Colten stared at her for a long moment. He signaled toward the door. Rick Sullivan entered silently, pushing a high-tech medical wheelchair. His demeanor remained strictly professional.
Rick assisted Genevieve into the chair. Her shoulder burned with a dull, throbbing agony as she shifted her weight. She was wheeled out of the sterile clinic and into the opulent main house of the Georgetown compound.
They entered Colten's private study. The room was lined with dark mahogany bookshelves and thick bulletproof glass windows. The faint, expensive scent of aged cigars hung in the air.
Rick left them alone. The heavy oak doors clicked shut, sealing Genevieve inside the nerve center of Colten's political operations.
Colten sat behind a massive antique desk. He steepled his fingers again, observing Genevieve. He evaluated her like a complex, dangerous puzzle.
He broke the silence. "What do you want in exchange for the rest of the Reynolds' offshore account network?"
Genevieve adjusted her posture in the wheelchair, ignoring the sharp pull in her shoulder. "I demand total protection from the Reynolds family."
Colten raised an eyebrow. "The Reynolds? They are your in-laws. Why do you need protection from your own husband's family?"
Genevieve laughed bitterly. The sound was dry and hollow. "My kidnapping tonight wasn't random. It was orchestrated by Clinton Reynolds and my cousin Carolynn. They want to exploit my injuries so Clinton can declare me incapacitated, dissolve our marriage, and replace me with Carolynn."
Colten leaned back in his leather chair. He processed the domestic treachery quickly. He recognized the brutal efficiency of the plot. It mirrored the kind of political assassinations he dealt with daily.
Genevieve laid out her first condition. "You must use your media influence to completely suppress any narrative that I am mentally unstable or unfit."
She gripped the armrests of the wheelchair. "Clinton's plan relies on the tabloids reporting that the shooting left me traumatized and incoherent. He needs a medical pretext to justify a forced separation."
Colten picked up a silver pen from his desk, twirling it thoughtfully between his fingers. "A media blackout on your medical status is a minor exertion of my power. Done."
Genevieve then dropped her second condition. "You must personally escort me back to the Reynolds estate tomorrow morning."
Colten's hand stilled. The silver pen stopped spinning. His eyes narrowed as he realized exactly what she was doing. She wanted to use his physical presence as a visual weapon to intimidate her enemies.
"The White House Chief of Staff doesn't do escort duty for socialite family dramas," Colten warned her, his tone dropping an octave.
Genevieve leaned forward. Her eyes blazed with absolute determination. "I bled for your mother tonight. This is the price of my blood."
The room fell dead silent. The sheer audacity of her demand hung heavy in the air. She was a wounded woman in a wheelchair, challenging Colten's absolute authority in his own sanctuary.
Colten stared into her unyielding eyes. A rare smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He finally appreciated her ruthless pragmatism. She wasn't a victim; she was a player.
He nodded slowly. "I will escort you. But I have my own non-negotiable term regarding the intel."
Colten leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "You will become my inside informant. You will use your position as Clinton's wife to gather the physical evidence of the fraud. I need ledgers, not just account numbers."
Genevieve hesitated. Her breath hitched. The thought of returning to the man who had choked the life out of her in a cold cellar sent a visceral shudder down her spine. Her stomach clenched.
Colten noticed her physical reaction. His gaze sharpened. "Do you lack the stomach to play the long game against your husband, Miss Merritt?"
Genevieve forced her hands to unclench. She buried her trauma deep down, locking it away behind a wall of pure hatred. "I will get you the physical evidence."
Colten stood up. He walked around the desk, his towering presence casting a long shadow over her wheelchair.
He extended his large, calloused hand toward her. The gesture formalized their dangerous political and personal alliance.
Genevieve placed her uninjured right hand in his. His grip was firm and warm. It was a pact forged in blood and secrets.
Colten immediately pulled out his phone. He dialed his press secretary. "Initiate a total media blackout across all major D. C. networks regarding Genevieve Merritt. Control the narrative—she is a hero in recovery, not a victim in hiding. Scrub everything else."
He hung up and looked at Rick, who had just re-entered the room. "Prepare a heavily armored motorcade for 0800 hours tomorrow. Make sure it has the executive seals."
Genevieve let out a long, shuddering breath. The exhaustion finally caught up to her. The first phase of her revenge was secured.
