The air-conditioned lobby, kitted out in all the fancy trappings one would expect of a luxury lifestyle brand as influential as the Hawthorne Group, was a welcome relief from the stifling heat outside. After a quick chat with Stanley, the security guard on the day shift, Austin took a private elevator strictly reserved for upper management, praying he wouldn't run into Blake. It was very likely that he would, though; after all, they shared the top floor.While Austin looked after Hawthorne Group, the mother body of all their lifestyle brands, Blake headed up the Hawthorne Foundation, responsible for their charity work.Austin never meddled in the Foundation's affairs, but that didn't stop Blake from constantly poking his head in the Group's. His incessant demands to be included in everything the Group did, forced Austin to hand over Gold Rush to him, a decision he was seriously starting to regret in the face of the gambling crew debacle.He hadn't even sat down when his office door bu

Angry silence followed Marybeth's outburst, and they both looked at the condiment bottles and the salt and pepper shakers on the table until Elijah spoke. "That was low, Beth—""Only one man has the right to call me Beth," she said quietly. "And it's certainly not you, Elijah!""Still, that was low. I was young.""You were nineteen. Your moral compass was well in place. You knew I don't handle betrayal and rejection well. You knew me, Eli. You knew about my mother. And yet you turned around and did the same thing she did. You chose someone else over me. You walked away from me. After I was open with you. After I allowed myself to be open to you. So don't sit there and tell me about evil and moral compasses. I know Austin. He never pretended to be anything he wasn't. And I'd take his honesty, as terrifying as he is, over the bullshit you fed me for years, any day!""I'm sorry." Elijah reached for her hand, but she snatched it away."Unless I broke some kind of law by marrying Austin, I

Marybeth sat there awhile, thinking up a plan. The social workers were taking too damn long, and the notes she'd left Adeline's mom had done nothing but anger the woman and put the child in harm's way.Maybe if she dropped by Sea Point Flats this afternoon and tried to reason with Mrs Scheepers by showing her how gifted Adeline was, she'd come around and agree that her home wasn't the right place for the little girl."Or maybe she'll call the cops on you for harassment," Marybeth muttered. But she'd risk the cops. As a caregiver, she couldn't sit by and watch a child slip through the cracks. She'd never forgive herself if she didn't do everything in her power to help Adeline.Her phone buzzed in her hand, postponing her dilemma.It was Austin. And he was the last person she wanted to speak to. But she couldn't ignore his call, not when it might concern Orlando."Žena," he said when she finally brought herself to hit the answer button. "I miss you."Marybeth closed her eyes, breathing

Holding two red cups in her hands, Scarlett waltzed over to her little corner and asked, "why are you miserable at your own party? What's eating you?""Thanks," Marybeth mumbled as she took one of the cool drinks. "I don't suppose there's a shot of vodka in here, right?""Why? Married life is already stressful?""Hardly.""Then, what's going on?""It's Adeline. Things have gotten worse for her at home. She came to school with fresh bruises today because I left a note for her mom to come and see me.""You've done all you can. It's up to the authorities now," Scarlett said, tipping her glass at her.Marybeth shook her head, refusing to give up. "I can't just sit by and do nothing.""You can't save everyone.""Not everyone. Just one person. At least just one person, Scar."Scarlett downed her cool drink and crushed the cup in her hand. "What are you planning to do?""I'm going to her house.""When? ""Today. After this.""So you'll just go to Sea Point Flats, driving your fancy car and l

Since Marybeth always looked on the bright side of life, she gladly welcomed the invitation, lugging the grocery bags in front of her.She slammed the door shut behind her, wishing she hadn't, when the dank smell of wet clothes and general unkemptness hit her right about the same time as the lack of light in the room.The curtains were drawn in the living room, where two young boys, whose resemblance was so uncanny they could be twins and young enough to still be breastfed, played at their mother's feet.Adeline was nowhere in sight, and Marybeth assumed she was still on her way, walking home with her friends. Did she even have friends, though? Come to think of it, she'd never seen her play with anyone at lunchtime—"What did she do this time?" Adeline's mom asked as she reached for a pack of no-name brand cigarettes and lit one up, unbothered by the smell or secondary smoke her little ones were taking in."She didn't do anything wrong," Marybeth was quick to assure her as she hovered