Chapter 14

A week later, Julian sat behind his wide office desk, a bank check pinched between his fingers. It had been returned to him exactly the way he had sent it out, not even a single crease on it, as if the fortune it carried was nothing but worthless paper to Trina. He had been worried she might be struggling overseas and had sent the money to her on purpose. What came back with the check was only one sentence, relayed through a go-between. It was so cold that it felt like ice. "I can't afford to take General Hauser's money." He could almost imagine her face when she said it. Her beautiful brows would be lifted a fraction, carrying that careless pride that was so uniquely hers as she cut him out of her life. He had gone through every channel he could use, making sure the money would reach her safely so she wouldn't suffer even the slightest hardship in a foreign country. But she hadn't even bothered to look at it. She had simply sent it straight back and said she couldn't afford to