1: 1

On my thirtieth birthday, the lawyers and shareholders all gathered in the 32nd-floor meeting room at Harmony Group, waiting for me and my fiancé Abner Delgado to sign, to take control of the Maxwell Group equity and the hundred-billion family trust.

Everyone waited a full hour, and Abner still hadn't shown up.

Frantic, I tracked him down to the animal hospital. I was about to drag him out when my adopted sister grabbed hold of him, her voice cracking as she said,

"Glenn, give me ten more minutes. Baby hasn't taken his medicine yet. Without his daddy here, I can't manage it alone."

I didn't let go, my eyes fixed on Abner.

"Abner, the trust has to be confirmed and sealed by five. Miss it and we wait another year. It's four now, twenty minutes on the road, and we still have the handoff to negotiate—"

"Enough. How is it your eyes only ever see that trust."

With that he threw off my hand, put his arm around Irma Schmidt, and walked into the exam room.

Through the glass, Abner tenderly wiped the tears from the corner of Irma's eyes and drew her into his arms, soothing her.

I let out a cold, scornful laugh. I didn't want to wait another minute. I turned and dialed my old enemy, Stewart Gilbert.

"Stewart, does that promise you made still count?"

"You have ten minutes. Make it to the courthouse, and I'll get the marriage license with you."

1

Three seconds of silence on the line, then a low, quiet laugh.

"Glenda Maxwell, I've waited ten years for you. I've got the bride-price ready. Play me this time and I'll strangle you."

I hung up, and my assistant Augusta Coleman called through.

"Ms. Maxwell, did you find Mr. Delgado?"

"Ms. Maxwell, the shareholders were just discussing it. If Mr. Delgado doesn't sign again this year, they're going to suspend you from the CEO post."

"Ms. Maxwell, you have to coax Mr. Delgado into coming to sign this time. The IPO is right on our doorstep."

Listening to the worry pinching Augusta's voice, I gave a bitter laugh.

All because Abner, my fiancé, had shown up late two years running and failed to sign, the hundred-billion trust couldn't be activated, and I, the CEO, had no controlling stake.

The whole staff had spent a full year preparing for the IPO. If I didn't secure control this year and get the company listed, the shareholders might vote as a bloc to remove me from the executive CEO position.

Abner knew all of it.

I turned to look through the glass. Abner was carefully feeding Baby its medicine, every movement gentle and careful.

He hated furry animals more than anything. My Maine Coon, the one I'd raised for five years, he'd tossed straight out the door just because it had gotten onto the bed with him once, then asked whether I wanted the cat or him.

In the end I sent the cat to a friend's place and slipped away alone now and then to see it.

I glanced at my watch. Four-ten, and Abner was still gently trimming the cat's toenails.

One second, five, ten... one minute, two...

A wave of exhaustion rose in me, and I turned and walked out.

Some people who show up late aren't worth waiting for.

I'd just pulled the car door open when Abner came out holding the cat, Irma beside him.

He looked at the phone in my hand and gave a scoffing laugh.

"See, all done. You couldn't even wait a few minutes."

"Those old men make a fuss over nothing. There's a trust every year. Besides, doesn't it not close until five?"

"It's four-ten now. We'll drop Irma home together, then head to the office together. There's no way we'll be late."

"No need."

I didn't look at him. I bent to get into the car, ready to drive to the courthouse myself.

Irma stepped straight in front of my car, her eyes red.

"Glenn, are you angry with me?"

"But I really was just worried about Gigi. I've been an orphan since I was little. Gigi is the only family I have."

"Glenn, come to my place for a cup of tea. Let it be my apology, all right?"

Abner's face turned ugly in an instant.

"Glenda Maxwell, Irma's already apologized. Do you have to make things hard for her?"

"If we're late, we do it next year. If something happens to Baby he's never coming back, and you'd have the heart to hurt Irma like that?"

With that he wrenched me out of the driver's seat and forced me into his own car.

"Don't throw your rich-girl tantrum here. In a minute we'll be late and you'll blame it on me again. We're taking Irma home right now. I said I'd sign and I will."

I struggled to get back out, but the door slammed shut and locked with a bang, and half my heart went cold.

Another five minutes slipped by.

2: 2

2

Four-thirty. We arrived at Irma's small two-bedroom apartment.

Irma got up to boil water, then carried a teacup over to me, timid as ever.

"Sis, I boiled this water myself. If you drink it, it means you've forgiven me."

I looked at the steam rising off the boiling water and let out a cold laugh.

"Irma, you want me to drink scalding water?"

"And if I don't? Then I don't get to walk out of this room, is that it?"

As I said it, I lifted my eyes and looked around the room.

This apartment was still the place I'd bought to give her a roof over her head.

My parents died when I was young. Grandpa hated to see me so alone, so he took me to the orphanage to pick out a little sister for company.

I took one look at the thin, pitiful Irma and chose her. For ten whole years we ate together, lived together, called each other sister.

Every servant in the Maxwell house even addressed her respectfully as the second young miss.

Before Grandpa died, his will left not a single cent to Irma. Back then I even felt guilty toward her, telling myself that once I inherited the company I would make it up to her.

Now I understood. Grandpa had been the wise one.

Then the cup tipped, and the whole thing of hot water poured across the back of my hand, and Irma let out a shrill scream.

"Sis, even if you resent me and don't want to drink it, you can't throw hot water on me!"

Abner's face changed at once. He grabbed Irma, caught her hand, and examined it closely.

Then, aching for her, he lifted it to his lips and blew on it gently.

"Irma, don't be scared, I'll take you to the hospital right now. It won't leave a scar, I promise."

Then he raised his eyes to me and denounced me, righteous with fury.

"Glenda, when did you turn this vicious? You've really let me down."

"Today, you're going to apologize to Irma and swear you'll never bully her again. Otherwise, don't even think about walking out that door."

He took one long stride and locked the door with a snap.

Everything in me went cold. I walked over and wrenched at the lock.

"Abner, open the door."

"Let me be clear. You don't have to sign, but you do have to let me leave. If there are consequences, you can't shoulder them."

Abner clamped down on my hand, his voice cold as ice.

"You scalded Irma. You apologize to her. Once she forgives you, I'll let you go right away and come with you to sign."

The huge blister on my hand burst in that instant, the sting shooting straight to my heart, but Abner didn't notice a thing. He only stared at me, forcing the apology out of me.

Irma rushed over cradling her hand and pulled at Abner.

"Abner, please, please don't be angry with Sis because of me."

"I really don't need Sis to apologize. I'm the child the Maxwells adopted. It's only right that they hit me and scold me."

"Irma, from now on you've got me. No one will ever bully you again. Some people throw their weight around, and today I'm going to get justice for you."

Abner announced his decision like a man taking a noble stand.

Irma cried harder, and then, tears brimming, she turned and glared at me, indignant.

"Sis, I was born lowly, so you bully me, and I accept it. But how can your Maxwell family humiliate Abner like this?"

"He's your fiancé, he's the man who saved your Maxwell family's lives. Why are you making him sign that garbage waiver giving up his inheritance rights? Isn't that humiliating him?"

The minute hand crept toward thirty-five. I watched the two of them putting on their tender little act, and I drew a deep breath, and at last I understood: two years, and why Abner had been late for two whole years.

It wasn't an accident. It was on purpose. My Maxwell family had propped him up, and it had made him feel humiliated.

He wanted to set the rules, teach me a lesson, make me beg him.

And the joke was on me, feeling guilty, humbling myself to explain to him that it was only a formality, that once we married, what was mine would be his.

To smooth over that little bruised ego of his, I'd even gone against the board and taken a hundred-million loss, handing him three orders each worth over a hundred million.

I looked at Abner, pressing down the sting in my chest, and spoke calmly.

"Fine, Abner. I'll apologize to Irma."

I watched the quick glance the two of them exchanged, and I straightened my clothes, pushing down the anger in my chest.

The shareholders, the lawyers, the witnesses at the signing were all waiting. The company's thousands of employees were watching with held breath. I couldn't destroy everything over one flash of temper.

I looked at Irma and spoke, my face grave.

"Irma, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper today, and I certainly shouldn't have scalded you by accident. It's all my fault. Please forgive me."

A satisfied smile spread across Abner's face.

"See, that's more like it. Losing your temper over something so small. It's just a signature, and you had to keep chasing me and nagging me about it."

"Irma is the little sister you love most. Me currying favor with my future sister-in-law, isn't that because I love you too?"

I lifted my eyes to the digital clock. Four forty-four.

I held down the anxiety clawing at me and forced patience into my voice.

"Abner, I've apologized. Can I go now?"

I turned to pull the door open, and the moment I twisted the lock, Irma's timid voice sounded behind me.

"Sis, you apologized to me, but just now you scared Lucky, and you haven't apologized to him yet."

3: 3

3

I spun around, staring at Irma in disbelief, then turned a cold, hard look on Abner.

She couldn't seriously be asking me to apologize to an animal, could she?

Besides, I hadn't done anything to it.

Abner frowned, glanced at the cat curled up in Irma's arms, and said hesitantly,

"Glenn, Kiki understands people. You really did frighten it just now. Why don't you calm it down, say a word of apology? You can see it's still sick."

I froze where I stood, a clap of thunder going off in my head.

Abner and I had known each other a full twenty years. Betrothed since childhood, we'd grown up together, and we cared for each other.

I had no idea when his mind had twisted this far, that he would make his own fiancée, the rightful heir to Harmony Group, apologize to a cat.

Irma scooped up the kitten and thrust it in front of my face.

"Look how adorable Kiki is. Come on, sis, just coax it a little, say something nice to it."

I drew a deep breath and dug my nails hard into my palm to keep myself from losing control.

My hand stroked the cat gently, the words stuck in my throat.

Then, all at once, the kitten reacted as if startled, its mouth clamping down hard on the back of my hand, a tearing pain shooting through my whole body.

On pure reflex I flung my hand out and threw the cat off, then stood there shaking, clutching my hand.

Before I could even react, Irma let out a wail and threw herself down.

"Kiki, wake up, don't leave Mommy and Daddy!"

"Abner, save Kiki, hurry, he's the child we love most in the world!"

Abner's face went white in an instant too. He rushed over and gathered Kiki up.

"Kiki, open your eyes and look at Daddy. Daddy's taking you to the hospital right now."

With that, cat in one arm and Irma tucked under the other, he strode for the door.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Abner turned and gave me a sinister look.

"Glenn, I never thought you'd still be this incorrigible, still can't stand the sight of Irma."

"Today, unless you sign a written pledge handing twenty percent of the company's shares over to Irma, I will never marry you, not in this lifetime, and I certainly won't put my name on that worthless document as your spouse. You can just wait to be thrown out of Maxwell Group."

Then he added, his voice low and menacing,

"A hundred billion in Maxwell assets. You wouldn't want to end this year still unable to inherit the company, would you? Watch the equity slip through your fingers?"

I looked at Abner, hypocritical and sickening, lowered my hand, and straightened my spine, my voice resolute as I reminded him,

"Abner, don't forget whose backing built the Delgado family. Without Grandpa's help, without twenty years of Maxwell support, would the Delgados have ever clawed their way into the second tier?"

"Abner, do you really want to destroy Delgado Group, and take your father back out onto the streets digging sewers?"

Abner, this is the last chance I'm giving you.

Your father once saved Grandpa's life, so I don't want to wipe you out completely and leave Grandpa restless in the grave.