Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus)

Chapter 39

Victor kept his head down, scrawling his signature in an elegant flourish at the bottom of the document.

At the sound of footsteps, he looked up, half-expecting Isadora. But the woman standing in front of him was someone else entirely.

His brow furrowed, a shadow of annoyance crossing his face.

With a cool, measured voice, he asked, "Who are you?"

Pearl was momentarily stunned the instant Victor glanced her way—his striking good looks were almost disarming. He had fair, cool-toned skin, deep-set eyes, a sharp nose, and chiseled features. The corners of his eyes were long and narrow, and his lips-full and sensual-hinted at a quiet intensity.

Today, he wore a simple gray dress shirt, the top two buttons undone, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong, sculpted forearms. Even as he wrote, veins traced faint lines beneath his skin, giving him an air of restrained power.

Pearl's thoughts ran wild before she could stop herself.

What would it feel like to have those perfect hands wrapped around her waist? Or to be kissed by those devastating lips?

The idea sent a rush of heat through her body, making her blood hum.

"I-I'm Pearl, the daughter of the Vaughan family. From The Vaughan Group," she stammered.

he cast a brief,

Superficial. Ordinary.

Utterly forgettable.

small nod. "Yes, that's me. The

"Imitations get copied so often that even the fake ones start

embarrassment, and she hurried to defend

Vaughan family raised me, shaped my character, my manners-everything about me for the past twenty years. So

have cared less

was this counterfeit who wanted to see

do you want from me today? Be

from her lack of true Vaughan blood. Bitterness welled up in her

herself. She couldn't forget why she'd come

is, The Vaughan Group is working on a global project, but we're a bit short on funding. I was hoping to secure an investment from The Fitzgerald

back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest, his demeanor bored and indifferent. "And

Why, indeed?

Pearl had

might not work at The Vaughan Group, but she'd made sure to keep herself informed. From her purse, she pulled out a detailed investment proposal

admit, it was thorough, and even Pearl found it impressive after reading through it. Otherwise, she never would have