oor as she headed for the exit. She

a breath, the stinging pain on his cheek fueli

. Kevon had kicked the coffee table, sending crys

hink you are?

nded on the wood floor. Ke

before her mind could process the threat. As Kevon's hand reached out to g

is momentum carried him forward, and h

h me," she said, her voice low and lethal, "and the headline tomorr

in his eyes warred with the instinct for self-preservation

s footing. "Without Baxter money backing you, your little je

mous last name, Kevon. That's it. Without it, you're just a mediocre trust

n the eye. "The position of the future Mrs. Baxte

s voice trembling with rage. "You'll come crawling back when you realize no one else

had never been told 'no' in his life. She felt no desire to defend herself or

and grabbed the edge of the heavy door. With a forceful pull, she slammed it

he wall for a second, taking a long, shuddering bre

om her clutch. Her thumbs flew across the screen. She didn't just block his number; she went into

stainless-steel doors slide shut. In the distorted reflecti

man with a practiced smile, saw her walking alone and moved to interc

n his tracks. The manager swallowed his words and stepped back,

ately. The wind off the avenue was biting, carrying fat, wet snowflakes that stu

ng in the frigid air. "Miss Paul! Sho

g off the carpet and onto the slush-covered curb. She

eat, the vinyl cold against her legs. "Manhattan, West 54th Street," she said

out the window. The neon signs of the city blurred into streaks of light. For th

t friend and lawyer, lit up the screen. "How d

ver the keyboard for a moment before she typed

ang, Zara's name flashing on the screen. Fi

ara's voice was a mix of a scream a

against the cold glass of the taxi window. She recounted the events with the detachment of a s

s came through the speaker. "I'm switching to work mode. Do you

at her looked tired, but her eyes were those of a predator. "Draft the

grim and professional. "I'll have the in

e phone into her lap and watched the