"This is the last time." Mika killed the engine and shot Curry a cold sideways glance, her tone dripping with barely concealed disgust. "If there's ever a next time, nobody is going to help you."She didn't wait for an explanation. In her mind, there was nothing a gambling man could say that would make it better. The kind of man who threw money into pits deserved whatever crawled out to bite him.Curry read her expression and swallowed the words forming on his tongue. No matter how he framed the truth, she wouldn't believe him. He gave a small, resigned nod and let the silence settle between them like a wall.They had barely pulled into the parking space when a Mercedes-Benz rolled up from the opposite end of the lot, its chrome grille catching the midday sun. The license plate tugged at something in Curry's memory, a sequence he'd seen before, though he couldn't immediately place where.The car hadn't fully stopped before Celeste Vale stepped out from the passen

The moment Curry placed the bank card on the desk, Dr. Bennett's fingers paused mid-tap against the laminated surface. His gaze lifted slowly, drifting past Curry's shoulder to the doorway where Ivy Summerton stood with reddened eyes and trembling hands. Recognition settled across the supervisor's face like oil spreading over still water, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other with the lazy authority that only petty men in small kingdoms ever managed to project."The old man's condition is terminal," he said, his tone landing between clinical detachment and outright indifference. "Even if we put him on the table, it's just buying time. Weeks, maybe. You'd be better off spending that money on good food and letting him enjoy what he's got left."Ivy rushed forward from the doorway, jabbing her finger toward his face. Tears still clung to her lashes, but her voice came out sharp and fierce. "Don't you dare say that, my father is going to be fine, and

Curry's fist connected squarely with Julian's chest, launching him backward with the full force of a body trained to deliver punishment. Julian crashed into the linoleum in a crumpled heap, his body skidding several inches before coming to rest against the far wall with a dull, hollow thud. His limbs twitched involuntarily, his face twisted in agony, and his fists clenched white-knuckled at his sides as though gripping something invisible for purchase. Whatever venom he wanted to spit stayed locked behind his teeth, the pain had stolen every word from his throat, leaving only a thin, strangled gasp that echoed in the sterile corridor.Cordelia rushed to her brother's side, heels clicking frantically against the polished floor as she dropped into a half-crouch beside him. "Julian, can you hear me? Look at me."Two doctors appeared from around the corner, clipboards clutched to their chests. "This is a hospital, fighting is strictly prohibited, and we will call security if t

"You called me up here in such a rush. What's the matter, did you miss me?"The moment Curry stepped through the office door, he slipped into that loose, teasing grin he always wore when he wanted to get under her skin, dropping into the nearest chair without invitation and stretching his legs out like he owned the place.Mika didn't dignify it with a response. She leveled him with a flat look, reached beneath her desk, and hauled a hard-sided case onto the surface between them. The latches clicked open to reveal neat stacks of fresh bills, their edges still sharp from the bank.Curry's grin faded. He stared at the money, then looked up. "What's this supposed to mean?""One hundred forty thousand dollars." Her voice was steady, though something raw flickered beneath it. "Take it. Pay off whatever loan sharks you owe. I don't know how you dug yourself into that kind of hole, and I don't want to know."She leaned forward, fingers laced on the desk, her voice d

"What did you just say?" Curry narrowed his eyes and rose to his feet, meeting the man's gaze head-on."Mr. Clegg!" Charlotte recognized the newcomer instantly and plastered on a smile, hurrying over to greet him.Warren Clegg tossed his leather briefcase to Charlotte without a glance."What's this? You think you're going to hit me?""Did I say something wrong? Do you even know what kind of car that is?""A BMW X5. You know how much that costs? Over one hundred forty thousand dollars. You scratch it, can you even pay me back?" Warren Clegg asked, radiating arrogance."Something wrong with your head? We were standing here minding our own business. Can't drive, stay off the road. Who taught you to drive, someone half-asleep?"Curry had never been the type to indulge someone else's attitude, and he wasn't about to start now."Curry, let it go. I'm fine."Primrose was afraid he would get into a real conflict with Warren Clegg, so she tugged g