Chapter 3

Alycia stepped out through the heavy glass doors of the arbitration building. The cool New York breeze hit her face, a welcome relief from the stuffy tension of the room. She stopped in the middle of the massive marble steps to adjust her bag.

Heavy footsteps pounded on the stone behind her.

Warren jogged up, his chest heaving. He threw his arms out wide, physically blocking her path down the stairs.

He leaned in close, lowering his voice into a venomous hiss. "You think you're untouchable, Alycia? The high-and-mighty fashion darling? I paid a lot of money to dig up your dirt from six years ago."

Alycia's spine went rigid.

Warren smiled, a greasy, triumphant look on his face. He emphasized every syllable. "You think your little secret about your son is safe? The one you keep hidden from the world. Who did you have to sleep with to get the capital to start your brand?"

Alycia stopped breathing for a fraction of a second. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

Down on the sidewalk, the paparazzi sensed the shift in the air. The aggressive body language between the two was blood in the water. They swarmed up the steps, cameras raised, flashes erupting like strobe lights.

Warren lifted his chin, looking extremely smug. He thought he had found the invincible Alycia Gillespie's fatal weakness.

Alycia didn't get angry. She smiled. It was a cold, terrifying smile.

She reached into the side pocket of her Birkin bag and pulled out a sleek, black micro-recorder. She held it up right between them. Her thumb pressed the play button, and she cranked the volume dial to the maximum.

Warren's own voice, distorted but perfectly clear, blasted out of the tiny speaker. "You think your little secret about your son is safe... Who did you have to sleep with..."

The recording echoed over the noise of the street.

Warren's smug smile vanished. His skin turned the color of ash. He lunged forward, his hand swiping frantically at the recorder.

Alycia took a swift half-step back, dodging his sweaty palm. She looked at him like he was a cockroach on her shoe.

She turned her body slightly, facing the wall of cameras. "Under New York State Defamation Law, specifically regarding slander per se, false statements that impugn a professional's chastity or professional standing are actionable without proof of special damages."

She looked back at Warren. "Expect a formal complaint filed with the Fashion Council's Ethics Committee by 9:00 AM tomorrow. You're done, Warren."

The reporters instantly shoved their microphones past Alycia, jabbing them into Warren's face.

"Mr. Warren, care to comment?"

"Are you attacking opposing counsel's child because you lost the case?"

Warren stammered, sweat pouring down his face. "It-it was off the record! A joke outside the hearing!"

"There is no 'off the record' when you attack my family," Alycia cut in, her voice slicing through his pathetic defense. "Your lack of professional integrity is astounding."

A chorus of boos and mocking laughter rippled through the crowd of reporters. They loved a loser who couldn't take a hit.

Alycia turned back to the cameras. She stood tall, her shoulders squared. "I am a single mother. And my son is the greatest achievement of my life. I wear that title with absolute pride."

Three female reporters in the front row lowered their cameras and started clapping.

Warren couldn't take the humiliation. He pushed his way through the reporters, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fled down the steps toward the subway.

Alycia clicked the recorder off and dropped it back into her bag. She adjusted her sunglasses, hiding the sudden wave of exhaustion that washed over her eyes.

She walked down the remaining steps, raised her hand, and flagged down a yellow taxi. She pulled the door open and slid into the back seat.

"JFK, Terminal 4. Please hurry," she told the driver.

As the taxi pulled into traffic, Alycia's rigid shoulders finally dropped. She let out a long, shaky breath. Her stomach churned. The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind the primal, terrifying instinct of a mother whose child had just been threatened.

Her phone screen lit up on the seat next to her. The custom caller ID showed a picture of a little boy with messy black hair and warm brown eyes. Julian.

Alycia squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and forced her facial muscles to relax. She picked up the phone and swiped to answer, her voice instantly dropping into a soft, warm tone.

"Hey, baby."

Julian's sweet, high-pitched voice filled the quiet cab. "Mommy! Are you at the airport yet? I want to show you the airplane I drew!"