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 7 / 30

Chapter 7 - The Confrontation Behind Bars

The visiting room at the Denver Maximum Security Detention Center smelled of cheap disinfectant, damp concrete, and unwashed desperation.

I sat on one side of the reinforced Plexiglas partition, wearing a crisp charcoal blazer and dark designer sunglasses that hid the lingering shadows beneath my eyes. A prison guard escorted Michael into the opposite booth.

He looked unrecognizable.

Gone was the bespoke Tom Ford suit, the slicked-back hair, and the arrogant, million-dollar smile. Instead, he wore a bright orange jumpsuit several sizes too large, his wrists shackled to a metal waist chain that clinked rhythmically with every step. His eyes were bloodshot, sunken, and hollow.

Michael sat down heavily, picking up the heavy plastic telephone receiver with shaking hands. I picked mine up slowly, pressing it against my ear.

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. We just stared at each other through the thick, bulletproof glass.

"You look terrible, Michael," I said softly, my voice carrying clearly through the intercom speaker.

Michael let out a harsh, broken laugh that sounded like glass grinding together. "You're a demon, Elena. A literal monster. You set me up from the very beginning, didn't you? You knew I was talking to Ashley, you knew about the policy..."

"I trusted you, Michael," I interrupted, my voice dropping an octave, turning glacial. "I built this company from the ground up, I shared my wealth with you, I carried your child for nine months, and while I was worrying about our family's future, you were calculating the velocity of a human body falling off a four-hundred-foot cliff."

Michael slammed his cuffed fist against the Plexiglas partition, making the heavy glass rattle in its steel frame. "I wanted out! You were too controlling! Everything was your empire, your money! I deserved my share!"

"Your share?" I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the stainless-steel counter, my eyes locking onto his with terrifying intensity. "You didn't want a share, Michael. You wanted it all. And now, you have nothing. Your accounts are frozen, your mistress sold you out to the Feds, your trial is scheduled for next month, and you will spend the rest of your natural life staring at concrete walls."

Michael’s face twisted into an ugly snarl of pure hatred. "You think you've won, don't you? You think you're untouchable! But one day, Elena... one day I'm getting out of here, and when I do—"

"When you do what?" I cut him off smoothly, standing up from my chair and adjusting my blazer. "Write another suicide note? Plan another hike?"

I tapped the glass right in front of his nose.

May you like

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...

"Enjoy your stay, Michael. The mountain taught me how to survive the cold. But you? You're going to freeze down here."

I dropped the phone receiver back onto its cradle, turned on my heel, and walked out of the visiting room without looking back once.

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