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Ha

That Russian would ht, and her stomach dipped even as she wondered where her speculation had come from No ould she let someone like that into her private life He was a one-way ticket to a broken heart Forget him

Nevertheless, trepidation weakened her knees as she looked toward her office, the direction he’d taken Silly to be afraid He would already have forgotten her

“I’ll check in with Mr Turner,” Clair said, holding the smile of confident warmth she’d perfected as Victor’s PA “If I’, I will”

“Thank you” Abby’s worried brow relaxed

Clair walked away, deter her coat and bent to tuck her purse into her desk drawer before Mr Turner appeared in the doorway Waxen paleness underpinned the flags of red in his sagging cheeks

Clair stood to attention, heart sinking with intuitive fear “What’s wrong?”

“You’re to report to—” He ran a hand over his thinning hair “The nener”

Aleksy Dmitriev set the waste bin next to his feet, reached for the first plaque on the wall and tossed it in, taking less satisfaction in the loud clunk of an industry award hitting the trash than he’d anticipated This coup had been too easy Clunk The bastard wasn’t alive to see his world collapse Clunk Van Eych had succumbed to the lifestyle he’d enjoyed at the expense of e Aleksy had intended to wreak Clunk

The blonde in the foyer was that filthy dog’s mistress Smash!

A delicate crystal globe shattered in the botto a silver heart exposed and dented

“What on earth,” a clear fe?”

Aleksy lifted his head and was struck by the sao The part of his anatoht, near-painful pull

At first sight he’d judged her snowflake perfect, delicate and cool with creaold hair and ice-blue eyes As potent as chilled vodka with a kick of heat that spread from the inside He’d demanded her name and details

Now the dull raincoat was gone, revealing wared sh to confirm she was all woman