Mr. Morgan's jaw clenched before he suddenly wheeled on his daughter, voice sharp as a whip. "Apologize to Mr. Vaughn right now!"
Vera's body went rigid, her face twisting into a snarl. "Why the hell should I apologize to him? Dad, must we really grovel? The Vaughn Group's nothing special—if he won't help, it's because he can't even handle his own crisis!"
Her father turned purple with rage, sputtering "You—" before Heath's voice sliced through the air like frozen steel. "Vera, you're mistaken about one thing. We didn't kick you when you were down—we're the architects of your downfall."
All color drained from Vera's face.
"And," Heath continued, his gaze thawing just for Kiera, "if apologies are owed, the first belongs to her."
Vera's thoughts whirled in frantic denial. She understood
