Tricia walked into the records room, files in hand, and passed them to the manager on duty. The man looked up, a bit surprised to see her. “I thought Assistant Heath usually delivers these?”

    “Assistant Heath had somethinge up, so he asked me to drop them off for him.” Tricia offered a polite, almost distant smile. “Is Professor Aldridge in? I was hoping to speak with him.”

    “He’s been out the past few days.”

    Satisfied the man was none the wiser, Tricia feigned a look of realization. “Oh, I see……”

    She let her gaze sweep over the busy staff around her, lips curling into a cool, measured smile before turning and making her way out.

    At the hospital, Charlotte had just finished surgery and was walking a patient’s family through post–op instructions in the hallway.

    Once the family returned to the room, she checked her phone–Assistant Heath had sent her a message.

    On her way back to her office, Charlotte passed by Judd’s office door. She paused when she heard Mrs. Carstairs’s voice from inside. “No matter what, Charlotte is the Howard family’s daughter–inw. You’re not actually interested in a married woman, are you?”

    Charlotte stopped short in the corridor, lips pressed tight.

    She heard Judd set his paperwork aside. “Who I care for isn’t up for the Carstairs family’s approval.”

    “You can like whoever you want, that’s your business. But Charlotte is off–limits,” Daphne said, her voice growing shrill. “Our family wants a daughter–inw with a clean background. Charlotte’s already been married, and-b” /b

    She caught herself, swallowing the rest of her sentence and quickly changing tack. “Your father would never agree to this. People wouldugh at us!”

    Judd barely nced up. “You and Evander’s father had history. Of course he’d have strong opinions.”

    Daphne bristled. “This is about your future, Judd!”

    b17:14 /b

    Judd’s patience ran thin. “I have work to do. You should head home.”

    Charlotte stood rooted outside the door, stunned. Only when she heard movement inside did she snap out of it and hurry away.

    Back in her office, she sat distractedly at her desk, the conversation reying in her mind.

    Judd had feelings for her?

    That couldn’t be right…

    Maybe Mrs. Carstairs was just imagining things?

    Elsewhere, at the Apex Hotel:

    Tricia followed a foreign bodyguard up to the rooftop pool. Finnick Vinterberg had booked the whole ce–his people were stationed everywhere, half of them from

    overseasb. /b

    The bodyguard approached Finnick at the pool’s edge and said in English, “Boss, I brought her.”

    Finnick was half–submerged in the water, a sun tattoo sprawled across his bare chest. Reclining against the pool’s edge, he propped his arm on the tiles. “Punctual, I

    see.”

    Tricia stopped by the pool, pulled a freshly copied report from her bag, and held it out

    to him.

    But just as he reached for it, she pulled it back.

    Finnick’s expression darkened, his smile more threat than warmth as he drew his hand away. “What game are you ying?”

    “I’ll give you the report,” Tricia said evenly, “but only if you agree to my terms.”

    Finnick was silent for a few seconds, then suddenlyughed and stood up in the pool.

    A bodyguard stepped forward and draped a robe over his shoulders.

    Finnick lifted his chin, his stare sharp and cold. “What are your terms?b” /b

    Tricia drew a steadying breath. “Help me get rid of Charlotte, and from now on, I’ll follow your orders–no questions asked.”

    “Charlotte, Finnick repeated, moving behind her and stopping close. “You mean Evander’s hidden wife?b” /b

    b2/3 /bI

    b17.14 /b

    “That’s right!”

    Finnick gave a short, sharpugh, turning to face her, his eyes hard as ice. “Do you think I’m an idiot?b” /b

    Tricia stiffened.

    He wrapped a hand around her throat, tightening just enough to make her gasp. “I may have just gotten back to the country, but I’m not so clueless I wouldn’t know what’s going on. She’s not just Evander’s wife–she’s also the Rayburn family’s long–lost daughter. And you want me to take her out for you? What’s to stop you from running straight to the police the moment you get what you want?”

    Tricia struggled for air, her face flushing with panic. “I–I wouldn’t… You have to believe me…”

    He released her suddenly.

    She copsed to the ground, shoulders shaking, struggling to catch her breath.

    Finnick settled into a deck chair. His bodyguard poured him a drink. “You’ve been with me seven years, Tricia. Don’t pretend I don’t know you. You swore you wouldn’t betray me before–then ran off anyway. What changed?”

    Tricia’s face went pale, her teeth digging into her lip as she avoided his eyes.

    She’d only left because she couldn’t take the torment anymore.

    “I won’t betray you again. You have to believe me,” she said, cradling her still–weak right hand. “Evander destroyed my hand. Right now, I’d give anything to see him suffer.”