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from the grave and beyond. A stipulation in the will stated that if he divorced Chelsea, Pemberton Transport would go public. Under the terms of the will, his shares would become nonvoting shares, allowing the major stockholders in the corporation complete control. Even if he retained his position as CEO, he would be nothing more than a figurehead, at the mercy of the board of directors. However, if he were to produce an heir with Chelsea, the stipulation would be null and void. At forty-one, Chelsea was too old to have children. Pure and simple, he was stuck with her. Hell, she was menopausal. They’d tried throughout the years, but a child hadn’t been in their stars. Part of him was glad. He didn’t want the lifetime responsibility of raising a child. He was too self-centered and knew it. Chelsea, on the other hand, would have loved a child. Not that she was the motherly type. She wasn’t. Having a child would simply be another means of digging as deeply into his pockets as she could. It was all about the money for Chelsea. He liked it, too. Born into wealth, Nicholas Pemberton couldn’t imagine a life without all his millions.
    The traffic slowed to a halt as Nick turned onto Union Street. The building where the banquet was being held blazed with lights. Limos, Hummers, and Mercedes were lined up to make the turn into the self-serve parking area.
    “See? I knew this would be low-class. They’re making us park our own vehicle!”
    “Shut up, Chelsea. It won’t kill you to walk around the corner. As a matter of fact, you might work off some of that extra weight you’ve been carrying around.” He said that just to tick her off. She was as thin as a rail. He got out of the car and walked around to open the passenger door for her. Never knew who might be watching them. Appearances were everything in his world.
    Chelsea shot daggers at him. “You’re a true prick, Nick. But you already know that, don’t you?”
    “So you say. Let’s just go inside and make nice to all the snotty kids. A lot of society women went to college, you know. You might bump into some of your friends on the catering staff. It’s a shame you didn’t have the opportunity to get an education.”
    He knew how her lack of education shamed her. Tossing it in her face now and then did his heart good.
    “The shame is that I fell for a liar like you.”
    Nick placed his hand on her elbow, leading her to the sidewalk. “It is. You’ve had such a pitiful life. I almost feel sorry for you.”
    The couple continued to walk toward the bright lights. Music blared; shouts of laughter could be heard through the open doors. Nick cleared his throat, raked a hand through his hair, and led his wife inside.
    Couples dressed in their finest had gathered in small groups throughout the foyer. Nick plastered a smile on his face. He glanced around, searching for a familiar face, only to stop when he noticed a woman in a black wrap. She was so striking that it almost took his breath away. And there was something vaguely familiar about her.
    Dropping Chelsea’s hand, he said, “Go find our table. I’ll be there in few a minutes.”
    Appearances and Chelsea were all but forgotten as he made his way across the foyer to the coat-check counter.

Chapter 3
    S oon after entering the university building, Lin sheepishly relinquished her wrap to the young woman at the coat-check counter. Everywhere she looked, women glistened in their dazzling evening gowns, their jewel-like hues filling the large room with colors as bright as the shimmering lights on a Christmas tree. Many wore sparkling jewels around their necks, and diamonds dripped from their ears like giant teardrops. The men looked as though they’d jumped right off the pages of the latest edition of GQ. Slacks creased to perfection, no one appeared to have a hair out of place. She’d never seen so many beautifully dressed people in one room. It reminded her of a night at the Oscars. She felt drab in