Cassidy walked into the dimly lit, exclusive private lounge. The air smelled of expensive bourbon and leather. She spotted Kori sitting in a secluded, velvet-lined booth in the far corner.
Cassidy slid into the booth and immediately ordered a dry martini from the waiter. Kori pushed a thick, intimidating stack of legal documents across the table.
Kori's brow was furrowed in deep frustration. She tapped the thick paper with her manicured fingernail. "This prenup is an iron fortress, Cass."
"Under New York state law, based on these clauses, unless you can prove major, undeniable fault on his end, you are walking away with absolutely nothing. You will be stripped bare," Kori explained, her voice tight with anger.
Kori slammed her palm flat against the table. "Cornelius is a calculating bastard. He trapped you from day one."
Cassidy picked up her martini glass. She took a slow, deliberate sip. Her face remained perfectly calm, as if they were discussing the weather.
She set the glass down. "I don't want a single cent of his money. I just want my freedom, and I want full custody of Benny."
Kori let out a heavy, exasperated sigh. "Cass, how are you going to live? How are you going to fight a billionaire in court? Your pathetic salary at that bank won't even cover my retainer, let alone a custody battle."
A faint, mysterious smile touched the corners of Cassidy's lips. "You don't need to worry about the money."
She pulled out her phone, opened a highly secure banking app, authenticated with her biometrics, and swiftly initiated a transfer. "I've just wired one million dollars to your firm's trust account as an initial retainer," Cassidy said calmly. Kori's phone buzzed immediately with the deposit notification. Kori glanced at the screen.
Her eyes widened in absolute shock. She stared at the unbelievable sum, her mouth falling open.
She nearly knocked over her own drink.
Kori leaned in, dropping her voice to a frantic whisper. "Did you rob a bank?"
Cassidy shook her head slowly. "I earned every penny of it."
She didn't elaborate on the Indigo identity. She simply locked her phone and put it away. "Money is not the issue. What we need right now is undeniable proof of his fault."
Having established their battle plan, the two women paid the bill and walked out of the lounge, heading down a narrow stairwell to the underground VIP valet parking garage.
The garage was cavernous and poorly lit. The air was thick with the suffocating smell of car exhaust and burnt rubber.
Kori walked a few paces ahead toward the valet stand to get her keys. Cassidy followed, reaching into her trench coat pocket for her phone.
Her fingers slipped. Her keys tumbled from her pocket and hit the rough concrete floor with a sharp, echoing clatter.
Cassidy bent down to pick them up. As she crouched, her line of sight passed through a narrow gap between two massive SUVs parked nearby.
In the deepest, darkest corner of the garage-a blind spot completely hidden from the security cameras-sat a sleek, black Maybach with a specialized license plate.
It was Cornelius's personal car.
Cassidy's heart skipped a violent beat.
The rear window of the Maybach was rolled halfway down. The faint, warm glow of a reading light illuminated the backseat.
Cassidy narrowed her eyes, peering through the gap. Cornelius was leaning back against the plush leather seat, his eyes closed in relaxation.
And Halle Moss was half-kneeling on the seat beside him. Her body was leaning aggressively forward, completely invading his personal space.
Halle's fingers were gently, intimately tracing the line of Cornelius's jaw, as if wiping something away.
Cornelius didn't push her away. He didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his posture radiating a sickeningly familiar intimacy.
The blood rushed to Cassidy's head, pounding in her ears. This wasn't just a betrayal. This was the exact weapon she needed, handed to her on a silver platter.
She immediately dropped lower, pressing her body against a thick, concrete load-bearing pillar for cover.
She pulled out her phone, swiped open the camera app, and switched it to the highest resolution setting. She double-checked that her phone was on silent.
She aimed the lens directly at the half-open window, locking onto the disgusting, intimate scene between the cheating husband and the childhood sweetheart.
Her thumb hovered steadily over the digital shutter button, ready to strike.
