Lynne Graham Books – Trusted & Genuine

“I protected it.” His jaw tightened. “Until he died, I never called in the debt. Now I need something from you, Lily. And I will take it.”

She’d been eighteen. He’d been a struggling law student, not the heir to a shipping empire. They’d made love in her father’s greenhouse, and Rio had said, “One day, I’ll build you a garden by the sea.” lynne graham books

“He told me,” Rio said quietly. “On his deathbed, three months ago. The photos. The threats. Your ridiculous, sacrificial letter.” He set down the coffee and walked toward her. “You broke my heart to save my future. And I spent five years hating you for it.” “I protected it

“Bought it last year. It’s empty.” His smile was the one she remembered — warm, boyish, full of wonder. “I was waiting for the right gardener.” The garden by the Aegean was bursting with peonies, roses, and wild herbs. Lily knelt in the soil, sun-warmed and happy, while Rio held their newborn daughter — a squalling, dark-haired miracle named Eleni. And I will take it

“What?” she whispered, hating the tremor in her voice.

Lily felt the floor tilt. This was blackmail wrapped in a diamond ring. But it was also survival.