son

rsian carpet of the third-floor corridor. The air up here was heavy with the stenc

as

eavy walnut double doors of the master study, followed immed

skull?" Cornelius bellowed, the floorboards vibrating under his cane. "Who

ng for the pale butler to leave. Leaning lightly against a carved m

oudly. "Camelia nearly ruined her own gland saving my life

"Alyson holds four percent of our core voting shares! That's fifteen billion dollars in market cap! If she pulls h

en come from her," Blake scoffed dis

melia cut in, her voice breaking into delicate, rhythmic sobs. "Half the gossip columns in New York are already

pidly against the ha

ut a borderland castoff, I won't force you to choose!

g violently backward echoed through

er. "Grandfather, hear this right now! If you refuse to recognize Camelia as my future bride, I wil

broke into a violent, wheezing cough, h

Alpha heir. For an old-school patriarch obsessed with bloodline succession, lo

only by Cornelius's ragged breathing. When the old man spoke aga

oke out of anger just now. Once the dust settles, the pos

ded, I curled my lip and push

e stuffy room. Shards of a priceless Ming dynasty teacup littere

his chest heaving. The instant his eyes landed on me

ve-year-old shark smoothed every wrinkle of hostility fro

his brass cane, waving toward the broken porcelain. "Look at this mess-

s pulled out a leather guest chair himself, lo

ou," Cornelius said softly, shaking his head. "The boy suffered gland trauma at the front lin

dead white, her teeth sinking hard into

us continued, laying a liver-spotted hand over his heart. "This family survived the past two years on your shou

d to shout, only to choke back his words when Corneli

r without sitting, watching the

lmly, resting one hand on the edge of his rosewood desk. "Since you already promised Miss Stephens the matria

s's face, his eyelids twitching

his cold, rheumy eyes. "We are here to talk about my four-percent vo