Chapter 6

The head of the Fernandez legal department walked into the office. He handed a thick stack of documents to Israel.

Israel flipped to the last page. He slammed the file onto the mahogany desk and pushed it toward Karen.

"You apologized," Israel said coldly. "But Brenda's actions constitute felony extortion."

He nodded to the bodyguards. One of them pulled out a pair of steel handcuffs.

Brenda screamed. She finally realized she was playing with a monster. "Karen! Save me!"

Karen bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper. Her shaking hands reached for the file.

The title read: Unpaid Service and Debt Nullification Agreement.

She scanned the clauses. Her stomach twisted into a violent knot.

In exchange for dropping the criminal charges against Brenda, Karen was legally bound to provide unpaid, unconditional support to Ayla Conley's acting career for the next three years. She would be Ayla's permanent backup, her stepping stone, her public shield.

"You're destroying my career," Karen whispered, looking up at Israel with pure hatred.

Israel stood up. He walked around the desk, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look at him. "This is what you owe Ayla."

The bodyguard yanked Brenda's arms behind her back. Brenda squealed like a slaughtered pig.

The pressure crushed Karen's lungs. She closed her eyes. She picked up the Montblanc pen from the desk.

She signed her name on the dotted line.

Israel snatched the paper away. He dropped her chin as if touching her disgusted him. "Release the mother."

The guards let go. Brenda scrambled out of the office without looking back.

Israel walked back to Ayla. He pressed a button under his desk. "Escort Ms. Walsh out."

Karen walked out of the Fernandez Plaza like a ghost.

The Manhattan sky had broken open. Freezing rain poured down on Fifth Avenue.

She didn't have an umbrella. The icy water soaked through her thin clothes in seconds. She walked aimlessly down the sidewalk.

A yellow cab slammed on its brakes next to her, splashing dirty street water all over her legs.

The back door flew open. Her older brother, Danny Kowalski, stormed out.

Danny grabbed Karen by the collar of her wet coat. He dragged her under the awning of a closed storefront, his grip brutal and unforgiving.

"You stupid bitch!" Danny roared, his breath reeking of cheap whiskey and blind greed. "You didn't get a single dime from the billionaire? You got us kicked out of New York for nothing! How are we supposed to pay for anything now?"

Karen stared at the brother she had sacrificed everything to financially support for years. Her eyes were completely empty.

Her silence enraged him. Danny raised his massive, calloused hand.

He slapped her across the face with all his strength.

The crack of his palm against her cheek echoed over the sound of the rain. Karen's head snapped to the side. She lost her balance and crashed hard onto the flooded pavement.

Danny spat into the puddle next to her head. "Worthless." He turned around, got back into the cab, and sped away.

Karen lay in the freezing water. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, mixing with the rain.

She didn't cry. There were no tears left.

The cold seeped into her bones. Her lungs burned as if she were inhaling glass. Her vision went dark.

Pedestrians screamed. Someone dialed 911. The wail of an ambulance siren was the last thing Karen heard before the world went completely black.