Allie’s head snapped up. “What does my parents’ death have to do with any of this?”

“Your parents wanted Ingram to remain in the family. Your father would have withdrawn his support once you called off the wedding, and without the blessing of the almighty Richard Sinclair, I didn’t stand a chance at convincing the rest of the board.” He leaned back in the leather chair and crossed his ankle over the opposite knee. “I needed someone in power who was a bit easier to control.”

A cold sweat misted Allie’s skin. “What did you do?” she whispered.

Julian leveled his beady stare. “Whatever it took.”

No, no, no . . .

“Once I ensured the Ingram-Sinclair holdings would be transferred to their sole heir, I simply turned to the seemingly illustrious Mr. Chase for a bit of leverage. I didn’t even need to dig too far. Covering up a murder?” The corner of Julian’s mouth twisted in a hideous grin. “It’s as if he handed you over on a silver platter.”

Allie struggled to catch her breath while Julian gloated about orchestrating her parents’ murder as if it was a victory in a polo match. “Everything fell into place so easily it was almost boring, really. Other than the imbecile taking your mother’s ring as a souvenir.” He tsked. “As a professional, he should have known I couldn’t leave that type of loose end. Then again, having the ring in his possession when his body was discovered did a nice job of setting him up to take the fall. From what I hear, the police have all but closed the case.”

The taste of bile rose in Allie’s throat, and for a moment she thought she might be sick.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like that drink now, Alessandra? You look a little pale.”

Her mind spun as she struggled to process everything she’d learned, but one thing was certain: Julian had killed her parents in cold blood. Threatening to incriminate Hudson in a murder was only the tip of the iceberg. There was no telling the lengths he would go to force her to do his bidding. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep Hudson safe, but it wasn’t in her power to give Julian what he wanted. “The shares from the estate aren’t enough to give you control of the company,” she told him. “Hudson owns a considerable amount.”

“I’m well aware of his holdings. And I’m also aware of his weakness for you. You’re his Achilles heel, Alessandra. It shouldn’t be too difficult for you to get him to sign over his interest in the company.”

“How exactly do you expect me to do that?’

“By ending your relationship.”

“He won’t believe me.” There was no way Hudson would believe she was leaving him, that she didn’t love him. Or would he? She’d been so horrible to him when she’d discovered he was the one secretly buying up shares of Ingram Media in a hostile takeover attempt. And now if he thought she had left the country without him . . .

“Convince him. Tell him you’ve had a change of heart, that you can’t forgive him after all, or that you’ve simply grown tired of him. I don’t care. But end it.”

“He’ll fight for me.”

Julian sneered. “I’m counting on that. Let him grovel like he did before, then you can give him the ultimatum. Make him prove his love by signing the stock over to you. It’s the decent thing to do seeing as how you’re Jonathan Ingram’s only surviving heir. Then, of course, you’ll deliver the final blow to his ego by joining my side in wedded bliss.” His words were a direct contrast to the bitter contempt in his tone. “And since you’ve already proven you can’t control yourself around the dog, let me make one thing perfectly clear. Manipulate him, Alessandra, but don’t fuck him. That’s a service reserved for your future husband.”

“If you think I’ll sleep with you, you’re crazy.”

“Contrary to what that mongrel may have told you, you’re not the lay of the century. Far from it, in fact. I have plenty of resources at my disposal to better meet those needs. You’ll sleep in my bed by invitation. The frequency will depend on how fertile you are.” He smirked. “And my mood, of course.”

Allie gaped at him. “You expect me to have your child?”

He rose from his chair. “Two. An heir and a spare, as the Brits love to say.”

Allie shrank back as he rounded the desk. “Relax,” he said, his laugh mocking her fear. “No one shall call a Laurent a bastard. I won’t be taking you again until after the wedding.” He strolled past her to the row of crystal decanters and refilled his glass with a hefty pour. “Which brings me to the time frame. The annual shareholder’s meeting is in April, and my sources tell me the board is set to vote on a permanent CEO when they convene in March.”

His sources? Allie barely had time to consider who at Ingram was funneling high-level information to Julian when he dropped another bomb on her.

“We’ll need the ceremony to take place well before that meeting. Mid-February at the latest.” He cocked an eyebrow. “St. Valentine’s Day? Perhaps more fitting for the massacre than a diaper-wearing cherub, but apropos nonetheless.”

“You want to get married next month?” she asked. Her voice was hoarse.

“Oui. The arrangements won’t be a problem given that the plans were already in place. Most of them can be adjusted to the February date. At least enough to capitalize on the PR . . . I’m thinking something along the lines of ‘Dashing Prince Rescues Orphaned Heiress.’ Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Clearly he had lost his mind. But she had to play along. It was the only hope she had of buying the time she needed to figure a way out of this mess. “Why so fast . . . I mean, we have our whole lives, what’s the rush?”

“We need to allow adequate time for the blushing bride to realize how much the company has suffered at the hands of a corporate raider and replace him with her new husband.”

“The co-CEO idea was just for the interim, Julian. I don’t think anyone expects it to continue permanently, regardless of whom is sitting in that chair.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I have no intention of working alongside you.” He took a sip from the crystal glass. “Once we return from our honeymoon, you will have a change of heart, decide you have no place in the boardroom after all, and use your considerable stock percentage to vote your new husband into the position.”

“And what am I supposed to do?”

He shrugged. “Fill your days with charity work and tennis matches like your mother did.”

“So after everything I’ve done, I’m just supposed to suddenly change my mind about running my grandfather’s company and hand it all over to you?” Allie straightened in her chair. She was proud of the work she’d been doing at Ingram. Her victories in the boardroom might have been small, but she was slowly earning their respect. Walking away at this point wouldn’t make any sense. “No one will believe that.”

“How you sell the story isn’t my concern, Alessandra. But I suggest you work on your poker face.” He closed the distance between them until he was standing beside her chair. “I’ll expect you to play the loving wife when we’re in public.”

His fingers traced the wildly pulsing vein in her neck. Allie squeezed her eyes closed, fighting the urge to jerk away from his touch. “I’m not that good of an actor.”

“I felt the same way, but if I can pull it off, so can you. With enough practice you’ll get it right, and if not, I will be happy to introduce certain methods of motivation.” His hand tightened around her neck. “A training of sorts could be quite interesting.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she murmured, trying to control her fear.

“Convince me.” He pulled her cell phone out of his hip pocket and tossed it on the desk in front of her. “I believe there is a heart in need of crushing.”

“You want me to do it now?”

“No time like the present. Consider it a good faith gesture on your part. Although now that I think about it, extra incentive never hurts.” Julian drained the rest of the vodka from his glass as he moved to the other side of his desk. “My sources at Chicago PD are very thorough.” He reached into the top drawer and pulled out a manila envelope. Allie knew what it contained even before he opened it. She tried to steel herself against the onslaught of emotion that welled inside her, but nothing could prepare her for what she was about to see. “Visual aides are always so helpful. Wouldn’t you agree, Alessandra?”