The air tore past my ears like razor blades. At six months pregnant, the rush of terminal velocity should have been an absolute death sentence, but as the wind howled around me, my hand didn't grope blindly for the empty sky—it triggered the heavy-duty micro-transmitter sewn directly into the reinforced lining of my cashmere maternity coat.

Clack.

The lock on the glass sliding door gave way as Richard forced it open with the crowbar. The heavy glass door slid aside, letting the cold, howling ocean wind sweep into my study, carrying the sharp scent of salt and rain.

Richard stepped into the dimly lit room, panting heavily, his eyes wild and bloodshot as he scanned the shadows.

"Amelia..." he rasped, a sickening, triumphant grin twisting his emaciated face. "Did you miss me?"

I didn't move. I remained seated behind my massive mahogany desk, the shadows concealing most of my face until I slowly reached out and flicked on the single desk lamp, casting a sharp, bright beam directly across the room.

Richard blinked against the light, freezing in his tracks as he saw me sitting there—composed, calm, and holding a loaded firearm resting casually across my lap.

His smile faltered. The crowbar trembled in his hand. "You... you aren't surprised."

"Why would I be?" I asked softly, my voice cutting through the wind like a razor blade. "I knew you'd come back, Richard. Men like you can't stand the thought of a woman outsmarting them. You had to come back to finish what you started."

"I gave you everything!" Richard suddenly screamed, lunging forward with the crowbar raised high above his head. "You ruined my life! You stole my empire, you put me in a cage!"

Click.

I didn't flinch. I raised the pistol, leveling the barrel directly between his eyes with absolute, unyielding steadiness.

Before he could take another step, the double doors of my study blew wide open. Marcus and four heavily armed tactical officers flooded the room, tackling Richard violently to the hardwood floor before he could even blink.

The crowbar clattered loudly against the floor. Richard thrashed and screamed beneath the weight of three tactical officers, his face pressed against the polished wood.