couldn'

uldn't

d barely

ng about him was horribly wrong. His skin was pale and stretched, his eyes we

r through the r

l night,

rembled against t

are

tilted h

o died a lo

ut of

ghed s

I can see why D

en's name sent a ch

you know

smile di

was there w

that she barely saw him. One moment, he was sitting

scrambled toward

t tou

ed both

you dead, you wouldn

s not h

t time, he s

ight. My

aned

to survive the next few days, you nee

a stare

hy

re falling for isn't

alling for

d at her for

he la

ourse

respond, every light i

swept throug

s returned, Vi

n't wait to

e, drove out of the parking s

light until a furious d

the French Quarter, her hands were shakin

d the windows, and dragged

alled her

ed on the f

ing me to complain about that u

mm

sabella's voic

happ

I'm losin

s not new. W

dead man fo

le

aid, "I'm c

, an oversized sweatshirt, and the expression of someon

ed a bag

ced, dropping onto the

told her

ious man i

who called

hotog

hone

Vinc

ng, which was unusual enough to

shed, Emma slowly

discovered he supposedly died three years ago, an

es

tared

u need a

mm

ed that someone might be playin

d that I might actu

pression

I'm s

d for Isab

out. But first, sho

ed her phone an

died the

ent comple

Isabel

arged th

a, look

d to the b

ress. Her face was partially hidden by shadow

ognize her?

N

swall

d

lla s

is

ard the window

ia Blac

ant nothing

d I kn

a. Her father owns hotels, real estate companies, and half the

nd

pposed to marry

omething tighte

ry h

nod

jor society magazine. Then Damien died in that mansion fire,

ed back at th

e standing

we're going

hed for h

hat the inte

hrough old newspaper articles, arc

eports said t

inside his family's mansio

twent

ood, had been questioned but

d never bee

had eventua

thing that made both

ys before Damien's death ca

CELS WEDDING AMID SHO

short, but one s

s had recently threatened to expose a secret

range," Em

t se

n't k

tared at t

ldn't explain, she

ur, yet the thought of him dying alone i

ridic

dn't k

n know whether

out his eyes had

oneli

fe

s if she were the only perso

one vi

essage

Are yo

a stare

d over her

ly not. Don't

message

sabella. I need t

hook h

how horror m

a typed

Who are yo

came almost

e who should h

oat tig

yped

Then why a

the reply t

rrived, she wishe

rs ago, before I died, I

s fingers

message

ght was the first t

the wor

rd message

There's something I need to tel

ped to h

lutel

la loo

ha

d billionaire in the middle of the nigh

toria is loo

call th

at? That a dead m

her mouth, t

he comes here,

er, someone kno

slow k

d Emma exch

ve," Emma

ck came

voice spoke from

a. It's

avy decorative la

a monster, I'm hit

hing, Isabella

hed the doo

know it's

y excuse for knowing y

hesi

unlocked

wearing a black coat, his

ked ex

met hers, something so

afe," he

folded

lot of expla

kno

rt where you're su

Emma, who was stil

nd doesn't

ring hitting y

t's

bli

ust agree

e focus?" Isa

stepped

e threshold, Isabella no

shadow beneath

ooked

th

omach

mie

owed he

e she'd met him, genuin

listen to m

the door b

nge everything you believe about lif

ly lowere

unds rea

ignor

ople responsible believed they had destr

la swa

appened

ace where no one s

e became

ow long I'd been there. And when I finally escaped,

ed at h

lla. But somehow,

k a step

fficially un

barely

u come look

raised

thing much bigger. And now that you've met me, the people

know an

kno

uld they com

ey don't be

oat and pulled out a

's breat

ized it im

ant her mother had worn for

intrica

black stone

l symbol engrav

ther had died whe

the pendant with

get that?" Isab

expressio

t the nigh

he pendant

r was there

seemed

dead long bef

eone lied

shook h

t's impo

on that frightened her more than anyt

sh it

s entire bod

toward t

it?" Em

didn't

ar had pulled up b

out, holding a

sabella recognized the f

ia Bla

ctly up at Isab

she s

bbed Isabe

whispered, "don't let h

h came from

n through the bui

gan climbing

ow

bera

e drifted throu

. You should hav

d in front

the veins beneath his s

Isabella saw what

me man she'd m

s stranger who ma

had crawled back

ing po

ng terr

looked ready to kil

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