Chapter 3

The helicopter hovered directly over the Hilton. A massive searchlight mounted on the belly of the chopper snapped on, cutting through the darkness like a physical blade. The blinding white beam pinned the outdoor wedding reception to the ground.

Annabelle looked down through the glass. Axel was standing near the altar, shielding his eyes, frantically shouting at the hotel security guards to control the panicked crowd.

A wave of men dressed in black tactical gear flooded the venue from all sides. They moved with military precision, instantly disarming the hotel guards and forcing them to the ground.

Fay let out a piercing scream. She scrambled backward, hiding behind a massive champagne tower. Her haute couture gown dragged through the spilled red wine, soaking up the mud and alcohol until it looked like a dirty rag.

The helicopter touched down on the rooftop helipad. Dangelo carried Annabelle's body down the steps, his face an unreadable mask of stone.

The deputy kicked open the double doors to the penthouse presidential suite. They had converted the massive room into a secure holding area.

Dangelo laid her body on the pristine white sheets of the king bed. He spent a long moment straightening the collar of his suit jacket that still wrapped her shoulders.

When he turned away from the bed and walked toward the elevator, the gentleness vanished. His jaw ticked. He looked like a man walking to an execution.

Annabelle's soul phased through the closed door, desperate to follow him, needing to see the end of this.

The heavy oak doors of the ground-floor ballroom were kicked open. Dangelo walked into the room. The air around him felt like liquid nitrogen.

The Silicon Valley elite were kneeling on the floor, hands behind their heads, guns pointed at their backs. The silence in the room was absolute.

Axel pushed himself up from the floor, adjusting his cuffs in a pathetic attempt to regain control. "Valencia, what is this? You are disrupting a legal gathering. My lawyers will bury you."

Dangelo didn't speak. He closed the distance in three massive strides and drove his fist directly into Axel's face.

The wet, sharp crack of Axel's nose breaking echoed off the high ceilings.

Axel screamed, collapsing backward onto the marble floor. Before he could roll away, Dangelo's heavy leather shoe planted firmly on the center of his chest, pinning him down and cutting off his air supply.

Fay crawled out from behind the table, sobbing hysterically. She lunged at Dangelo's leg. The deputy stepped forward, his face an impassive mask of professional discipline. He seamlessly blocked her frantic path. With a swift, practiced move, he seized her flailing arm, twisted it firmly behind her back, and forced her down to her knees. He neutralized her completely without a single wasted movement or excessive violence, pinning her securely to the marble floor.

Dangelo didn't speak. He gave a sharp nod to his deputy. The deputy stepped forward and threw a ruggedized military tablet down hard onto the marble floor right in front of Axel's bloody face.

The screen flared to life. Hundreds of digital files began auto-scrolling across the display. Encrypted bank statements showing the forged financials. Digital wire transfer receipts to the mechanics who serviced the Alexander family jet.

The kneeling investors craned their necks. Gasps filled the room. The people who had been kissing Axel's ring ten minutes ago now looked at him like he was a disease.

Annabelle hovered above the chaos. The realization hit her chest like a physical weight. Dangelo hadn't just come to shoot them. He had spent months gathering the evidence to destroy them legally.

The wail of police sirens pierced the night air. Dangelo had orchestrated the official raid to coincide with his physical takeover.

Dozens of FBI agents swarmed into the ballroom. Dangelo slowly removed his foot from Axel's chest, stepping back with a look of utter disgust.

Axel spat blood onto the floor as the agents yanked his arms behind his back and slapped the steel cuffs on his wrists. "This is a setup! He planted this!" Axel screamed, his eyes wild.

Dangelo leaned in close. "Enjoy the general population block," he whispered, his voice carrying the finality of a judge's gavel.

Two female agents grabbed Fay by the arms and dragged her across the floor. Her ruined dress tore at the seams, exposing her legs as she sobbed and begged for someone to call her mother.

The revenge was complete. But as Dangelo watched them being dragged away, he didn't smile. His massive frame suddenly swayed.

The deputy rushed forward, grabbing Dangelo's bicep to keep him upright. "Sir. Your chest. The wound tore open again."

Annabelle drifted closer. Her breath caught in her non-existent throat. A dark, terrifying patch of red blood was rapidly expanding across the left side of Dangelo's crisp white shirt, right over his heart.

Dangelo shoved the deputy away. He turned his back on the FBI and walked toward the elevator. He was going back to the penthouse.

Inside the empty elevator car, the doors slid shut. Dangelo leaned his back against the cold metal wall. His legs gave out. He slid down until he hit the floor, pressing his hand hard against his bleeding chest.

With his clean hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, tarnished metal object. It was the St. Clair Prep School crest pin. The one Annabelle had lost four years ago.

He pressed the cold metal against his lips. A raw, guttural sob tore from his throat. The sound was so full of agony it felt like it ripped Annabelle's soul entirely in half.