Chapter 3

"Shut your mouths."

Dalton's voice wasn't loud, but the deep, gravelly baritone exploded down the narrow hallway.

The sheer dominance in his tone was suffocating. The reporters instinctively froze. Fingers lifted off shutter buttons. The flashing lights died.

Chadwick hated losing control of the narrative. He raised his voice even higher.

"How much money is it going to take for you to let her go?!" Chadwick demanded, stepping forward.

Dalton didn't even look at him. He looked down at the trembling girl crushed against his chest.

He lifted his warm hand and pressed it firmly over Audriana's exposed ear, pressing her other ear against his chest. He refused to let her hear the filth coming out of Chadwick's mouth.

Dalton slowly raised his head. His gaze locked onto the backup phone Alex Jennings was using to record the scene.

He reached up with his free hand and calmly adjusted his right cufflink. His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, yet heavy with absolute authority.

"Audriana Christensen is my fiancée."

The words hit the hallway like a physical shockwave. The silence that followed was absolute, heavy enough to choke on.

Chadwick's face froze. His mouth hung open in a grotesque, comical expression of pure disbelief.

Against Dalton's chest, Audriana's head jerked up. Her eyes were wide, staring in absolute shock at the sharp line of Dalton's jaw.

Dalton looked down at her. His dark eyes held no trace of a joke. There was only a terrifying, deep-rooted certainty.

Alex Jennings stuttered, pointing a shaky finger at Chadwick. "But... he said he's her boyfriend."

Dalton let out a dark, humorless laugh.

"He sold his girlfriend to an underground casino to cover a five-hundred-thousand-dollar gambling debt," Dalton stated coldly, exposing the rot for everyone to see.

All the blood drained from Chadwick's face. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror. He couldn't comprehend how the Wall Street billionaire knew his deepest, darkest secret.

The reporters smelled blood. The cameras instantly pivoted, the lenses now shoved directly into Chadwick's sweating face.

Dalton didn't stop. "The keycard he used tonight is a forgery. That is a federal felony."

Chadwick opened his mouth to defend himself, but his voice cracked. His weak stammers were nothing against the crushing weight of Dalton's detailed accusations.

Audriana stared at the man she had dated for two years. A violent wave of nausea twisted her stomach, making bile rise in her throat.

She grabbed the lapels of Dalton's coat. Her knuckles turned stark white. He was a stranger, but right now, he was the only solid ground she had left.

Dalton felt her small fingers digging into his chest. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her even deeper into his protective space.

He looked straight into the recording phone.

"Any media outlet that publishes a single photo from tonight will face a total, permanent blackout from the West Corporation."

The threat was absolute. The veteran reporters in the back exchanged nervous glances. They slowly lowered their cameras. No one was willing to bet their entire career against Dalton West.

The elevator bell chimed at the end of the hall.

The metal doors slid open. Simon Fletcher stepped out, flanked by a dozen massive men in black suits.

The security team moved with military precision. They surged forward, violently snatching memory cards and cameras from the reporters' hands.

Chadwick saw the men and tried to bolt toward the stairwell. Two massive guards grabbed him, slamming him face-first into the wallpapered wall.

Dalton watched Chadwick get pinned. His eyes were dead, showing zero mercy.

He turned around, keeping Audriana securely against his side. He lifted his long leg and kicked the heavy mahogany door shut.

The heavy thud sealed the room, cutting off the chaos of the hallway instantly.

The penthouse was dead silent. The only sound was the jagged, uneven breathing of the two people standing in the foyer.

Audriana's adrenaline finally crashed. The last thread of her strength snapped. Her legs gave out completely, and she plummeted toward the hardwood floor.