Chapter 2

Andrew's face turned red.

He dropped Kaitlynn's hand and took a heavy step forward. His large frame blocked the light, casting a dark shadow over Elena.

Elena didn't move a single inch. She kept her chin up. Her eyes dragged up and down his body, looking at him the way someone looks at a piece of trash on the sidewalk.

Kaitlynn pulled on the hem of Andrew's jacket.

"Andrew, please," Kaitlynn whimpered, her voice trembling. "Don't fight with your wife because of me. It's my fault."

Andrew reached back and grabbed Kaitlynn's hand, squeezing it to comfort her. He turned his glare back to Elena.

"Did you hire a private investigator?" Andrew demanded. His voice was loud, echoing off the brick walls of the terrace. "Are you out of your mind?"

Elena found the accusation hilarious. A cold smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth.

"I don't need a private investigator, Andrew," Elena said. "That cheap perfume she's wearing reeks from three blocks away."

Kaitlynn's body stiffened. Her fake tears stopped. It was a limited-edition fragrance.

Andrew stepped closer. The veins in his neck popped.

"Go back to the country house, Elena," he ordered. "Stop embarrassing yourself in public."

Elena opened her clutch. She pulled out a wet wipe. She slowly, deliberately wiped the fingers that had just touched the velvet curtain. She wiped them as if she had touched a dead rat.

Andrew saw the gesture. His pride shattered.

He lunged forward and reached for her wrist.

Elena shifted her weight. She turned her shoulder, and Andrew's hand grabbed empty air. He stumbled forward, his expensive leather shoes slipping slightly on the concrete.

Kaitlynn let out a high-pitched gasp. She rushed forward and grabbed Andrew's arm, pressing her chest against his bicep to steady him.

Elena threw the used wet wipe into a nearby trash can.

"Since you're in such a rush to make room for your little saint," Elena said, her voice devoid of any emotion, "I'll make it easy for you."

Andrew froze. He stood up straight. He expected her to cry. He expected her to beg him to stay.

He let out a mocking scoff.

"Is this your new strategy?" Andrew sneered. "Playing hard to get so you can squeeze more alimony out of me?"

Elena's eyes darkened. She took one step forward.

The sudden shift in her energy was physical. The air around her seemed to drop ten degrees. Andrew actually took a half-step backward before he realized what he was doing.

"Tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock," Elena said, her words sharp as broken glass. "Tell your lawyer to bring the papers to me."

Kaitlynn's eyes widened with pure joy, but she quickly covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to be shocked.

Andrew's jaw tightened. He hated being given orders.

"You won't get a single dime from the Macdonald family," he spat.

"Keep your dirty money," Elena said. "Just make sure I never have to look at your face again."

Footsteps pounded against the floorboards behind them.

Sloane marched onto the terrace. Her hair was slightly messy, but her eyes were wild with adrenaline. She saw Andrew and Kaitlynn clutching each other.

"You absolute piece of garbage," Sloane yelled at Andrew.

Andrew recognized her immediately. The heiress to the Astor-Vance fortune. His arrogant expression slipped.

"Sloane, this is a misunderstanding," Andrew started to say.

Sloane didn't listen. She pulled out her phone, raised it, and started snapping pictures. The bright flash fired repeatedly, blinding them in the dim light.

Kaitlynn shrieked and hid her face against Andrew's chest.

"Delete those!" Kaitlynn screamed.

"If you're brave enough to spread your legs, you should be brave enough for a photo," Sloane fired back.

Andrew lunged at Sloane to grab the phone.

Elena moved faster.

Her hand shot out, her fingers precisely finding the pressure point on his wrist. She pressed hard against the nerve. Andrew gasped. A sharp, blinding numbness shot up his arm, instantly sapping his strength. He tried to pull away, but his muscles completely gave out under her targeted technique. It felt like a sudden, localized paralysis.

"Show some respect," Elena warned, her voice a low, dangerous whisper.

She shoved his arm back.

Andrew stumbled back, grabbing his aching wrist. He stared at her, completely shocked by the raw physical power she just displayed.

Elena grabbed Sloane's arm. They turned their backs on the couple.

Elena's heels clicked against the floor, a steady, unbothered rhythm as she walked away.

Andrew stood on the terrace, rubbing his throbbing wrist. He stared at the empty doorway. A cold knot of confusion formed in his stomach. The quiet, submissive woman he married was gone.