from me?" she whispered, her

need rest," Chas said, checking his Vacheron Constantin watc

nagement. A private medical team and a dedicated

linical detachment, lifted

n international merger briefing

the cashmere coat, she dug her nails into the tender brui

e," she whispered softly, playing the underst

n through the gilded brass revolving doors. Chas didn

icked shut, the icy composure on

chest heaving as if he were suffocating. The dark drop of bloo

ordered, his voice raw and

sion radiating from his boss. He gave a sharp nod to the chauffeur. The Maybach's twi

hone with trembling fingers and tapp

ted operator ch

to reach is currently bus

rossed Chas's face. He

d the same cold, p

trying to reach has re

d bloc

y, unequivocally blo

he spoke to her, Gracie had always answered his call within three seconds. Her quiet, g

cked him out withou

lamming his fist hard into

ystal perfume diffuser rattl

rror, seeing the bloodshot veins s

I contact the private security team at the

laced with venom, though the frantic hammering of his pulse betrayed his mounting pan

, his mind replayed the scene in the under

dirty rainwater, her burned arm dripping blo

rotting corpse. No warmth. No tears. No

awed at his throat far more brutally than the grief h

eather privacy partition aside, shouting at

vely through the storm while the heavy wipers slashe

y across the crushed gravel driveway of Hamilton Manor

ome to a complete stop, C

ing rain soak through his tailored charcoal suit as

eavy oak doors with

ve for the rhythmic, hollow tickin

he side corridor in his flannel dressing gown,

u back so late i

t, his voice trembling with a terrifying blend o