flash
The screech of the chopper’s rotor blades vibrated directly through the freezing slate beneath my spine. The blinding white vortex of snow kicked up by the downdraft burned my eyes, but I forced my lids open, locking my gaze onto the amber visor of the rescue specialist dropping out of the sky. / Chapter 10 / 30

Chapter 10 - The Summit

Six months after the trial concluded, the winter snows had melted away, replaced by the vibrant, blooming wildflowers of Rocky Mountain National Park.

I stood at the exact overlook where my life had nearly ended.

The wind was calm today. The sun beamed down warmly against my face, turning the jagged gray rock formations a brilliant shade of gold. In a specialized ergonomic baby carrier strapped securely against my chest, six-month-old Leo cooed happily, clutching a small plastic rattle in his tiny fist.

I walked slowly to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the narrow ledge four hundred feet below where I had spent two agonizing hours fighting for my life and my child's future.

It looked smaller than I remembered. Less terrifying. Just stone, ice, and time.

Michael was currently serving his life sentence in a maximum-security federal penitentiary three states away, stripped of his wealth, his freedom, and his legacy. Ashley was serving her hard time behind bars. Carter Global Holdings was stronger, richer, and more secure than ever, entirely under my command.

I had lost everything on this mountain—my trust, my marriage, my illusion of safety.

But I had found something infinitely more powerful in return.

I had found the absolute limits of my own strength.

"Let's go home, Leo," I whispered, pressing a kiss to my son's soft hair as I turned away from the edge and walked back toward the waiting car.

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I stepped past the door frame, my leather shoes clicking softly against the linoleum floor.

I stepped past the door frame, my leather shoes clicking softly against...

Daniel stepped toward the bed, his polished leather shoes squeaking against the pristine hospital linoleum. He reached for the tray table, his fingers brushing the edge of the papers. His voice was low, coated in a practiced, corporate calm that made my stomach churn worse than the spiked blood pressure.

Daniel stepped toward the bed, his polished leather shoes squeaking agai...

The silence in the dining room stretched thin, heavy enough to slice with a butter knife. Robert, Michael’s father, adjusted his napkin, completely oblivious to the silent war being fought across the porcelain plates.

The silence in the dining room stretched thin, heavy enough to slice wit...

The mountain had tried to bury me.

Instead, it had forged a queen.

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