Chapter 93

• Sunlight filtered through the blinds of Howard's private cabin office at Carter Enterprises, casting stark lines across his mahogany desk cluttered with untouched files. Still in his wrinkled tuxedo from the wedding—bowtie undone, shirt unbuttoned at the collar—Howard slumped over a cold coffee mug, eyes bloodshot and shadowed from a sleepless night. His mind churned with Anastasia's sobs and Karla's tales, fury simmering unresolved.
• The door swung open without a knock; Ryan sauntered in, best man grin wide, but it faltered instantly at the sight. "Howard? You're here—in the same tux from last night? What the hell? Shouldn't you be at Elysian Peaks, recovering from the wedding night? Why are you in the office at—" he glanced at his watch, "—8 AM, looking like death?"
• Howard's head snapped up, face twisting into a scowl. He shoved aside the mug, spilling cold dregs. "Not now, Ryan. Get out."