7

Olivia gazed out the window of the lavish mansion she shared with her husband Nicholas, a perfectly manicured brow furrowed in thought. Ever since his failed attempts to get Reyna and that brat Mia under his control, Nicholas has fallen into a sullen mood that has ruined all her careful plans.

No matter what, she was never one to be deterred by small setbacks. Where Nicholas failed, Olivia would succeed through her cunning wiles. After all, she hadn’t clawed her way from humble beginnings by being meek. It was time to remind dear Nicholas, whose ambition drove their empire and whose charms kept him beholden.

Smoothing an immaculate skirt, Olivia entered the study where Nicholas nursed a scotch, glaring moodily into the crackling fireplace. “Still sulking over that shrew, darling?” she remarked sweetly, perching on the arm of his chair and running delicate fingers through his hair. “Forget her; she’s beneath us now.”

Nicholas grunted, not pulling away but making no sign of what he he