The black Maybach glided up the long, crushed-gravel driveway of the Hodge family's oceanfront estate in the Hamptons. The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the massive stone portico.
Arthur, the estate's head butler, pulled open the heavy car door. Audrey took a deep breath, forcing her facial muscles into the polite, vacant smile required of a billionaire's wife.
Dozier stepped out first. Instead of waiting for his wife, he immediately turned and offered his hand to Blake, shielding her head as she stepped out of the car. The blatant disregard hit Audrey like a physical blow to the chest.
Standing at the top of the grand marble stairs was Augusta Hodge. The family matriarch had silver hair pulled into a tight chignon and eyes like chips of flint. Her gaze completely bypassed Audrey, locking onto the woman standing next to her grandson.
"Blake, my darling girl!" Augusta called out, her harsh voice softening with genuine affection. She walked down two steps and pulled Blake into a warm embrace, treating the actual daughter-in-law like a ghost.
Audrey gripped the fabric of her skirt. She walked up the stone steps alone. The sharp clack of her heels against the stone was the only sound covering the deafening roar of her isolation.
They moved into the cavernous, gilded foyer. Audrey stopped in front of the matriarch. "Good afternoon, Grandmother."
Augusta pulled away from Blake and looked Audrey up and down. She let out a loud, disdainful huff.
"That neckline is entirely inappropriate for a daytime family gathering," Augusta snapped. Her words were designed to strip away Audrey's dignity in front of the staff.
Audrey looked at Dozier. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his face blank. He offered no defense. His silence validated the bullying, making the floor tilt beneath Audrey's feet.
"Now, Mother, don't be so harsh," a smooth voice interrupted.
Cordelia, Dozier's mother, glided into the foyer. She wore a perfectly tailored cream dress. She reached out and patted Audrey's cold hand, playing the role of the benevolent peacemaker.
"Come with me, Audrey. Let's discuss the dinner menu," Cordelia said, pulling Audrey away from Augusta's firing line.
They walked down a long hallway lined with oil paintings and stepped into a quiet parlor. The moment the doors closed, the warm smile vanished from Cordelia's face, replaced by a calculating stare.
"How is your ovulation tracking going?" Cordelia asked, her voice dropping to a businesslike clip.
Audrey's stomach plummeted. "I... my body is still recovering."
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. "The trust fund stipulations are clear. Dozier needs an heir before his thirty-fifth birthday to secure the voting shares. Your miscarriage was a year ago. Time is up."
The pressure of the billionaire empire pressed down on Audrey's lungs, making it hard to breathe. She was nothing but a breeding vessel to them.
"I need more time," Audrey lied, her voice trembling.
"I have already booked an appointment with Dr. Kenji Lin for you," Cordelia stated, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
The name of the elite fertility specialist acted like a physical blow to Audrey's head. Panic spiked in her veins. A doctor would run blood tests. They would find the birth control.
Cordelia turned and walked out of the parlor, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.
Audrey stumbled out of the room a minute later, her mind racing with terrifying scenarios. She wandered aimlessly down the corridor until she found herself standing at the top of the grand, sweeping marble staircase.
She looked down at the steep, jagged edges of the stone steps.
Suddenly, her vision tunneled. A loud ringing filled her ears. The memory of a year ago slammed into her brain. The sudden, violent shove against her shoulder blades. The terrifying sensation of falling. The sickening crack of her bones hitting the marble. The warm pool of blood spreading between her legs.
Audrey gasped for air. Her chest heaved. Cold sweat broke out across her forehead and slid down her spine. She grabbed the polished mahogany handrail, her knuckles turning bone-white as she fought the urge to scream.
"It's a long way down, isn't it?"
The soft, musical voice floated up from the steps below.
Audrey's head snapped up. Blake was standing halfway down the staircase. She was standing on the exact step where Audrey had landed a year ago.
"It's so easy to lose your footing on these marble stairs, isn't it?" Blake whispered, her eyes gleaming with a malicious delight. "One has to be so... careful. After all, accidents happen, and Dozier would never believe otherwise."
A surge of pure, blinding rage burned through Audrey's veins. Her vision tinted red. "You pushed me," she hissed, her voice vibrating with hatred.
Blake let out a soft giggle. "I did. And what are you going to do about it? You have no proof. Dozier will never believe you."
The absolute arrogance of the sociopath snapped the last thread of Audrey's control. She let go of the handrail and lunged forward, her hands curling into fists, ready to tear Blake's hair out.
But as her foot hit the first step down, a flash of dark fabric caught her eye.
Down in the lower hallway, partially hidden by the corner wall, was the distinct edge of Dozier's suit jacket.
Audrey's brain slammed on the brakes. Her muscles locked up. Blake was baiting her. Blake wanted Dozier to see Audrey attack her like a deranged lunatic.
Audrey sucked in a sharp breath and took two rapid steps backward, putting a safe distance between herself and the stairs. She crossed her arms and stared down at Blake with eyes like dead winter ice.
Seeing that her trap had failed, Blake's eyes widened. She dramatically threw her arms out and let out a piercing shriek, swaying backward as if she were losing her balance.
Dozier sprinted around the corner. He leaped up the bottom stairs and caught Blake by the waist just before she fell backward. He pulled her against his chest and shot a furious, accusatory glare up at Audrey.
Audrey didn't offer a single word of defense. She looked at the two of them clutching each other like a tragic romance novel cover. A wave of absolute disgust washed over her. She turned her back on them, kept her spine straight, and walked away.
