a Holl

bed my upper arm. His grip pinched the fabric of

right now," Caden sa

aid, looking direct

logize to my mother and Khloe," Caden said. "Or I will have the pol

my strength, wrenching my

and your mistress

. You have no money and no power. You will eventually give up. You migh

with indignation. "She has always been common. She has no breeding, n

r, dabbing at dry cheeks

hing, Caden," Khloe whimpered. "I di

urned his glare back to me. His ja

rcus will stand outside the bedroom door. Anything bought with a Crawford credit card stays in this house. If you

le thing that touche

ked up the carpeted sta

s crossed over his chest. I ignored him and walked straight into the g

d faintly of hi

eath the lower drawer, taped to the back of the mahogany frame, was

d slid the palm-sized black dev

pened th

ening gowns, handmade leather pumps. Seven years of b

none

. Inside, I packed my mother's silver locket, my high school diploma, my engineering

tairs with the backpack

od in the foyer like a recepti

small canvas bag

million dollars of marital property with a twenty-doll

t your MIT degree is useless without venture capital networks.

re the best defense lawyers in New York. Because on Fr

the broken glas

week on your own!" Ca

hut behind me, cut

but my lungs felt clear for

a blur of fluorescenc

ived under a flat,

on the eleventh floor of the New Y

briefcase open, four stacks of color-co

th no jewelry except my mother's s

the back of the courtroom

t with a white silk pocket square. Behind him, sitting in the second row of the public gallery, was Khloe Rose. Sh

at the defense tab

acket with a faint, mocking smirk on his lips. He caught my

he whispered in a low, patronizing tone. "Stop

merger meeting to sit here. Drop the suit,

outh shut, C

ambers, her black robes rustling as

reading glasses and gla

lly scheduled as an emergency petition for divorce and temporary spousal asset distribution

tood up, butto

an immediate amendment to the orig

rold Higgins, stood up wi

rom a petitioner who realizes she has no claim

Judge Vance said sharpl

otional distress," Joelle said, her voice ringing through the quiet room. "Furthermore, we are requesting this court refer

oom went d

smirk