Caleb didn't speak, yet the glacial aura radiating from him forced Henry to freeze mid-stride.
"Mr. Sanchez, keep your woman in line." His voice was a low rumble, heavy as a judge's gavel. "If your hand slips again, I won't hesitate to ensure the Sanchez Group loses its grip on everything."
The threat hung in the air.
Henry grit his teeth, veins bulging as he fought to suppress his rage. Against Caleb Delgado, he didn't dare lash out. He could only direct a venomous glare at me.
"Anna Pruitt, just you wait! Don't think climbing into Caleb Delgado's bed means you can do whatever you want!"
Ignoring him, I plucked a glass of red wine from a passing waiter's tray and stalked toward Amelia.
Henry helped her to her feet, but her eyes remained fixed on me, filled with malice.
Splash!
I upended the glass directly over her head.
Crimson liquid drenched her hair, dripping down her face, ruining her makeup in ugly, dark rivulets.
"Ah! Anna! I'm going to kill you!" Amelia shrieked, clawing at her face.
A cold smile played on my lips as I leaned in close to her ear. "Open your eyes and look closely," I whispered. "The woman you are now isn't even fit to shine my shoes."
Without waiting for a response, I linked my arm through Caleb's. Under the shocked gazes of the city's elite, we turned and walked away.
Behind us, Henry's furious roar and Amelia's wretched wailing faded into background noise.
Outside the banquet hall, the night wind brushed cool against my skin. Caleb removed his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
I looked up at him. "This is only the beginning. That little stunt was just interest. Nowhere near enough to repay the debt of a life."
After the cocktail party, the hierarchy of Harbor City shifted.
The name Anna Pruitt became a legend whispered on everyone's lips. Conversely, Henry Sanchez became the city's biggest punchline.
The Deep Bay project was ripped from his hands, and Sanchez Group's stock plummeted to the limit the moment markets opened.
I had no intention of letting him catch his breath.
Using pocket change from the two billion, I leased a gigantic LED billboard directly across from the Sanchez Group headquarters.
Twenty-four hours a day, on endless loop, it displayed one image: my divorce certificate with Henry.
I deliberately enlarged the date and added a scrolling ticker at the bottom:
[CONGRATULATIONS TO MISS PRUITT ON HAPPILY BECOMING SINGLE. MAY YOU FOREVER STAY AWAY FROM TRASH AND ENJOY ENDLESS FORTUNE.]
The screen faced the floor-to-ceiling windows of Henry's executive office. He only had to lift his head to see his humiliation broadcast in high definition.
Rumor had it he ordered every curtain drawn and smashed two computers in blind rage.
By noon, I was at my new office, reviewing financial reports.
Bang!
The double doors burst open.
Henry charged in. Security guards trailing behind him were breathless and useless against his rampage.
"Anna! What the hell is your game?"
He stormed up to my desk, slamming both hands on the surface. His eyes were bloodshot, manic.
Unhurried, I closed the file and met his gaze. "Mr. Sanchez. Trespassing in a corporate building? I could have you arrested."
Henry stared at my indifferent expression, and his demeanor shifted. The rage evaporated, replaced by a sickening, wheedling tone.
"Annie, stop the theatrics." He leaned in, voice dropping. "I know you still have me in your heart. You're doing all this just to get my attention."
I stared at him, blinkered.
"As long as you take down that billboard and return the Deep Bay project, I'll consider cutting ties with Amelia."
Bile rose in my throat. The man's narcissism had punched through the ceiling of human logic.
"Henry, do you own a mirror?" My voice stayed flat. "You look like a stray dog that's been kicked out of the house. Just looking at you makes me nauseous."
The insult landed. The familiar violence—the brutality I knew too well—surged back into his eyes.
He rounded the desk, lunging to grab my wrist, trying to force his mouth onto mine.
"What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for? Back when you begged me in bed—"
Smack!
I backhanded him across the face.
I put my entire body weight into it, hitting him so hard my palm went numb.
