Chapter 6

Emma's eyes turned to absolute ice. She straightened her spine and glared at Sterling.

She pointed her finger right at his nose. Her voice rang out sharp and clear over the street noise. "You are not only a snob, but you are an uneducated idiot."

Sterling's face turned purple. He stepped forward, lowering his voice into a threat. "Don't push me, Emma."

Emma didn't back down an inch. She laughed coldly. "Even bankrupt, Alek's tech patents are worth ten thousand times more than a parasite like you living off a family trust fund."

Sterling lost his temper. "He's a piece of trash! He can't give you anything!" he yelled.

Emma stepped right into his space. She stared him down. "Marriage vows are not toilet paper. Running away when your partner hits rock bottom is the act of a coward."

She raised her voice so everyone could hear. "I am not divorcing him. I am going to stay by his side and help him rebuild. I don't need a loser like you telling me what to do!"

Across the street, the black bulletproof SUV had just circled back. It idled by the curb. The dark tinted windows hid the passengers inside.

Alek sat in the back. He had rolled his window down just a fraction of an inch. Every single word Emma shouted carried through the cold air and hit his ears.

When she yelled that she would help him rebuild, Alek's heart skipped a hard beat. His fingers gripped the tablet so tightly his knuckles popped.

In the front seat, Dale glanced in the rearview mirror. He was shocked to see the usually ruthless Alek Holden looking genuinely moved.

On the sidewalk, Sterling was humiliated. He raised his hand, his face twisted in rage, ready to shove Emma.

Inside the SUV, Alek's eyes turned murderous. His hand slammed onto the door handle. He was ready to tear the man apart.

Before he could open the door, a loud voice boomed down the street. "Hey! Put your hands down!"

Mr. Gable, a neighbor from the building, marched over. He was holding a Starbucks cup in one hand and the leash of his Golden Retriever in the other. He stepped right between Emma and Sterling.

Mrs. Gable hurried up right behind him. She glared at Sterling. "Are you harassing women in broad daylight?" she yelled.

Sterling panicked. "It's just a fight between friends!" he stammered.

"He is not my friend," Emma stated loudly. "He is harassing me and trying to ruin my marriage."

Mrs. Gable's eyes widened in outrage. She pointed at Sterling. "You disgusting homewrecker!"

People on the street stopped walking. They pulled out their phones and started recording the scene.

Sterling saw the cameras. Panic seized his chest. A public scandal would cut off his trust fund. He threw his hands up to hide his face.

He shot Emma a venomous glare, muttered a curse, and practically dove into his Porsche.

The engine screamed as he slammed on the gas. The car sped away like a rat fleeing a sinking ship.

Mrs. Gable patted Emma's shoulder. "Good for you, honey. Don't let trash talk to you like that."

Emma smiled warmly. "Thank you both. I was just heading to get some coffee."

Mr. Gable nodded. "Alek is a lucky man to have you. You two will get through this."

Emma waved goodbye and walked into the corner coffee shop. She ordered the cheapest black coffee on the menu.

Across the street, Alek slowly released his grip on the door handle. He leaned back against the leather seat and exhaled a shaky breath.

He turned to Dale. His voice was deadly calm. "Cut off the latest funding round for the Astor-Vance family. Consider it a warning."

Dale nodded. The SUV merged silently into the traffic. Alek kept his eyes glued to the coffee shop window until Emma's figure disappeared from view.