Chapter 6

Annabelle grabbed her briefcase and walked out of the boardroom. Her heels clicked sharply against the cold marble floor of the executive hallway.

Her prepaid phone started vibrating violently in her pocket.

She pulled it out. The screen flashed a name she hadn't seen in months: Harrison Adkins. Her adoptive father.

Annabelle walked past the executive suites, pushing open the heavy fire door and slipping into the deserted, concrete stairwell. The thick walls completely blocked out the corporate noise, offering total privacy. She pressed answer.

Before she could even say hello, her adoptive mother, Eleanor, shrieked through the speaker.

"You ungrateful bitch!" Eleanor's voice was shrill enough to cause physical pain in Annabelle's ear. "How dare you threaten Jocelyne? We took you out of the gutter!"

Harrison snatched the phone. His voice was smooth, oily, and dripping with condescension.

"Annabelle, listen to me," Harrison commanded. "You will destroy those photos immediately. You will sign the divorce papers and leave with nothing."

He paused, then delivered the final blow. "The position of Mrs. Ware was always meant for Jocelyne. You were just a placeholder. Step aside."

Annabelle stared down at the tiny yellow taxis crawling on the streets below. Her stomach churned with violent nausea.

She took a deep breath. The air in her lungs turned to frost.

"Fine. I'll step aside. I'll leave with nothing from Julian," Annabelle said into the phone. Her voice was terrifyingly calm.

"But," she continued, her tone sharpening into a blade, "the Adkins family will wire twenty million dollars into my account for emotional damages."

Dead silence on the other end of the line.

"If I don't see the money by tomorrow," Annabelle said coldly, "I'm handing everything over to the New York Times."

A tall shadow suddenly fell over her.

Julian pushed open the heavy fire door just in time to hear the last ten seconds of the conversation echoing in the concrete stairwell.

His eyes were black with a murderous rage.

Before Annabelle could react, Julian lunged forward. He ripped the phone out of her hand.

He smashed it against the marble wall with terrifying force.

The plastic casing shattered. Glass and metal parts exploded across the floor.

Annabelle gasped and spun around. She crashed right into Julian's chest.

He grabbed her wrist. His fingers clamped down on her bones so hard she thought they would snap.

"Twenty million dollars," Julian hissed, his breath hot against her face. "You finally show your true colors. You greedy, calculating whore."

"You didn't hear the whole conversation!" Annabelle shouted, trying to yank her arm back. "That was for Harrison-"

"Shut up!" Julian roared. He jerked her closer. "You think you can extort my family? You won't get a single dime."

He snapped his fingers. Two massive bodyguards in black suits stepped out from the shadows at the other end of the hall.

"Take her to the Hamptons estate," Julian ordered, not taking his furious eyes off her. "Lock her down."

Annabelle fought wildly. She kicked and twisted. Her high heels scraped deep, ugly marks into the expensive carpet.

The bodyguards were professionals. They grabbed her arms, immobilizing her completely. They dragged her backward toward the private executive elevator.

"Julian, you're making a mistake!" Annabelle screamed, her voice cracking with desperation.

Julian just stood there, adjusting his cuffs. He watched with cold, dead eyes as the elevator doors slid shut, cutting off her face.