Chapter 2

Katrina ended the call with her lawyer. Her face was a mask of cold stone.

She didn't put the phone down. Instead, she opened her encrypted email app. She drafted a message directly to the head of her personal public relations firm, a ruthless fixer who answered only to her.

Her thumbs flew across the virtual keyboard.

She didn't use flowery language. She typed out the brutal truth. Coleton had abandoned his bride on their wedding night to run to his widowed sister-in-law. She attached a photo of his discarded wedding ring and stated her immediate intention to divorce. She authorized the immediate release of the story to the most aggressive gossip columnists and financial news outlets in Manhattan.

A warning box popped up on the screen. The PR director was asking for secondary confirmation, knowing this would trigger a nuclear fallout.

Katrina didn't hesitate. She pressed the confirm button. She severed all their escape routes.

The screen flashed a bright green light. Message Sent.

Katrina tossed the phone onto the expensive vanity. It hit the marble surface with a sharp, final crack.

Miles away, in a penthouse private club in Manhattan, the heavy bass of the music vibrated the floorboards.

Brandin Pennington was holding a glass of champagne. He was surrounded by Wall Street investors, celebrating the preliminary success of the billion-dollar merger.

His phone let out a specific, piercing alarm sound that cut right through the club's noise.

Brandin frowned. He pulled the phone from his suit pocket, looking annoyed.

His eyes scanned the breaking news alert from a top-tier gossip outlet, citing an exclusive leak from Katrina's camp. The smug smile on his face died instantly. The muscles in his jaw locked. The champagne flute in his hand tilted, the expensive liquid almost spilling over the rim.

An investor noticed his pale face. "Everything alright, Brandin?"

Brandin swallowed hard. His heart hammered violently against his ribs. "Excuse me. A minor issue."

He turned and practically sprinted toward the soundproof hallway.

The moment the heavy glass door closed behind him, Brandin began pacing frantically. He dialed Katrina's number.

The phone rang once before a cold, automated voice told him the call was rejected.

"Damn it!" Brandin roared. He slammed his fist into the padded wall. His knuckles throbbed. He knew exactly what this meant. If this scandal leaked to the press, the Pennington Group's stock would be slaughtered when the market opened.

At the exact same moment, on a massive estate in Long Island, Adelbert Meyer was sitting in his classical study.

The old godfather was leaning back in his Chesterfield leather chair, his eyes closed.

The internal communication device on his mahogany desk suddenly flashed a blinding red light.

Alistair, the head butler, pushed the heavy doors open. His face was pale, his breathing rushed. He was breaking decades of strict household rules by entering unannounced.

Alistair's hands shook as he placed the tablet in front of Adelbert. The screen displayed the breaking media embargo: Katrina's public declaration of divorce, already trending online.

Adelbert's cloudy, sharp eyes snapped wide open. He stared at the screen. The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he gripped his solid silver cane.

A surge of pure rage twisted his wrinkled face. He swung his cane violently. The heavy silver tip smashed into the crystal ashtray on the desk.

The ashtray flew off the edge and shattered against the Persian rug. Shards of glass scattered everywhere.

"Get Rocco!" Adelbert bellowed, his voice echoing off the bookshelves. "Track Coleton's car! Bring that useless idiot back here before the sun comes up!"

In the shadows of the study, Jovani Meyer stood perfectly still. He watched his grandfather's explosion. A faint, mocking smile crept onto Jovani's lips.

Jovani stepped out of the shadows, feigning concern. "Grandfather, should I contact the Pennington family to smooth things over?"

He was trying to use the chaos to grab control of the family's core operations.

Adelbert's eyes sliced toward Jovani like a pair of knives. "Keep your clever little tricks to yourself, Jovani. Our only priority is stopping the Penningtons from burning this merger to the ground."

While Adelbert raged in the study, Coleton's Aston Martin tore through the quiet streets of a New York suburb.

The tires screeched as he slammed on the brakes in front of a delicate, two-story house.

Coleton didn't even shut the car door properly. He sprinted up the steps, the cold autumn wind biting through his thin dress shirt. He jammed his finger against Hana's doorbell, pressing it hard and fast.

The front door jerked open.

Hana Campos stood there in a thin silk nightgown. Her face was stained with tears. She looked fragile and terrified. Without a word, she threw herself directly into Coleton's chest.

Coleton's arms wrapped around her automatically. He held her tight. The scent of her delicate, floral perfume filled his lungs. A massive wave of protective instinct washed over him.

"He's so hot, Coleton," Hana sobbed, burying her face into his shirt. She clung to him, soaking up his body heat. "It's so scary."

Coleton opened his mouth to whisper a comforting reassurance.

Suddenly, the private phone in his pocket started vibrating like a wild animal. The aggressive buzzing shattered the intimate, fragile moment.

Coleton frowned. He pulled back slightly and dug the phone out.

The screen displayed Adelbert's exclusive emergency number. Coleton's stomach dropped to his knees. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck.

He pressed answer. "Grandpa, I-"

"You are a worthless piece of trash destroying the foundation of this family!" Adelbert's roar blasted through the speaker, hitting Coleton's eardrum like a physical strike. "Check the news feeds. Now!"

Coleton's face turned the color of ash. His fingers trembled as he switched the screen to his web browser.

Katrina's absolute, uncompromising divorce statement, plastered across a major news site, glared back at him. It felt like a physical slap across the face.

A massive wave of betrayal and sheer panic slammed into his chest. His lungs seized.

His body went rigid. He pushed Hana away. He stared at the woman he was holding, finally realizing the fatal, irreversible mistake he had just made.