Max wanted to scream and vent his anger. He didn’t care if the rest of the world thought the worst of him, but he wouldn’t scare his daughter with one of his usual fits of rage.

“What were you saying about social services?” he asked, making sure his tone remained neutral.

“They’ll be here in a few minutes for the baby,” Wilson answered as Max feared.

“Nobody is going to take my daughter from me.” Max strode to the living room without waiting for the other two to follow.

“Max, be reasonable,” Wilson said.

“I’m being reasonable.” With his free hand, Max snatched the pile of clothes from his friend’s arm.

“Let me help you,” Vivienne said, gesturing for him to release Amber Rose in her care.

Max hesitated before depositing the baby girl in Vivienne’s arms. He hastily dressed himself and passed a hand through his hair to comb his unruly mane. “Give her back to me,” he said to Vivienne after lowering himself onto the couch.

“It’s better if Amber Rose remains with Vivienne,” Wilson said.

“No. My daughter stays with me.” Max knew he was being irrational, but he had just found Amber Rose, and he would not fail her.

“Max—” Wilson raised his hands in frustration.

At the same time, Hugo called from the foyer. “Mr. Prize?”

“In here,” Max answered, raising his voice loud enough for his doorman to hear him. He lowered his head to Amber Rose’s little one when she fussed. “It’s okay, baby girl.”

At the sound of his voice, his daughter calmed and leaned back against his chest with a content sigh. Right then, Max experienced one of those perfect moments when everything stands still, and it’s peaceful and quiet. A love as he had never imagined he could feel expanded his heart to four times its size and tears of joy wet his eyes.

Hugo’s incoming steps brought Max back to the present.

“There’s a detective downstairs,” the doorman announced, shoulders lowered and a dreary expression on his face.

“Escort him up.” Max looked at his daughter peacefully sleeping in his embrace and realized that Wilson was right. Whatever was going to happen next, he didn’t want his baby to be present for it. He turned to Vivienne, who had silently kept to the side. “Can you take her?”

“Sure.” Vivienne took Amber Rose from his arms and cradled her gently against her soft chest. “I’ll be in the guest room,” she said before leaving.

Max watched Vivienne and his daughter disappear behind the corner and couldn’t help but think that his place was with them, not wasting time talking with the police about something he knew nothing about.

Hugo came back with a man in tow.

“Mr. Prize,” the newcomer said, offering him his hand. “I’m Detective Welder, and I need to ask you a few questions.”

After shaking his hand, Max motioned for the man to take a seat. “Please.”

“Max, you might want to wait for your lawyer to arrive,” Wilson said. “She’s a few blocks from here.”

“It’s fine.” Max wanted the man out of his house as fast as possible. Waiting for his lawyer would only complicate things and give the detective the idea that Max had something to hide.

“Thank you.” Detective Welder lowered himself onto the sofa in front of Max and adjusted his trench coat. “A young woman was found dead a few hours ago—” He let the sentence trail as he studied Max.

Getting more comfortable, Max didn’t say anything but waited for the detective to talk again. In the meantime, Wilson walked to the opposite corner to make a phone call.

The man kept his intense gaze on Max as he reached for his trench pocket and produced his cell phone. “Did you know her?” The detective raised the cell phone to show Max the picture of a woman badly beaten.

Max’s heart lurched in his throat. He recognized the blonde on the screen, her name was Lauren, and Amber Rose had the same colors.

“I knew her,” Max said.

“How did you know the victim?” Detective Welder asked.

“We met a few times, almost a year ago,” Max answered.

He usually didn’t bed the same woman twice, but Lauren was persistent. She had snuck into several of his parties and found her way into his private rooms. He couldn’t be held accountable for having sex with willing women, could he? And Lauren had been more than willing. She had pursued him relentlessly, more so than other women.

“When was the last time you saw her?” Welder’s voice held an unpleasant undercurrent.

Max would’ve bet his company that the man already had all the answers.

“The last time I saw her was on my yacht.”

Despite all the money Max paid to his security detail, Lauren had showed up naked in his yacht’s bedroom.

“When was that?”

“As I said, almost a year ago. I don’t remember the date.” It was nine months ago. Max remembered the time because he had fired the entire security team. Jack had been hired soon after.

“And you didn’t meet again afterward.” The detective raised his voice at the end, making it sound like a question.

“No, we never met again.” Max had sent her home when he caught her dropping a pill in the cocktail she had insisted preparing for him after she had dismissed the yacht bartender.

“Was your relationship sexual?” Welder asked.

“We had sex but were never in a relationship.”

Hugo came back, stopping the detective from asking his next question. “Mrs. Lanetti is here, Mr. Prize.”

Max waved at the woman waiting behind his doormen. “Please, come in.”

The lawyer’s stiletto heels echoed in the large room as Mrs. Lanetti made her grand entrance. The detective’s eyes widened at the sight of the beautiful woman who looked like an actress. People tended to underestimate the lawyer because of her looks, but Max had hired her because she was the smartest person he had ever met.

“Mr. Saints informed me that you are already collaborating with the police,” Mr. Lanetti said, disapproval evident in her clipped tone and straight posture.

“Please, take a seat, Mrs. Lanetti.” Max pointed at the sofa beside the detective’s.

The lawyer sat with the elegance and grace of a ballerina, bending her closed legs to one side. “Is my client accused of something?” she asked the detective.

The man appraised her with a long gaze. “No, he isn’t,” he answered, standing. “But I have one more question.”

The lawyer said, “No more questions tonight.”

Max rolled his hand. “I’ll answer one final question.”

“Mr. Prize—” Mrs. Lanetti gave him a hard stare.

“It’s okay,” he said to her before turning to the detective. “Go ahead.”

“Where were you between last night and the first hours of the morning?” the man asked.

“You don’t need to answer,” Mrs. Lanetti said.

Hugging the back of the couch with one arm, he tilted his head. “I went to a party, then came back home. This morning, I went to work, as usual. Plenty of people can testify they saw me.”

The detective nodded. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Prize. Don’t leave town. We might have more questions for you.” When Hugo made to escort him out, he said, “I know the way, thank you,” leaving the room.