Chapter 1

One

E smeralda Morgan stared at her father's name. The chiseled strokes of his epitaph on the polished granite blurred and the once healed cracks in her heart splintered into tiny pieces. White light filled the mausoleum and complete silence reigned over her father's service as the priest gave the final rights over the empty crypt.

Empty because her father refused to do anything the easy way in life, so why should he in death?

Thunder rumbled in the distance as if the heavens felt her pain. Tears welled along the rims of her eyes to wet her lashes, but she willed them away. Tiny nails pierced the tender flesh of her palms. Slowly, cautiously, she slid her eyes closed and focused on the pain. That she could handle.

She sniffled and dug into every last ounce of strength in her body, straightened her back as the final prayer for her father drew to an end. For the past hour dozens of eyes had been glued to her every move. Only now did she feel a small reprieve as everyone bowed their heads.

Tears never helped anyone. We can learn a lot from the diamonds we pull from the earth. Cold and hard. Take a lesson and life will be easier.

That was her father all right. Cold-hearted and with a razor-sharp tongue.

But not always. Tears fell for that father. The one that loved the outdoors and loved life. Not the jaded and torn man he became.

Her father's words ran chills up the length of her spine as though he stood over her shoulder, ready with one quip or another the second she showed signs of actually feeling something. They'd grown apart over the last couple of years. His bitterness toward her working for his rival, instead of his company bled into her life until she had no choice but to sever ties. She'd asked for his understanding yet all she got in return was a note on corporate stationery each Christmas with a few crisp Benjamins tucked inside. As if his money would solve everything between them. But still, with him gone now, nothing would be the same.

As long as she could remember he always wielded a high hand over her life. He'd ruined it once five years ago on the cusp of her mother's gruesome death. Maybe if she would have played the passive, obedient daughter they could have been happier. It all seemed moot now anyway.

"Will you be all right, darling? Why don't you come home with us and stay a while? I'll make up the spare bedroom." Her aunt eyed the two trench coats flanking her, their grim faces half-hidden behind black tinted glasses despite there not actually being any sunshine to speak of. The raised collars didn't do much to conceal the earpieces and holsters.

She narrowed her eyes at them and mentally tacked on another thing to her massive to-do list: l ose the bodyguards.

"I know you love spending the spring there. It'll help take your mind off of everything." A soft, weathered hand to her arm brought her head around and the second Father Gracing slid his Bible closed, her unassuming aunt pulled her into a heartwarming bear hug. All five-foot, one hundred pounds worth of little old lady made everything better with her Aunt Bea worthy apple pies and kind soul. Don't forget the chicken soup. A nice big bowl of that would be ten times better than what she had to do now.

Beyond the doors, limos lined the gravel road that led to the private Morgan family mausoleum. Another reminder of her arranged fate as the assessor of her father's company.

Three generations of her family rested here. Uncles, aunts, her mother, and now her father. If only in spirit. All had a hand in building Morgan Gem Global, the diamond empire that would be hers within a week whether she wanted it or not. From diamond princess to ice queen. Or, as her father would say, from the gutter with the animals to the leaders of the modern world. He never did like the fact they came from a small town in the middle of nowhere Alaska. Ever since her mother died he hated everything about the outdoors.

Jaded and bitter didn't begin to describe her father.

Butterflies brushed against the soft interior of her stomach. Her breath quickened.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a tall, stocky man who towered over several grievers, his eyes glued on her. News crews waited along the gate, their cameras at the ready.

It all came at her at once. He was gone. She'd take anything over the silence eating at her insides.

She scanned over the room. Not one person beyond her aunt and uncle looked familiar, but everyone knew her. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this.

With a gentle squeeze, Esmeralda pulled back from her aunt and looked down on the icy blue eyes of the woman that helped raise her after the passing of her mother. How long before she'd leave her too?

"I... I have to go. I'm sorry. I can't right now." No matter how tempting hiding out from the ugly world appealed to her, she had a promise to keep before...before whatever happened to someone after losing her father and gaining an empire in the expanse of a week.

"Are you sure, darling? Your father would be so disappointed."

Esmeralda dragged out a smile and slipped it on for her aunt's sake. "I have to do something for him." And herself, depending on how you looked at it. Either way, it would take her away from here if only for a little bit. "You know how Father is—was—with a promise." She swallowed hard. The time away would help clear her head.

"Child, you're too hard on yourself. Is it something I can help with?" The understanding and kind heart her father lacked, her aunt made up for in spades.

Something warm and wet hit her hand where her aunt clasped her close. Ugh, God, her heart was about to implode. One more teary-eyed plea and she'd have no more willpower to say no or leave her aunt to grieve the passing of her brother alone.

Rumbling split the skies once again, this time promising to make good on its watery threat.

"I won't be gone long. A day or two tops. I promise."

Her aunt tightened her hold around her hand, her lashes wet with tears. "Things are about to change, Esmeralda. You have to be ready."

Her aunt's eyes turned a shade of blue that denoted determination. All the Morgan women had it. Her father called it the Morgan-pointed look.

Esmeralda crossed her heart and tucked away the invisible key in her pocket like they used to do when she was a little girl and her aunt's expression softened. That seemed to do the trick. Her aunt graced her with a smile and patted her hand.

"Go, child. I'll cover for you."

Bless her sweet heart.

The familiar, deep raspy voice of her uncle carried over the crowd.

Shit. Her uncle was headed their way, most likely to take her aunt home, but that wasn't the problem. With him came another set of stiff, by-the-book trench coats.

"I'll call you when I land." Her aunt shoved a set of keys into her hands. With a quick peck on the cheek, Esmeralda waved at her approaching uncle and ducked around a few distant relatives huddled under several black umbrellas on the steps. From the few words she caught, someone thought the tainted past of the late Morgan and his troubled daughter served as a hot topic to whisper about. The chilled wind carried faint notes of words like untrustworthy and tainted .

Anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach until a bitter taste entered her mouth. Not that she wanted to give any excuses, but her life choices were no one else's business. Now that she was set to take over, they'd either have to accept her past or not. She didn't quite care. She'd fallen in love with the enemy ages ago, but fate had other plans. And for that they wanted to label her as a villain? Screw them!

She might not have the best hearing, but even the dead could pick up on the shameful tone tossed her way. Once tainted in the eyes of the high and mighty of her father's inner circles there was no going back. Money didn't make you a decent human being. These people were more vicious than wild animals.

Trying not to catch the tip of her heel on jagged bricks of the walkway, she didn't bother to acknowledge any of the old hens mixed up with a few well-creased suits. No one had time for that crap or fake sentiments. She risked a glance at her watch as she reached the graveled road.

With a double click, the doors to the Town Car flicked open and she slid in and not a moment too soon. Several trench coats were already weaving through the crowd to catch up. "Sorry." She hit the lock switch and turned over the motor. "Not this time, boys."

Having Morgan as a surname made bodyguards one more thing she had to deal with on a regular basis.

But not today. Esmeralda hit the little green button on her cell phone before the first full ring finished.

"Ms. Esmeralda Morgan, I'm calling about your travel arrangements." Curt and to the point. Her father's secretary never cracked a smile or, God forbid, exchanged pleasantries.

"Yes, Ms. Stevens." With the phone tossed to the passenger side, Esmeralda craned her neck around to check for passing cars, not that there would be many on a single lane cemetery road, but hey, one tended to be a little more careful when the view out the windshield was acres of stone slabs in a variety of sizes.

"I'm calling to confirm your flight times. I have you for an eleven-thirty departure."

How could she forget? "I'll be there. Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Stevens." With a flick across the smooth glass, she ended the call and stuffed the phone back into her coat pocket, mentally adding a note to pick up something on her trip to smooth the rough edges of her soon-to-be assistant.

Just the thought of dealing with Stevens on a daily basis made her pulse plummet.

She had one more stop and then she could be on her way. Executing her father's last wishes in secrecy took some finagling, but the end was in sight.

The drive passed in a blur and within minutes of stowing her single carry-on, the skies opened up and drowned out the shrinking skyline of New York City.