He had never protected me.
He had managed me.
He had never loved my humility.
He had enjoyed it.
I slowly stood.
No one helped me.
My cheek throbbed. My lip bled. My knees shook, but my spine straightened.
The room whispered.
I wiped the blood from my mouth with my thumb and looked at the red smear on my skin.
Then I laughed once.
Small.
Cold.
Madeline’s smile faded.
“What is funny?” she snapped.
I looked at Ethan.
“You should have stopped at one.”
His face tightened. “Chloe, don’t make this worse.”
Worse.
He had no idea what worse looked like.
I reached into my clutch and took out my phone.
A man near the bar chuckled. “Who’s she calling? The police?”
Another guest laughed. “Maybe her parents in heaven.”
Madeline smiled again. “Careful, Chloe. Don’t embarrass yourself more than you already have.”
I scrolled to one contact.
Leo.
He answered on the first ring.
“Yes, Madam President.”
The laughter died closest to me first.
Then it spread into silence.
I kept my eyes on Ethan.
“Leo,” I said, my voice calm enough to scare even myself. “You have thirty minutes. Execute the default clause on Hamilton Construction. Seize the estate at 27 Oak Haven Lane. Remove every unauthorized person from the property.”
Madeline blinked.
Walter stood.
