blanc pen and tossed it onto the stack of

manded, not even look

earful, hunched girl evaporated. Her posture straightened, her

pen. She held it between h

st of her wrists, she

gal documents. The cracking sound ech

shock. He stared at the broken pieces of his t

embling whisper. It was smooth, cold, and razor-sharp. "And you

ple. "Have you lost your mind? I will

ute. "Because if you do, you lose the Montgom

zed, with a sickening jolt, tha

mother," Lana demanded, planting her hands flat on his desk and leaning in.

rk of laughter. "You're i

into her pocket, pulled out h

fany's voices filled the room, explicitly detailing how they were tricking t

hears this, she won't just cancel the contract. She

ut on his forehead. He stared at Lana, terrified of

ed bitch," Declan sp

e best," Lana repl

avy, resonant car horn b

tudy, panicked. "Sir, the

o leverage, no backup pla

humiliation. Through gritted teeth, he forced

It didn't r

umped. The terrifying predator vanished, repl

he whispered, her voic

pick up her frayed canvas bag and walk out of the study