I froze, almost certain I'd misheard him.
"Morton, have you lost your mind?"
This was the same man who, just moments ago, had been groveling before me at the sales office. Now, for the sake of another woman, he didn't even bother keeping up the act.
Sapphire immediately nestled into his arms, her eyes rimming red on cue as she tugged pitifully at his sleeve. "Morton, she hit me. She pretended to be your wife and said this house was hers. I was so scared..."
Morton's gaze hardened, and whatever hesitation remained vanished entirely.
He strode forward, seized me by the collar, and half-dragged, half-threw me into the yard.
Every movement was brutal. Every look, glacial. Like he was dealing with an enemy.
He leaned close, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "Teresa. Don't push your luck."
He straightened, towering over me. "You really think I'm still that obedient little husband who jumped at your every command? Let me spell it out for you. I took full control of the company a long time ago."
I braced my hands against the ground and pushed myself to my feet. "What are you talking about?"
He scoffed, contempt dripping from every syllable. "You insisted on our agreement to stay childless. Refused to give me an heir. Did you honestly think I'd let you pull my strings forever?"
"Once I took over the company, I drew up a will. Everything goes to Sapphire's child."
"And your parents? I've already sent them overseas. You think the Mason family can still protect you?"
Each word landed like a blade, precise and merciless. "The Masons are finished."
The blood in my veins turned to ice.
Every tender gesture. Every act of obedience. All of it had been a lie.
From the very beginning, he'd been after one thing: swallowing the Mason family whole.
"Now." Morton pointed at the ground, his tone brooking no argument. "You slapped Sapphire. Get on your knees and apologize to her. Do that, and I'll let everything else slide."
My head snapped up, cold fury blazing behind my eyes. "You want me to kneel to her? In your dreams."
"Morton, do you really want to take things this far?"
He was still underestimating me. A live-in husband with no background of his own could never have touched the true core of the company. I'd handed him a business to play with, and he'd deluded himself into thinking he held all the cards.
It was laughable.
But even when I warned him, he had no intention of backing down.
"This far?" He let out a short laugh, as if I'd told a joke. "If you'd just added Sapphire's name to the property deed like a good girl, none of this would've happened. You're the one who insisted on making a scene."
"You don't have the leverage to threaten me anymore."
He closed the distance between us, step by deliberate step, triumph written across his face.
"Don't make me force you to your knees."
I looked at that smug expression and, despite everything, smiled.
"Is that so?"
I lifted my hand and pressed the panic alarm button hidden inside my collar.
"Don't forget, Morton."
"I'm the one who took you from nothing. Made you a live-in husband. Put you in the CEO's chair of a brand-new company. That should tell you I've always had far more up my sleeve than what you can see."
