After a dozen seconds of mutual silence, Shalma Hughes reached her breaking point. Her knuckles turned briefly stark white as she gripped the phone receiver. "Julian Winslow, what exactly are you trying to pull? Why are there so many reporters digging into my background, and why are you pulling your investment?"
"You should know by now that I only ever answer one question. Which one do you want to ask?"
His icy voice echoed through the receiver, instantly shattering Shalma's remaining composure.
"Don't tell me you're using these despicable underhanded tactics to force me to marry you! If word gets out that the dignified eldest son of the Winslow Family is resorting to such low blows just to get a woman to marry him, the Winslow Family will lose all their face." Shalma's eyes hardened. Her glossy lips spat out the venomous words, each syllable sharp and calculated.
