Chapter 2

The Rolls-Royce idled in the dark alley behind a private clinic on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

C.J. popped the trunk and carefully hauled Alycia's unconscious body out, carrying her up the concrete steps of the back entrance. He didn't handle her like trash; he was far too disciplined for that.

Inside the car, Hiram Houston didn't even turn his head. He stared straight ahead, his profile rigid and indifferent. "Just make sure she doesn't die. I won't have her becoming a liability," he said, his voice cutting and final.

Dr. Martin pushed the metal door open, taking one look at the muddy, bleeding woman in the assistant's arms. "Dammit, Hiram. Another stray?" he muttered, rubbing his temples.

C.J. handed her over to the doctor with clinical precision. He pulled a thick, sealed envelope from his jacket and placed it firmly into Dr. Martin's hand. "Mr. Houston is paying for this," C.J. said, his voice clipped and strictly professional. "He requires your highest level of discretion and a rock-solid NDA. Consider this the retainer. Treat her, and then we are done here."

C.J. turned on his heel and sprinted back to the car. The Rolls-Royce sped out of the alley, the red taillights disappearing into the night.

Six years later.

A black Lincoln Navigator pulled to a smooth stop at the base of the marble steps outside the Manhattan Fashion Arbitration Board.

The rear door opened. Alycia stepped out.

She wore a razor-sharp, charcoal Tom Ford suit that hugged her frame perfectly, an impeccable showcase of her own styling prowess. As one of the industry's most elusive and sought-after top designers, her presence alone commanded the street. Over the years, she had also become a fierce self-taught expert in intellectual property law, using it to crush the counterfeit networks that had threatened her empire. Her spine was completely straight, her chin tilted up at an exact fifteen-degree angle. She slid a pair of black Celine sunglasses over her eyes, completely ignoring the rapid-fire flashing of the paparazzi cameras waiting on the sidewalk.

She walked up the steps, her Louboutin heels clicking rhythmically against the stone.

Inside Hearing Room 302, rival creative director Warren saw Alycia walk through the heavy oak doors. He let out a loud, dismissive snort, leaning back in his leather chair.

Alycia ignored him. She took her seat at the plaintiff's table, her movements precise. She unclasped her briefcase and spread a massive, three-inch-thick portfolio of original design drafts and fabric sourcing audits across the wood.

Warren stood up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Your Honor, we are requesting a massive reduction in intellectual property claims. The plaintiff, Brooke, is simply trying to bleed my client dry over a few coincidental design similarities to fund her failing boutique."

He paced the floor, his voice dripping with condescension as he painted Alycia's client as a greedy, lazy amateur.

Alycia let out a short, sharp laugh. It echoed in the quiet room. She stood up, cutting Warren off mid-sentence.

"Your Honor," Alycia said, her voice smooth but laced with steel. She slid a stack of manufacturing logs across the judge's bench. "I direct your attention to page forty-two. These are the wire transfers from Mr. Rick's hidden offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, paying for the exact proprietary fabric blends my client patented. Blends he failed to disclose during discovery."

The judge pushed his glasses up his nose. He flipped to the page. The deep lines on his forehead tightened.

Rick, sitting next to Warren, went completely pale. The blood drained from his face. He gripped the edge of the table and tried to stand. "That's a lie!"

"Sit down, Mr. Rick, or I will hold you in contempt," the judge barked, slamming his gavel once.

Alycia didn't miss a beat. She cited three different clauses of the New York State Intellectual Property and Copyright Law, her knowledge as sharp as her tailoring, her words hitting like physical blows, cornering the defense completely.

Warren was sweating now. A bead of moisture rolled down his temple. "Your Honor, design assets aside, Brooke was an absentee CEO. She neglected the brand's core demographic-"

Alycia didn't let him finish. She reached into her file and pulled out a stack of high-definition photographs. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed them onto the center table.

The photos scattered. They clearly showed Rick handing over Brooke's stolen CAD files to a black-market manufacturer in a Las Vegas hotel suite.

A loud gasp ripped through the gallery. The reporters in the back row started whispering frantically.

The judge slammed his gavel repeatedly. "Order! Order in my court!" He glared down at Rick with absolute disgust.

Brooke, sitting next to Alycia, grabbed Alycia's hand. Her fingers were trembling. A hot tear of pure relief slid down Brooke's cheek.

"I have seen enough," the judge announced. "Full copyright ownership restored to the plaintiff. Furthermore, I am adding punitive damages for the blatant attempt to hide stolen assets and commit perjury in my courtroom."

Warren slammed his expensive fountain pen onto the table. His face was purple with rage.

Alycia calmly gathered her papers. She tapped the edges on the table to align them and slid them back into her Hermès Birkin bag.

As she turned to leave, Rick lunged forward. He stopped inches from her face, his breath smelling of stale coffee and mints. "You think you're so smart, you bitch. I'll ruin your career."

Alycia slowly lifted her eyes. Her gaze was dead. "Maintain a three-foot distance, Rick, or I will file harassment and physical threat charges before you even reach the elevator."

Two court bailiffs instantly stepped forward, grabbing Rick by the shoulders and shoving him back.

Alycia turned her back on him. Her heels hit the floor with that same steady, rhythmic click. She walked out of the room, her head held high, leaving the wreckage of her opponents behind her.