Audra crouched on the wet concrete, her body shaking violently in the freezing wind. It took several long minutes before she could gather enough strength to push herself up. She grabbed the rusted iron railing, her knuckles white, and forced herself to stand.
Before she could take a single step, a blinding beam of high-beam headlights hit her directly in the face. She threw her arm up to shield her eyes.
The black Lincoln hadn't left. It had reversed aggressively, the tires screeching as it slammed to a halt just two meters away from her.
Eben threw his door open. His handmade leather shoes splashed into a puddle of dirty water. He marched toward her, his body radiating a dark, volatile energy.
Audra instinctively shrank back against the railing.
Eben reached her in three strides. He grabbed her thin wrists, yanking her forward. Her chest slammed hard against his solid torso.
He ducked his head and crushed his mouth against hers.
It wasn't a kiss. It was an act of violence, a brutal punishment. His teeth clashed against hers, biting down on her lower lip until the sharp, metallic taste of fresh blood flooded both their mouths.
Audra whimpered in pain. She pushed her hands frantically against his broad chest, trying to wedge some space between them.
Eben ignored her struggles. His large, rough hand slid down the curve of her waist. In his aggressive haste, his fingers caught the fabric belt of her trench coat and ripped it open.
The wind instantly caught the edges of the coat, blowing it back. The thin silk dress she wore underneath plastered itself tightly against her stomach.
Eben's hand moved lower. His fingertips brushed against her lower abdomen.
He felt a thick, raised line of scarred flesh through the thin silk.
His hand froze instantly.
He shoved her away so hard she stumbled back against the railing. The impact caused the hem of her silk dress to ride up sharply, catching in the wind. His eyes dropped to her lower abdomen, locking onto the ugly, horizontal C-section scar suddenly laid bare beneath the harsh lights.
The air in the alley seemed to solidify. Eben's chest heaved. His breathing turned ragged. The edges of his eyes turned a furious, bloodshot red as extreme jealousy and rage consumed him.
"You actually..." he gritted his teeth, his voice sounding like it was being dragged over broken glass. "You had a child for him?"
Audra clutched her stomach, her face draining of all color until she looked like a corpse. A phantom pain ripped through her womb. She opened her mouth to explain, but the terrifying weight of Anderson's non-disclosure agreement and the threat to her mother's life clamped her throat shut.
"That was..." she rasped, her voice dry and broken.
Eben didn't give her a chance to finish. He lunged forward, his large hand wrapping tightly around her throat. He slammed her back against the freezing iron railing.
"You disgust me! Your body is filthy!" he roared, his fingers automatically tightening around her windpipe.
A severe lack of oxygen hit Audra's brain. Dark spots danced in her vision. She couldn't breathe. Tears of pure agony leaked from the corners of her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dropping onto the back of Eben's hand.
The moment the scalding hot tears hit his skin, Eben flinched as if he had been burned by fire. He released her neck instantly, taking a sharp step back.
Audra slid down the railing, collapsing onto the ground. She clutched her bruised throat, coughing violently as she sucked in greedy mouthfuls of cold air.
Eben stared down at her. The pain of betrayal in his eyes hardened into absolute, impenetrable ice.
"Anderson Hopper's bastard," he sneered, every word a calculated strike to her heart. "Was that the price you demanded to sell me out?"
Audra's heart was ripped to shreds. That baby was his. It was their flesh and blood, and he was standing here cursing it with the most vicious words imaginable.
While Eben was blinded by his own rage, Audra pushed herself off the ground. Driven by pure survival instinct, she turned and sprinted toward the dark, empty road leading away from the bridge.
She ran like a hunted animal. One of her heels snapped, the shoe falling off, but she didn't stop. She ran barefoot on the freezing asphalt, desperate to escape the monster he had become.
Eben stood perfectly still. He didn't chase her. He watched her limping, pathetic figure disappear into the shadows, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles popped.
He pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed his assistant's number. His voice was absolute zero.
"Initiate the full short-selling protocol against the Hopper Group. I want Anderson bankrupt in three days."
He paused, his eyes fixed on the empty darkness where Audra had vanished.
"And dig up everything on that woman. I want her ruined in this city. I want her begging for death."
