Fallon stepped out of the elevator onto the VIP floor of the hospital.
She wore a tailored white dress that fit her like armor. Her posture was flawless, her heels clicking sharply against the linoleum. She looked nothing like the broken, dusty woman who had stood in this exact hallway yesterday.
She walked directly toward Ashely Berger's room.
The two Mcgowan bodyguards immediately stepped forward, crossing their massive arms to block the door.
Fallon didn't slow down. She stopped inches from their chests and looked up, her eyes cold and piercing.
"I am here to visit the patient," Fallon said, her voice dropping to a dangerous, silky register. "If Miss Berger's condition suddenly deteriorates because she didn't receive her medication on time, I imagine the first people the police will question are the two men who physically prevented her family from checking on her."
The bodyguards exchanged an uncertain glance. The threat was baseless, but Fallon's absolute authority made them hesitate.
In that split second of hesitation, Fallon reached out, turned the brass handle, and pushed the door open.
She stepped inside.
The room was larger than a five-star hotel suite. Ashely was sitting up in the mechanical bed. She wasn't crying. She wasn't having a panic attack. She was wearing a hydrating sheet mask, casually scrolling through a luxury fashion website on her iPad. Her manager sat in a chair beside her, carefully peeling an apple with a silver knife.
When the door clicked open, both Ashely and the manager froze.
The relaxed, bored expression on Ashely's face vanished. Pure panic flooded her eyes.
She violently ripped the sheet mask off her face, tossing it onto the floor. She grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it up to her chin, shrinking back against the pillows. She instantly morphed into a terrified, trembling victim.
"What... what are you doing here?" Ashely stammered, her voice high and breathless.
Fallon reached behind her back. She pushed the heavy door shut and twisted the deadbolt. The loud click of the lock echoed in the quiet room, sealing them in.
Fallon slowly scanned the room, taking in the massive floral arrangements and the expensive medical equipment. The corner of her mouth twitched upward in a dry, humorless smile. "The Mcgowan family health insurance really is top-tier."
"What the hell do you want!" the manager shouted, jumping to his feet. He tried to sound intimidating, but his voice cracked.
Fallon ignored him completely. She walked slowly toward the bed, stopping right at the edge of the mattress. She looked down at Ashely.
"Let's talk," Fallon said.
"I have nothing to say to you! You hit me!" Ashely cried out. Right on cue, large, perfect tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over her cheeks.
"Did I?" Fallon pulled a heavy leather chair closer to the bed and sat down. She elegantly crossed her legs, smoothing the fabric of her white dress. "Let's talk about the physics of the crash. The speed and the angle at which you threw your body at my hood. It was incredibly precise. You're either a trained ballet dancer or a professional stunt double. Which one is it?"
All the color drained from Ashely's face. The tears stopped instantly.
"And the news this morning," Fallon continued, her voice steady and rhythmic. "The photos at the club. The perfectly timed press release. You hired the photographer, didn't you? It's a brilliant strategy. Paint yourself as the tragic, broken angel, and paint me as the heartless, cheating whore."
Ashely bit her lower lip hard. She didn't say a word. She just stared at Fallon, her chest heaving.
"Tell me," Fallon said, leaning forward slightly. "What exactly do you want?"
Ashely stared at her for a long moment. Realizing the victim act was useless behind locked doors, she slowly lowered the blanket. The fake tears dried up. A cold, calculating hardness replaced the fear in her eyes.
"What I want," Ashely sneered, her voice losing its breathy sweetness, "is something you can never give me."
"No," Fallon replied calmly. "What you want is exactly what I currently possess."
A flash of raw, ugly greed and deep-seated jealousy sparked in Ashely's eyes. "I want everything you have. I want the title. I want to be Mrs. Mcgowan."
"Done."
Fallon's answer was immediate.
Ashely blinked, completely thrown off balance. "What... what did you just say?"
"I will sign the divorce papers. I will step aside and let you have him," Fallon said, pronouncing every word with crystal clarity. "But in exchange, you will hold a press conference today. You will tell the media the truth about the crash. And you will publicly apologize to me."
Ashely stared at her, then let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Are you insane? Why would I ever do that?"
"Because it is the only way you will ever get that ring," Fallon said. She stood up, towering over the bed. "If you don't, I will drag this divorce out. I will fight it in court for one year, two years, ten years. As long as my signature is not on that paper, you will never be anything more than his dirty little secret. How long do you think Corbin's patience will last? How long will the Mcgowan family tolerate a mistress?"
Ashely's face contorted. The smugness vanished, replaced by genuine, panicked rage.
Suddenly, Ashely's phone, resting on the bedside table, began to vibrate. The screen lit up. The caller ID read: Corbin.
Ashely stared at the phone. Then, she looked up at Fallon. A terrifying, psychotic light ignited in her eyes.
She snatched the phone off the table and hit answer.
"Corbin!" Ashely screamed into the receiver. It was a blood-curdling, desperate shriek. "Help me! She's here! She locked the door! She's trying to kill me! Ahhh!"
Before Fallon could even process the words, Ashely lunged forward. She grabbed Fallon's right wrist with terrifying strength.
With her other hand, Ashely reached across and violently raked her own nails down her bare forearm. The sharp movement tore through her skin, leaving four deep, bloody scratches. Before Fallon could pull away, Ashely grabbed Fallon's fingers and deliberately smeared them into the fresh, welling blood.
Ashely let go of Fallon's hand and hurled the phone across the room. It smashed against the wall. Then, she threw herself back against the pillows, screaming at the top of her lungs.
