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Harold Donovan did not blink. He turned his head toward his desk, where a sleek, secure terminal sat bathed in the glow of the desk lamp. / Chapter 14 / 19

Chapter 15 - The Trap Springs

Before Emily could reply, the smart-lock on her penthouse front door clicked.

Clack.

Panic spiked through her veins. She stood up instantly, her hand gripping a heavy glass paperweight from her desk. The security system was supposed to be impenetrable—tied directly into Harold's private network.

The heavy oak door pushed open.

Stepping into the dimly lit foyer wasn't an assassin or a thug in a tactical vest. It was Julian Vance, wearing the same calm, unbothered smirk, flanked by two private security guards in sleek gray suits.

"Relax, Emily," Julian said, slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled into her living room as if he owned it. "Breaking and entering is such an ugly phrase. Let's call it an unscheduled corporate briefing."

"Get out of my apartment," Emily demanded, her voice shaking slightly, though she held her ground behind the desk. "Or I will call the police right now."

"Your phone is currently dead," Julian noted smoothly, tapping his own wristwatch. "Jamming frequencies work wonders in high-rises. Now, sit down. Let's talk business."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"You have the Queens waterfront proxy shares," Julian corrected, his smile fading into something hard and calculating. "The shares your grandfather left to your family, which Harold cleverly buried inside the foundation to keep them out of my hands. I want them back, Emily. And in exchange, I can offer you something Ethan could never give you."

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Cold October wind whipped my hair across my face, but the stinging heat on my left cheek completely drowned out the chill. Mara stood beside me on the terrace, her hands clamped over her mouth as silent tears leaked down her mascara. Inside the glass doors, the jazz quartet had finally resumed playing, a jaunty, swinging tune that felt like a sick joke echoing across the luxury ballroom.

Cold October wind whipped my hair across my face, but the stinging heat...

Chapter 2 - The Ghost in the MachineWe bypassed the main elevators, taking the service stairs down to the underground valet level...

The silence after the bank call felt heavy, settling over Nora’s apartment like dust after a demolition. Her phone buzzed twice within sixty seconds—automated alerts from subscription services and utilities abruptly bouncing as the frozen card rejected them. She hadn't realized how deeply her entire life was tethered to that single piece of plastic until the umbilical cord was snapped in an instant.

The silence after the bank call felt heavy, settling over Nora’s apartme...

Evelyn’s fingers tapped rapidly against her scrub pocket, her expression locked in grim determination. The air inside the cramped storage closet smelled faintly of industrial detergent and powdered baby formula, a sterile scent that did little to calm the rising panic clawing at my throat.

Evelyn’s fingers tapped rapidly against her scrub pocket, her expression...

Emily raised her chin. "And what's that?"

"Absolute, permanent immunity from Jocelyn," Julian said smoothly. "She's currently staying in a derelict tenement in Brooklyn, planning a public smear campaign against you and the foundation. I can make her disappear. Permanently."

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