Chapter 143
“Fine,” I say, voice cold as stone. “Say whatever you want. But Lolo will be our ring bearer. She will be at the wedding. And with millions of people watching, right there on that aisle, you’re going to claim her as your daughter. I’m not asking for permission. I’m telling you how this is going to go.”
His face twists. “How dare you?”
He storms toward me. I don’t move.
The second I’m on my feet, he lashes out. One hand wraps around my throat, pinning me back. My breath chokes off instantly.
His face is inches from mine, voice low and furious. “Apologise. Is that how you talk to your future husband?”
Even with my lungs burning, I meet his gaze and spit the words out. “Go… f–fuck yourself.” /
He laughs, cold and ugly. “Why should I? That’s your job. That’s all you’ll ever be. A body to warm my bed. Don’t forget it.”
His other hand clamps over my mouth. “The second you do, I’ll toss you and that kid like you never existed. Do you hear me, wife?”
I sink my teeth into his hand. Hard.
He yells and shoves me. I slam Into the wall, pain cracking through my back like lightning. My vision blurs for a second.
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He snarls, “Are you fucking insane?”
I drag in a breath, raw and ragged, my throat burning. “Insane?” I glare at him, unflinching. “Oh, baby. You haven’t seen insane yet.”
It only takes a second to yank the thick brown envelope from my bag. I hurl it straight at him. It hits him dead in the face.
Zane stumbles, more stunned than hurt, and drops to his knees to pick it up. I stay standing, hand pressed to my bruised throat, watching him.
When he pulls out the contents – photos, printed messages, screen grabs – his face drains of colour. He flips through the pile, faster now, desperate and panicked.
I smile. Cruel. Cold. Satisfied.
“Let’s see,” I say lightly. “Stalking. Attempted murder. Aiding and abetting sexual assault. Possession of videos documenting it. Want me to keep going? It only gets darker.”
He stares at the pages in his hands like they’re burning him.
I take a step forward. “You think no one’s watching you, but I’ve been watching for years. And guess what? I’m better at it.”
His eyes shoot up to mine, wild. “How did you-?”
“Does it matter?” I cut him off. “All that matters is what I do with it.”
I crouch down just enough to meet his gaze head–on, voice sharp and calm. “Now you’re going to be a good little groom. You’re going to marry me. You’re going to acknowledge Lorelei
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as your daughter in front of every camera, every reporter, every single person that tunes into this wedding.”
I lean in, just enough for him to see I mean every word. “And if you ever–ever – threaten me or my daughter again, I will destroy you.”
UNKNOWN
“Isn’t Zane supposed to be an ally?” the woman beside me asks, one earbud in, the other dangling as she watches the screens in front of us with mild disinterest. Cruise footage plays across multiple monitors. She twirls a strand of her shoulder–length hair, clearly bored. “I thought you’d keep him.around a bit longer. Play with him before tossing him. Such a shame.”
—
–
I don’t answer right away. Zane’s face on the monitor – pale, horrified, finally aware he’s lost the upper hand – makes me smile as I pull out my own earbud.
“Our goals stopped aligning,” I say. “He let his obsession with Liam cloud his judgment. How predictable.”
She pouts. “You’re still mad about the stalker thing, aren’t you? I only helped because he asked nicely. I didn’t think he’d actually fail to get rid of Emily. Or send that threat. That was… dumb.”
I tap my fingers against the desk, then push to my feet. The room’s cramped, filled wall to wall with glowing screens, wires, laptops, coffee cups and clutter.
“Not just that,” I say, “Do you have any idea how easy it was to dig all that up? All it took was a few questions in the right places, a couple of favours and finally. Enough to burn him. Enough for Becca to twist the knife.” My jaw tightens. “He
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became a liability. Someone had to take him down a notch.”
She tilts her head. “So he’ll never know you sent Becca the file?”
I glance over my shoulder, a cold smile curling at my lips. “No. And that’s the fun part.” I reach for my coat on the rack. “She doesn’t know who I am- but she owes me. That’ll make things easier when the final phase begins.”
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