Chapter 1

The brass elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.

Corinne's fingers clamped down on the cuff of Justus's custom-tailored suit. She squeezed until her knuckles turned a stark, bone-white.

Justus tilted his head. He offered her a single, reassuring look. Then, he stepped forward, pulling her with him.

Her stiletto heels struck the polished marble floor. A sharp, echoing crack.

The low hum of social chatter in the Manhattan penthouse died. It didn't fade. It was severed, like someone had ripped the power cord from the wall. Every pair of eyes in the massive room snapped to the entrance.

Corinne lifted her chin. She forced her lips to curve into a flawless, practiced smile. The heavy velvet of her dark gown swayed against her legs with every calculated step. She radiated absolute control.

A collective, shallow gasp rippled through the crowd. People recognized the face that had vanished from this city six years ago.

Across the room, Corwin stood with a group of investors. He was in the middle of a toast. At the sound of the whispers carrying her name, his entire body locked up. The champagne in his crystal flute sloshed over the rim, spilling onto his fingers.

Evelina had her hands wrapped around Corwin's arm. She felt the sudden, violent tightening of the muscles beneath his jacket. Her eyes darkened instantly, tracking his line of sight.

Justus didn't stop at the edge of the room. He guided Corinne straight toward the center of the floor. He placed her right in the absolute focal point of Corwin's vision. There was nowhere for her ex-husband to look away.

Corinne caught the shape of that tall, broad-shouldered figure in her peripheral vision. Her stomach violently contracted. Her heart skipped a painful beat against her ribs. But her legs kept moving, each step a victory of iron will over instinct, steady and rhythmic.

Justus halted them exactly five paces away from Corwin. A slow, mocking smirk pulled at the corner of Justus's mouth. He was the first to slice through the suffocating silence.

"Good evening, Maxwell."

Corwin turned his body. The movement was agonizingly slow. His dark, bottomless eyes pinned Corinne to the spot. His jaw was clenched so tight the bone looked ready to snap through his skin.

Corinne met his stare. She didn't look away. Instead, she let a perfectly measured flash of panic widen her eyes.

Evelina stepped forward, physically inserting her body between Corwin and Corinne. She stretched her lips into a tight, bloodless smile and forced out a single word.

"You."

Justus slid his hand around Corinne's waist. The heat of his palm bled through the thin mesh fabric of her dress. It was a silent anchor.

Corwin's gaze dropped from Corinne's face. His eyes locked onto Justus's hand resting on her waist. A dark, violent storm brewed in his pupils. His breathing shifted, turning shallow and rigid.

The socialites surrounding them began to whisper frantically. Their eyes darted between the four of them, hungry for the impending wreckage.

Corinne tilted her head slightly. She offered Evelina a smile that looked fragile enough to shatter, yet held a core of absolute ice.

Corwin slammed his champagne flute down onto a passing waiter's tray. The glass hit the metal with a sharp, jarring crack. Evelina physically jumped at the sound.

"I didn't know you had a taste for discarded things, Wilson," Corwin said, his voice a low, lethal rumble.

Justus chuckled. "Some things just need a better appraiser."

Corwin took a step forward. The sheer physical dominance of his presence sucked the oxygen out of the space.

Corinne didn't run. But as he loomed closer, she let her shoulders curl inward. She took a microscopic half-step backward, hiding just behind Justus's shoulder.

That tiny, pathetic retreat did something to Corwin. His eyes went pitch black. He stopped right in front of her. The air between them was freezing.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Corinne looked up at him. She let her lower lip tremble. She made sure she looked exactly like the broken woman he thought he had destroyed.

Evelina saw the exchange. Panic flared in her chest. She reached out, grabbing Corwin's bicep. "Corwin, darling, let's just-"

Corwin ripped his arm away from Evelina's grip. It was a raw, subconscious reflex.

The entire ballroom went dead silent.

Evelina's face drained of all color. She awkwardly pulled her empty hand back, her manicured nails digging brutally into her own palms to hide the humiliation.

Corwin ignored his fiancée. He kept his eyes locked on Corinne. "I asked you a question. Why are you in my city?"

Corinne took a shaky breath. She pitched her voice low, meant only for his ears. It was a soft, jagged blade.

"I didn't realize you owned the air I breathe, Corwin."

Corwin's pupils dilated. A muscle in his cheek ticked frantically. It was a direct hit to a nerve he thought he had killed.

Justus didn't let him recover. He pulled Corinne closer to his side.

"We have other people to greet," Justus said lightly. "Enjoy your engagement party, Maxwell. Try not to break anything else."

Justus turned and walked Corinne away. He left the bomb ticking in the center of the room, the shockwaves already tearing through the crowd.