The glass-and-steel monolith of Croft House Headquarters loomed over Fifth Avenue, a glittering monument to Julian’s ego. But as Nora stepped out of her town car and looked up at the towering structure, she felt no intimidation. She only felt a cold, clinical sense of ownership.

Julian’s name was

The rhythmic, piercing beep of a heart monitor was the first thing that broke through the crushing darkness.

Nora Sterling dragged her heavy eyelids open, wincing as the harsh, fluorescent lights of the hospital room assaulted her vision. The air smelled of sharp antiseptic and sterile linens. For

The private elevator ascending to the Croft penthouse hummed with a quiet, expensive efficiency. Nora stood perfectly still in the mirrored carriage, staring at her own reflection.

She looked like a ghost. Her skin was terribly pale, the dark circles under her eyes stark against the porcelain of h