For three years, she turned Axel Farrell into Silicon Valley’s perfect family man—only to discover he was secretly betraying her. When Axel freezes her accounts, brands her mentally incompetent, and tries to have her imprisoned, she realizes their marriage was never love. But his greatest mistake was underestimating the genius behind his empire. Now she’s joining his biggest rival—and coming for everything.
Ayla looked up at him warily. “How?” Cassius pointed a long finger at the titanium food box sitting on his desk. “You are going to sit in that chair,” he said, “and you are going to eat that meal with me. Every single bite.” Ayla stared at him. The most feared billionaire on Wall Street…
“Your lease has been unilaterally terminated by the board of directors,” the manager said coldly. “We received an emergency notice from the federal authorities this morning. The offshore letter of credit you provided has been flagged for international money laundering and fraud. The pending wire transfer has been blocked, and your cash deposit has been…
Cassius sat on a low black leather Italian sofa, wearing dark slacks and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing the thick, scarred muscles of his forearms. He held a silver Zippo lighter, flipping the lid open and closed with a rhythmic metallic click. At the sound of her footsteps, he stopped.…
“I didn’t come here to fight,” Cassius said, his tone dripping with condescension. “I came to thank you.” Axel’s jaw tightened. “Thank me for what?” “For cultivating such an exquisite woman.” Cassius reached into his breast pocket and produced a document – crisp, official, its holographic seals catching the sunlight. He pressed it flat against…
Ayla let out a cold, sharp laugh. She raised the leather folder and slammed it into his chest with one swift motion. The folder burst open. Hundreds of pages of medical documents, pharmacy receipts, and forged psychiatric evaluations scattered into the wind, fluttering down the marble steps. “Those are the records of the heavy psychiatric…
The vintage landline phone on the oak desk began to ring. The shrill, sudden sound made Ayla jump. This was a Gilliam Group safe house. Nobody was supposed to have this number. She stared at the phone. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Slowly, she reached out and lifted the receiver. “Hello?” Ayla whispered. “Did…
“Miss Joyce,” Marcus said, his tone dropping instantly to a cold, terrified whisper. “Do not call this number again. I cannot help you.” The line went dead. Ayla slammed the phone down on the desk. The crack of plastic against wood echoed through the quiet study. She refused to give up. She opened LinkedIn, created…
Just as she hit the final key to compile the program, her burner phone lit up on the table. It was a text from an unknown number. Ayla opened it. How does it feel to be a stray dog, Ayla? Come to the Manor gates tonight at 8:00 PM to collect your mother’s ashes. If…
The tears were still wet on her cheeks, but her eyes were completely devoid of fear. The alcohol and the trauma had pushed her past the point of panic. She was in a state of pure, feral survival. She didn’t speak. She grabbed the half-empty tequila bottle by the neck and slammed it against the…
“I am not a garbage disposal for your trauma, Ayla,” Cassius snarled, his grip tightening on her shoulders. “When I take you, it won’t be because you are drunk and desperate for revenge. It will be because you are completely sober, and you are begging me to.” The brutal truth of his words shattered the…