The cab dropped Hayden off in the underground parking garage of her apartment building.
She paid the fare, her hands still shaking with residual adrenaline. She walked past the private driver Bernhard had hired for her, ignoring his greeting. She didn't want to be driven. She needed to be in control.
She walked to her designated parking spot. Sitting under the fluorescent lights was her silver Porsche 911. It was the only thing she owned that she had bought with her own money, long before Bernhard Cunningham took over her finances.
She unlocked the car, slid into the low driver's seat, and slammed the door.
She gripped the leather steering wheel. Her knuckles turned white. The palm of her right hand was throbbing violently, a hot, stinging pain radiating up to her wrist from where she had slapped Bernhard.
She pressed the ignition. The engine roared to life with a deep, guttural growl.
She threw the car into drive and sped out of the garage, merging aggressively into the chaotic, bumper-to-bumper traffic of Manhattan's rush hour.
The interior of the Porsche was dead silent.
Hayden stared at the sea of red taillights in front of her.
Suddenly, the image of Bernhard wrapping his arms around Brielle flashed behind her eyes. It was a physical blow. Her chest caved in. Her throat tightened so fast she choked on her own breath.
The tears she had been holding back finally broke.
They spilled over her lashes, hot and blinding, blurring her vision. She let out a ragged sob, aggressively wiping at her eyes with the back of her throbbing hand.
She was so focused on the pain in her chest that she didn't see the traffic light ahead turn red.
The car in front of her slammed on its brakes.
Hayden blinked the tears away. The brake lights flared violently in her vision.
Panic spiked in her veins. She stomped her foot down on the brake pedal with all her might.
The Porsche's tires locked. They screeched against the asphalt, a horrific, high-pitched wail.
CRUNCH.
The impact was brutal.
The force of the collision threw Hayden violently forward. The seatbelt locked, biting savagely into her collarbone and shoulder. The air was knocked completely out of her lungs.
Her head snapped back against the headrest.
The airbags didn't deploy, but the world spun for a terrifying second.
Hayden slumped over the steering wheel, gasping for air. Her chest burned. Her hands were shaking so violently she could barely unbuckle the seatbelt.
She pushed the door open and stumbled out onto the street.
She looked at the front of her Porsche. The hood was crumpled.
Then she looked at the car she had hit.
It wasn't a standard sedan. It was a vintage, deep navy blue Aston Martin DB5. A car worth more than most penthouses. The rear bumper was severely dented, the pristine paint cracked and ruined.
The driver's side door of the Aston Martin opened.
A man stepped out.
He was tall, easily over six-foot-two. He wore a bespoke, dark charcoal suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly. His jaw was sharp, his hair dark, and his eyes were a piercing, icy gray. He radiated an aura of absolute authority and cold annoyance.
He walked to the back of his car. He stared at the crushed bumper. A muscle ticked in his jaw.
Hayden swallowed the lump of panic in her throat. She walked toward him, her legs feeling like lead.
"I am so sorry," she said, her voice trembling. "I wasn't paying attention. It was entirely my fault. I will cover all the damages."
The man turned his head slowly. His icy gray eyes locked onto hers.
He took in her disheveled hair, the red, swollen skin around her eyes, and the way her hands were visibly shaking. The hard, furious edge in his eyes softened by a fraction of a millimeter, but his expression remained stone-cold.
He held out a large, steady hand.
"License and insurance," he said. His voice was a low, resonant baritone that commanded immediate obedience.
Hayden reached into her bag. Her fingers fumbled with her wallet. She pulled out her driver's license, her insurance card, and one of her personal calling cards. She handed them over.
The man took the cards. He glanced at the insurance slip, then looked at the calling card.
Hayden Carter.
He paused. One dark eyebrow arched slightly. He recognized the name. The Carter family was old New York real estate royalty, even if they had faded in recent years.
Ander Sterling. He didn't offer his own name aloud, but she saw it etched on the premium insurance card he briefly flashed as he slipped her card into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.
"My lawyers will contact you," he said flatly. He turned his back to her and walked to his car to retrieve his documents.
A police motorcycle pulled up, its sirens blaring briefly. The officer hopped off and began directing traffic around the wreck, pulling out a notepad.
For the next twenty minutes, Hayden and the stranger stood on the side of the road. They didn't speak. The silence between them was heavy, cold, and impenetrable.
The officer handed them both a copy of the accident report. Hayden was cited for following too closely.
She signed the paper, handed it back, and gave the man one last apologetic nod.
She walked back to her damaged Porsche and climbed inside.
The moment she sat down, the screen of her phone, resting on the passenger seat, lit up.
It was a barrage of text messages from Bernhard.
Where are you?
You are acting like a child.
Come home right now and apologize.
You are making a massive mistake, Hayden.
Hayden stared at the words. The sadness was gone. The tears were completely dry.
She picked up the phone. She went into Bernhard's contact settings.
She hit Block Caller.
She tossed the phone back onto the seat, face down. She started the engine. It rattled, but it ran.
She put the car in gear. She needed three days. Three days of absolute silence to prepare the legal trap that would destroy him.
