The freezing night wind blasted into the warm living room. The crystal chandelier swayed violently, the glass pieces clinking together like frantic wind chimes.
Every bodyguard froze. Edson spun around.
Bennett Hawkins stepped through the ruined doorway. He wore a long, black cashmere overcoat. The cold air seemed to radiate from his very bones. His dark eyes swept the room, carrying the destructive force of a hurricane.
Two dozen elite tactical security contractors flooded in behind him. They moved in perfect, lethal synchronization. Their heavy boots hit the marble floor. Within three seconds, they had physically pinned Edson's bodyguards against the walls, twisting their arms behind their backs.
Edson's mouth fell open. He recognized the man who held the economic throat of Wall Street. Edson's purple face instantly morphed into a sickening, desperate smile. He rushed forward, his hand extended. "Mr. Hawkins! What an unexpected honor-"
Bennett didn't even look at him. He walked right past Edson, his shoulder brushing the older man aside. Edson's hand hung in the empty air.
Bennett stopped exactly one foot away from Ashley. His chest heaved once. His eyes locked onto the thin line of blood dripping down her neck.
The muscle in Bennett's jaw ticked so hard it looked like the bone would snap.
He reached up and grabbed the lapels of his cashmere coat. He stripped it off and stepped into Ashley's space. He wrapped the heavy, warm fabric tightly around her shivering shoulders, pulling the lapels together across her chest.
The scent of cedarwood, cold air, and faint tobacco engulfed Ashley's senses. The phantom smell of the warehouse fire vanished instantly.
Her breath caught. Her hands moved on their own. Her freezing fingers gripped the lapels of his coat, holding on to the fabric like a lifeline.
Bennett felt her hands shake. His eyes softened for a fraction of a second. He reached up and wrapped his massive, warm hand over her freezing knuckles.
"Sorry I'm late," he said. His voice was a low, gravelly rumble that vibrated in his chest.
Brittany stood by the stairs. Her eyes tracked Bennett's hand over Ashley's. Her chest tightened with pure, toxic jealousy. She stepped forward, pushing her chest out, trying to catch his eye.
Edson rubbed his hands together. "Mr. Hawkins, please, if this is about the port development project, we can discuss it in my study."
Bennett turned slowly. He kept Ashley tucked securely behind his broad back. He looked at Edson like he was looking at a cockroach.
"I am here to collect my fiancée," Bennett said. His voice was absolute zero. "We are fulfilling the marriage contract our grandfathers signed."
The room went completely dead. The only sound was the wind howling through the broken doors.
Fleda gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Brittany's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
Edson's brain scrambled to calculate the money. A greedy light sparked in his eyes. He took a step forward. "Mr. Hawkins, Ashley is... unstable. Her reputation is ruined. If you want to honor the contract, Brittany is much more obedient and suited for your status."
Brittany immediately smiled. She tilted her head, giving Bennett a look of pure, innocent submission.
Bennett let out a short, harsh laugh. The sound held no humor. He looked Brittany up and down.
"Does the Sawyer family make a habit of offering up garbage when someone asks for a diamond?" Bennett asked.
Brittany's smile shattered. The blood rushed to her face, turning her skin a blotchy, humiliated red. She took a step back as if he had physically struck her.
Devon stood in the corner. He heard the word 'garbage'. His fists clenched at his sides, but he kept his mouth shut. The oppressive weight of Bennett's power kept him pinned to the floor.
Bennett's chief assistant stepped out from behind the tactical team. He pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. He pulled a thick folder from his briefcase and threw it directly at Edson's chest.
The heavy paper smacked against Edson's sternum.
"If anyone in this house touches a single hair on Ms. Sawyer's head," the assistant said, his voice clinical, "Hawkins Group will short Sawyer stock at the opening bell. Your company will be scrap paper by noon."
Edson clutched the folder. Cold sweat soaked through his dress shirt. He nodded frantically. "Understood. Completely understood."
Ashley stepped out from behind Bennett's back. She looked at Devon.
"The engagement is over," she said.
Devon stepped forward, his pride finally overriding his fear. "You can't just decide that, Ashley. It's a family merger."
Ashley reached for her left hand. She grabbed the three-carat diamond engagement ring and yanked it off her finger. She threw it as hard as she could directly at his chest. The heavy platinum band smacked hard against his sternum. Devon flinched, instinctively taking a step back in shock. The ring bounced off his expensive suit jacket and hit the marble floor, rolling away with a sharp, metallic ping.
Ashley turned to Bennett. She looked straight into his dark eyes. "Get me out of this house. Now."
A dark, dangerous spark of pleasure flared in Bennett's eyes. He nodded. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, pulling her flush against his side.
Justyn broke free from his shock. He lunged forward. "You can't just leave! You haven't explained anything!"
Two tactical guards slammed Justyn face-first into the drywall. The plaster cracked.
Ashley stopped. She looked over her shoulder at her brother.
"The migraines and the blurred vision you've been having for the last month," Ashley said, her voice carrying across the room. "It's heavy metal poisoning. Check your blood."
Justyn froze against the wall. His pupils dilated. He slowly turned his head to look at Fleda. Fleda's face drained of all color. She looked away instantly.
Ashley turned back around. She walked in perfect sync with Bennett toward the ruined doors.
She paused on the threshold. The cold wind whipped her hair. "Get your lawyers ready. I am not dropping the charges for the yacht."
She stepped over the splintered remains of the ruined oak doors and walked out into the dark.
