Red Declaration

POV MADDISON

The mirror in my suite reflected a woman I barely recognized. The dress Caleb had sent up that afternoon wasn’t just an outfit—it was a weapon. It was made of crimson silk so intense it looked like liquid fire, clinging to my curves like a second skin. It featured an asymmetrical neckline that left my shoulders bare and a daring slit up the left leg that shattered any lingering sense of my old, conservative self. I had pinned my hair up into a sleek, high bun, exposing the long line of my neck.

When I walked down the grand staircase, all three brothers were waiting in the foyer. They wore identical black tuxedos, yet their postures immediately broadcasted their fiercely clashing personalities. Ethan was adjusting his gold cufflinks with chilly precision; Asher stood with his hands rammed into his pockets, tracking my descent with a heavy, primal hunger; and Caleb leaned against the marble pillar, a glass of champagne in hand and a thoroughly satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

"Breathtaking," Caleb murmured, breaking the silence as he stepped forward to offer me his arm the moment my heel hit the final step. "Richard Miller is going to have a stroke before the night is over, and I intend to be right there to watch it happen."

"We aren't going there to put on a circus act, Caleb," Ethan cuttingly interjected, his gaze raking down my body, his dark eyes dilating imperceptibly as they mapped the contours the red dress highlighted. "We are going to plant our flag. Maddison, remember your role. You do not leave our side."

"I know exactly what I'm doing, Ethan," I replied, placing my hand firmly on Caleb’s sleeve. "I don't need a leash."

"We'll see about that, doll," Asher growled from behind me, his rough voice sending a sudden jolt of heat straight to my belly. "Because if that pathetic excuse of an ex-husband tries to get too close to you, I’m personally throwing him out of the ballroom in front of every camera in the city."

The limousine ride to the Grand Plaza Hotel was a tense game of heavy silences and unavoidable touches. Because of the seating arrangement, my bare leg brushed against Asher’s knee with every turn the car took, while Ethan’s imposing frame sat directly across from me, his eyes pinning me down in the dim light. By the time the chauffeur opened the door at the venue, the blinding flashes of the paparazzi were already reflecting off the windows.

Ethan stepped out first, followed by Asher. They flanked the door like a wall of dark tailored wool, both extending a hand to me at the exact same time. I bypassed Asher’s smirking offer and took Ethan’s firm, cool hand to steady myself as I stepped onto the red carpet. Caleb smoothly slotted in right behind me, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back.

As we walked into the grand ballroom, the murmurs began instantly. The elite of the city whispered behind their crystal glasses, their eyes darting from the notorious Blackwood triplets to the woman on their arms. Word of Richard's overnight financial collapse had already leaked, and seeing his ex-wife flanked by the very men orchestrating his ruin was the ultimate scandal.

I scanned the opulent, gold-leafed room, searching for one specific face. It didn't take long. Richard was standing near the bar, frantically trying to corner two local real estate tycoons. His tuxedo looked rumpled, his face pale and drawn from a sleepless night of panic. Standing next to him was my stepsister, looking deeply uncomfortable in a muted pink gown.

The moment Richard turned his head and saw us, his glass of scotch nearly slipped from his fingers. His eyes widened in absolute shock, which quickly curdled into a mask of pure, humiliated rage.

"Stay right here," Caleb whispered against my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin. "Enjoy the opening act."

Ethan and Caleb marched straight toward Richard's group with a terrifying, synchronized gravity. I watched from a short distance as the two investors Richard had been begging immediately turned their backs on him, eagerly stretching out their hands to greet Ethan. Richard was being erased from his own social circle in real time.

Sweating and visibly desperate, Richard abruptly broke away from his stepsister and stormed across the marble floor toward me, completely ignoring the stares of the crowd.

"Maddison!" Richard barked as he reached me, his voice shaking with a pathetic mixture of anger and panic. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Why are you dressed like that, and why are you with them?!"

Before I could even blink, Asher stepped in front of me, his massive, muscular frame completely eclipsing Richard from my view.

"Step back, Miller," Asher warned, his voice dropping to a low, lethal vibration that caused a nearby couple to gasp and retreat. "Take one more step toward her, and I'll ensure your next boardroom meeting is held in an ICU."

"She is my wife!" Richard yelled, his fists clenching, though he didn't dare move against Asher’s towering height.

"I *was* your wife, Richard," I said, stepping out from behind Asher's shoulder to look my ex square in the eyes. Seeing the sheer terror masking his anger gave me a intoxicating rush of power. "You signed the papers yesterday. You called me boring and told me I was easily replaced, remember?"

Ethan and Caleb materialized at my flanks in that exact moment, sealing the perimeter around me. Ethan looked down at Richard as if he were dirt on his custom Italian shoes.

"Your investors just backed out of your final merger, Miller," Ethan announced with an unsettling, calm finality. "By tomorrow at noon, your corporate headquarters will be locked down for asset liquidation. You have no company, you have no leverage... and you have no claim here."

Richard stumbled back a step, his chest heaving as he looked at the united, terrifying front of the three brothers and the cold smile on my face.

"Maddison... you don't know what you're doing," he stammered, his voice breaking. "They're monsters. They're going to ruin you."

Caleb smiled perversely, stepping up behind me and sliding his long arm around my waist, pulling my hips flush against his in a blatant, public display of dominance.

"She already knows exactly what we are, Richard," Caleb purred, while Ethan and Asher kept their dark, hungry eyes fixed on me. "And she loves our price. Now, get out of our sight."