elope seduced me. That she manipulated everything." He slammed his fist against the mahogany desk. "She wants me to destroy Penelope's reputation to clear her name." "Absolute

-" "Enough to ruin his reputation? To fight for you publicly?" Ashlyn leaned closer. "Strange way of showing it." "You think you've won?" "Won?" Ashlyn laughed. "Oh, darling. This isn't about winning. It's about revenge." "You're just jealous because Christopher chose me-" "Chose you?" Ashlyn's voice dropped to a whisper. "He didn't choose you. He settled for you because I was gone. But now I'm back, and do you know what's fascinating?" "What?" Penelope's voice trembled. "I don't want him anymore. But he still wants me. How does that feel?" "You're lying-" "Am I? Ask him why he tried to make me his secret wife yesterday." The color drained from Penelope's face. "What?" Suddenly, Christopher's father appeared, clutching a manila envelope. "Ashlyn! There's something you need to know about the accident-" "Not now," Christopher interrupted, reaching for the envelope. "She needs to know the truth about that night-" "What truth?" Ashlyn's voice sharpened. "About your death," Mr. White said. "It wasn't an accident. It was-" The lights went out. In the darkness, chaos erupted: Glass shattered. Someone screamed. A familiar voice called out, "Commander!" And the unmistakable crackle of energy filled th