I line up a serve and slam the ball at the playing wall. It careens off the corner and ricochets so hard, I have to leap out of the way.

My buddy Cal snorts. “My point. Again.”

I scowl.

Usually, a game of racquetball with a buddy is all I need to clear my mind and unwind.

Usually, I’m not dealing with betrayal, backstabbing, and the end of the Carlisle family legacy as we know it.

Cal pauses to take a drink of water. “Not that I’m not enjoying the spectacle, but you’re sucking more than usual today.”

“Real supportive,” I growl.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Cal smirks. “Did you want to sit and talk about your feelings?”

I scowl harder. Cal and I go way back, he’s CEO of the McAdams auto empire, and usually, he understands the shit I’m going through with my family. But he can’t understand this.

“Let’s just play.”

“Your funeral.” Cal tosses me the ball. “It almost makes me wish I was a betting man.”

I snort. “Since when did you quit the blackjack table?” Cal is usually the first on the casino floor, off following the racing circuit in Monte Carlo, Montreal, and more.

“Since I’m a new man,” Cal replies easily. “Shaping up my reputation.”

“And how’s that working out?”

“About as well as your racquetball game.”

I grip my handle and serve again. This time, I manage a couple of shots before I slam the damn thing out of bounds.

“I’m fine!” I exclaim, before Cal can needle me again.

“Clearly,” he replies. “But since this face is too pretty to break, how about we take this to the bar?”

Tempting. But I’ve spent the past two weeks trying to drink away this hole in my heart, and it hasn’t worked yet.

“Another time,” I say reluctantly. “I have a meeting with my lawyers at three.”

Cal arches an eyebrow. “Any luck getting that treasure hunt thrown out?”

“Not so far,” I sigh. “But maybe they’ve found some loophole.”

“You know, I always knew your grandfather was eccentric, but this?” Cal and I head for the locker room. “It’s like he’s burning down everything he’s built just to prove a point.”

“A bone-headed, idiotic point.” I shake my head. “He spent his life building and protecting the company, and he’s just handing it off to Artie because he got to the final clue two minutes before me.”

Thanks to Hallie’s treacherous twist, that is.

“Well, if you need a job, just let me know,” Cal says. “I’m sure I can find something for you. How do you like Monaco in the spring?”

“Thanks, but I’m fine. It’s the rest of the employees I’m worried about.”

Cal winces. “Yeah, that can’t be fun. The business press is already buzzing about Carlisle sales and lay-offs.”

“Vultures.”

“But who can blame them for the wild speculation?” Cal points out. “After all, this is the biggest story in the industry right now.”

“And they don’t even know the half of it.”

I think of Hallie again, and the lead weight returns to my gut. I still can’t believe she sold me out like that.

And I still don’t understand why.

I didn’t see it coming, that’s for sure. There I was, making future plans. Actually imagining my life with her in it. The travel, the adventure. The hot, smoking sex. And a connection, too, something realer than I’d ever felt before. It was like she was the first person to know me, really know me.

It just turned out I didn’t know her at all.

---

I shower and change, and then head over to my lawyer’s office. They’ve been at war with the rest of my cousins’ legal teams since this whole treasure hunt finished. I know I should just give it up and move on; hell, it’s a philosophy I’ve spent most of my life following. No strings, no complications, just a damn good time. Easy.

But it turns out leaving was only easy because I never cared about anything I lost.

Great timing, Max. I picked the perfect moment to understand my family legacy—the responsibility it took to lead the company and keep the tradition of excellence alive. And I chose an even better moment to want it.

Right when Hallie plucked it out of my grasp for good.

Her face slips into my thoughts again, and damn, it hurts. Her innocent act was so good, I might have bought it if Artie hadn’t given the game away.

Did she really believe that snake would let her get off scot-free? That I’d never find out? Or was the plan just to make a quick escape and leave me hanging, never knowing why?

I was so stupid, letting her get under my skin. From the start, it was a simple arrangement. Fake the emotions, take the money. Hell, I’m the one who proposed it that way! I didn’t realize the spell she’d cast over me, drawing me in with her smart mouth, and determined spirit, that tempting gleam in her eyes.

And as for her body . . .

I shake my head. Yeah, nothing good can come of reliving those nights together. At least, not without another cold shower. And right now, I need my head in the game if there’s any last hope of stopping Artie’s takeover—and the end of Carlisle Publishing.

“Max,” Anthony greets me when I get off the elevator. He’s the senior partner who handles most of my affairs. “How’s my favorite publishing dynasty scion?”

“Soon to be former,” I point out. “Unless you’ve found some miracle Hail Mary play?”

“Why don’t we take a seat?” he says.

That would be a no, then.

I follow him to his office. “Unfortunately, there’s no law against deciding ownership by treasure hunt,” he says. “Your grandfather’s shares are his to do with as he wishes. In fact, by doing this while he was still alive, he left even fewer avenues to contest. If he were dead, we could argue incapacity, or undue influence by your cousins. But, alive, he’s clearly making the decision for himself.

“As to the matter of how fairly the victory was obtained . . .” Anthony goes on. “I’ve investigated that side of the situation thoroughly. I don’t think we can make a case based on the actions of an independent party acting of her own accord.”

That being the independent party of Hallie. I let out my breath. “So, it’s gone, then. They really won.”

Anthony gives me a sympathetic smile. “That’s about the size of it. I could come up with some trumped up accusations to maybe delay the passing of the torch for months, maybe even a few years. But it’s my responsibility to tell you up front you’ve got no hope in hell of them doing anything more than delaying.”

“Shit.” I sink back. “So, they’ll sell it off, and the new owners will strip the company for parts.”

“If they get the requisite votes from the board, yes.”

That’s it then. Game over. Only, it isn’t a game anymore.

“Thanks all the same,” I say, getting to my feet.

“One more thing.” Anthony retrieves an envelope. “This came for you.”

I tear it open. When I see what’s inside, I freeze.

It’s Hallie’s contract. And the check.

I take it out, staring at it. Fifty thousand dollars. And she sent it back? “This came from her?” I demand.

“It came by way of The Agency. Apparently, she refused payment. That should help defray a few of your costs,” Anthony says brightly. “And on that note, perhaps we can set up a time to discuss your investments—”

“Later,” I say shortly. “I’ll see you soon.”

I walk out, still holding the check tightly. Why the hell would she reject the payment? She was only in this for the money the whole time.

Maybe Artie’s payoff was so big, she didn’t need my trifling contribution. Figured she’d rub it in my face—or show me charity, since clearly I’m missing out on the big fortune.

But that doesn’t make sense. Hallie might have sold me out, but she was never vindictive about it. If she’d wanted to lord it over me, she could have done so right there on the observation deck instead of pretending she had no clue what was going on.

That’s not the kind of person I am. I wouldn’t do that to anyone. I wouldn’t do that to you.

Guilt gnaws at me again. Either she’s an Oscar-worthy actress, or . . .

Or, there’s something else going on.

I look at the rejected check again. Something just isn’t right about this. And it’s going to eat away at me until I know the truth.

I hail a cab and climb in. “Take me to the Carlisle building.”

---

I haven’t been back since the day of the hunt, but I brace myself and head for the top floors. Executive level. I figure Artie won’t have wasted any time upgrading his office to Franklin’s palatial corner suite, and sure enough, he’s just seeing out a bunch of older men and women I recognize from the board. “I’m sure we’ll come to an agreement that everyone is happy with,” he’s saying.

“I need some more time to think about this,” one of the board members says, sounding uncertain.

Artie smiles briskly. “It really will work in all of our favor, if you just consider—”

His sees me, and his lips curl into his habitual smirk. “Max. What a surprise.”

“I need to talk to you.” I manage to sound civil.

“Anything for a dear cousin,” Artie says with a saccharine tone. He waves off the board members and motions me into the office.

“Like what I’ve done with the place?” Artie crows.

It looks like an English hunting lodge threw up in here. Fake deer trophies on the wall, tartan and wood everywhere, and there’s even one of those goddamned German shepherd statues Cordelia loves sitting in the corner.

I shouldn’t be surprised. All the money in the world still can’t buy this jackass taste.

“Meeting with the board?” I ask instead. “Don’t tell me you haven’t drummed up enough votes for a sale yet. You’ve been saying for years they’ll jump if they have the chance.”

Artie scowls. “Already taken care of,” he says. “I have them in the palm of my hand. We meet to vote next week, and then this company will be someone else’s problem. And we’ll all be a hell of a lot richer. Well, except you, of course.” He smirks.

“If you say so.”

Artie goes to shuffle papers on his desk, clearly trying to look important. “What do you want, Max? Here to grovel and beg for a piece of the action?”

“Actually, I was just wondering about something,” I say, running my finger idly along the edge of the window frame. The less this seems to matter to me, the more likely Artie will tell me the truth. “What did it take to buy off Hallie, anyway?”

“Oh, is that what’s on your mind?” Artie’s voice turns into a sneer. “Thought you knew her so well, didn’t you?”

I raise my eyes. “Yeah,” I say calmly. “I did. You really got one over on me there.”

“It wasn’t hard at all, I can tell you that,” Artie says, leaning back against the desk looking smug. “You two were never equipped to play in the big leagues with the rest of us.”

“Guess not,” I agree, even though I want to smack that smile off his face. “So what did you do to turn her around to your side?”

Artie chuckles. “What the hell, it can’t hurt to tell you now. The bitch was too hung up on you to respond to reason anyway. But we didn’t need her to play along, not once I had a bug planted on her phone.”

“What?” I stare at him in disbelief.

“My guy hooked me up, we planted it once you beat us back to Palm Beach. Easy. It didn’t just get her calls, but anything you guys said in the room. The minute she cracked that last clue, we were on the jet for New York.” Artie grins. “Never saw that coming, did you, Mr. Adventure?”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. They didn’t turn Hallie? They tried and she refused?

My hands clench again. A hot flush is rising through me that’s both anger and shame. Anger at Artie. Shame that I didn’t believe Hallie when she tried to tell me she was innocent.

“No,” I grit out. “I didn’t see it coming. I didn’t think even you would stoop quite that low.”

The anger floods through me, and I lunge at him. In a second, I’ve got him pinned to the wall by his lapels. “You see that deer head?” I ground out, shaking him furiously. “I’m going to mount your sorry ass right beside it!”

“Help!” Artie shrieks. “Security!”

Two guys come rushing in and drag me off him. My heart is pounding.

“I’ll have you arrested for this!” Artie is flushed and quaking. “Get out of my building!”

“With pleasure.”

I stalk out, furious, but as the elevator heads back down to street-level, the anger shifts. I’m not mad at Artie for lying and cheating. No, I’m mad at myself for believing him.

God, how much have I fucked up? Hallie was on my side the whole time. And I threw her loyalty back in her face. I didn’t even give her a real chance to talk it through with me. I told her I never wanted to see her again. She was fucking crying and I left her there.

Is there anything I can do to make this right?