Chapter 7

The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Thorne Luxury Group boardroom, casting a harsh, unforgiving glare over the chaos unfolding around the massive mahogany table.

"Someone explain to me how an unknown corporate entity managed to purchase Marcus Sterling's e

Chapter 8

Clara looked down at the man weeping at her feet.

Three years ago, seeing Julian Thorne cry would have shattered her heart into a million irreparable pieces. She would have dropped to her knees beside him, pulled his head to her chest, and done whatever it took to absorb his pain.

Tod

Chapter 9

The atmosphere inside *Le Bouclier*, Manhattan's most exclusive French dining establishment, was a symphony of clinking crystal, hushed conversations, and the faint, ambient notes of a cello playing in the corner. Clara Vance sat alone at a corner table, a glass of vintage Bordeaux restin