speak for

ng, the damning video paused mid-frame. The image of C

eing sentenced, waiting for a ver

ly. Her voice was too calm, too quiet. "You didn'

slipped. I didn't touch her. I swear t

n why does it lo

inal footage. The full version. But someone cut it, trimmed the audio. Do yo

tared

red. Before all this. Before I trus

our

ilence

away, swall

e. They couldn't break me from the outside, s

working,"

Just slightly

g past him, grabbing h

the door.

You don't get to dec

dn't

could argue, he

t. Unknow

to you. Ask Celia who really

ood ra

ly turne

promotion through, Cal

ared

lo

ou earned it, Nora. That

h me

had

That

, sipping from a glass of cha

ph

e on a str

ano

pulled up

a mes

you promised, Celia. Or

ce drained

ew tha

whil

er around herself as the w

ing-her entire life unr

ht she loved...

possibly b

hat had made

cross the street-no lights, n

ne buzz

ed Nu

the storm, Nora? You

ked awa

car doo

ed out, face h

when Nora

asn't

ever ha

here

taste of blood and t

the air was thick with heat, like they were underground.

but pain launched

owed figure. The way her phone had sli

g afte

r cre

on con

she hadn't he

lways stubb

fr

Jac

face hardened by time. Her ex. The one who'd nearly br

sed to be here,"

re you are. Pregnant. P

ed. "You're wor

e's in control. But sweetheart

at Prescott

as Celia slammed

e'd be safe!

atched," Cal snapp

w a file o

-and his sto

ora. Boun

ritten i

ong move, and the scandal will

she?" he

s unhinged. He wants revenge. Not just on

slowly,

hoices. Now I'

n the

f you wanted revenge, you sh

ng out her phone. "But I w

the r

urned the cam

oodbye

r eyes. "I hope

here

e investigator, hacker, and off-the-record mer

sir-l

off-the-

ned to

to help me g

wed. "And

ned in

lose everything you ever

od onto the c

like it was performance art. "You should've stayed

f defiance. "You should

ession d

naire prince of yours? The minute you become a scan

dn't f

don't know h

rned the c

ould be

said. "But

ate Estate – Under

een filled with satellite f

t. The signal on her burner phone pinged once a

t working alone. Someone gave him your internal secur

," Cal

g on it," s

st on the table

the door-an old contact from his dirt

an. We're

n the

blink of that swinging bulb. Ev

th

ar the leg of the chair. A shard

d slowly

sipping from a flask and sm

t footage. Evidence. I send this to the press, and

saw

d her grip o

e said, her voice icy. "Yo

she l

e was c

al slic

ack as she slammed into him,

pregnant?" she growled. "You s

bbed th

she

him hard enough

oor before he cou

ile, -

a halt in front of th

ows three bodies

f them

re they finishe

dr

t ra

idor, blood trailing from his jaw. "She's

la

f the hall, breathing hard, on

fr

eyes

small, de

nshot spl

led a weapon ai

idn't

red f

on dr

d po

le

h

colla

e, but all Cal could hear wa

e hand curled protectively around her stomach. He didn't dare speak. Did

d at the ambulance. No internal bl

a

through him

t lost bot

his own company h

ater - Privat

o the soft bee

uttered. Her

e was

minded her, so was that tiny h

jaw tight, shirt stai

e," she

met hers.

sit up-winc

id, his voice raw.

a long moment. "He said someon

ened. "I know.

Industr

ware of the silent security camer

erted a small encrypted flash

de began to

nts va

sage pinged o

y. We wer

e to blink before

officers. Cal

fight it. J

ou long

t the

w, painkillers dull

tered

sted her?"

l your schedules to Jackson. Even forged document

out a bre

. Then she s

ht you were a phase. A risk. She

I mattered, Nor

ofter now. "You do.

eyes

nt, the wo

e again-calm

her name

ised a

to be unemployable. I want every hiring manager

lowly. We c

kson?" s

ally ruled as

et's make sure none of them are ever