LOGINFelix grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, and they started running fast just as one of Lorenzo’s men showed up at the broken window. Shots were fired, and the bullets flew past them with a sharp whining sound, cutting leaves from the hedges and hitting the stone path right near where they were running.They made it to the car and climbed in quickly. Felix put the key in and turned it, and the engine roared as he pressed down hard on the gas.The tires screamed on the road and smoked as the car fishtailed out of the estate and to the main road.Wren sat hunched in the passenger seat with her hands to her forehead, shaking with sobs she couldn’t control.She kept saying, “Oh my God…oh my God…”Felix kept glancing between the road and the rearview mirror, where a black SUV had come out of the estate gates and was chasing after them.Felix pushed the car faster and weaved through the light traffic quickly.
Lorenzo writhed weakly on the ground with a low groan of agony. Blood began to bloom from a gash above his temple, matting his dark hair. The gun he was holding skittered under the desk.“You disgusting son of a bitch!" Felix roared and vaulted over the back of the sofa. He descended on the writhing Lorenzo, punching him again and again and again.“Vile piece of garbage!” Felix snarled.Every word coming out of Felix was followed by a hard blow.“You think you can just take whatever you want? You think you own people? Coward hiding behind money and guns! I'm going to make sure you suffer for what you've done."He grabbed a fistful of Lorenzo's blood-slicked hair and slammed his head back against the floor, punching him again.Meanwhile, Wren had scrambled back, pressing herself against the wall, hands clamped over her mouth as she watched the brutal scene through a haze of tears.The violence scared her, but Felix’s fa
Lorenzo Guzman turned his body a full ninety degrees to face Wren, one thigh rising higher on the cushion.‘So, Miss Ellington. The last true Ellington," he mused, “That must be a heavy crown to wear alone.”Wren kept her hands folded on her knees. She sighed. let“Mr. Lorenzo, what is it you wanted to talk about that couldn’t be said in front of our counsel? My board’s patience is running thin, so I’d appreciate it if we got straight to the point.”He leaned back a little, "The point, Miss Ellington, is what a partnership actually rests on. You’re here for a transaction. You want money in exchange for stability. I get that. But I believe it matters to know the person behind the title. It makes the collaboration feel more real. Don’t you agree?”Wren’s annoyance showed for half a second before she pushed it down.“With all due respect, the kind of :knowing’ that matters
A woman brought in a tray with a carafe of water, three crystal glasses, and a small plate of delicate pastries, leaving immediately after she set them down on the table.Wren nodded Felix was staring at her oddly.She raised her eyebrows, silently mouthing “What?”He pointed two of his fingers at his own eye, then gestured minutely towards her.Wren, confused, touched her own cheek and realised some part of her fallen false lashes had stuck to her undereye.She plucked the strand off her face, looking away like nothing happened.Soon, a man walked in, and it wasn’t Hector.He was tall, probably in his early forties, with sharp, good-looking features. He wore a beautifully tailored navy suit without a tie.“My sincerest apologies for keeping you waiting,” he said in a cultured baritone as he walked around the desk to shake their hands. “Unavoidable delays.”He acted like a gentleman, but there was
On the large screen in the conference room was a short list. Wren was standing in front of the screen, tapping her pointer against the glass next to the first name.“We’ve narrowed it down to three possible investors to cover the money Ashner pulled out. We’ve done the first round of checks, and the options are getting fewer.” She moved the pointer down the list. “The SHAR-AFAI group works too closely with one of our competitors. And the Dubai office is asking for terms we just can’t agree to.” The pointer stopped on the last name. “So that leaves one main option if we want to move ahead: Primavera Holdings.”She clicked the remote, and a logo appeared on the screen. “They’re a Mexican-based investment firm that buys and grows small to mid-sized companies. The money is there, and their terms are the most straightforward we’ve seen. Hopefully this works out. It has to.”While she was speaking
That bizarre offer from Hector Guzman was still on Felix’s mind.Was it wise? The ‘investing’ part was clearly a front door something else. But getting his company back from Ellington Innovations was the real bait. They in obviously weren’t planning to sweetly convince Wren to hand Morell Industries back.Coercion. Blackmail. Leverage. These, and many others could be used to force her hand.Felix could already guess who it was calling his phone for the umpteenth time.“Have you seen the lawyer? Did you follow up? What is the plan?”“I’m looking into some stuff.”“What stuff? You of all people should know we don't have any time for gallivanting. My life is currently a mess and you expect me keep waiting on “some stuff”? Look if I need up dying in this mess, my blood will be on your neck, and I will continue to haunt you, hear me?!”She screamed the last words so loud that
“Yes I understand, but I’m still not leaving my apartment because of that. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Aside from AJ being around, Grace is also staying with me.”Omar sighed on the other end. “That man died in police custody, I’m sure you und
Bianca showed up at Felix’s office the next morning with the PR report for the day. Felix looked up from his desk when she entered and their eyes met. He knew she had found a way back into work, and honestly he knew there was nothing he could do about it without causing a ruckus with her. “Morning
Wren was running in an empty train station. She had a long stick in her hand, and she was screaming as she furiously pursued someone. Felix ran ahead of her, his coat flying behind him. He kept looking back over his shoulder, eyes wide, face panicked. “I’m going to fucking kill you!” she shouted
For the fifth time that evening, Wren worked the vacuum cleaner over the cream-colored rug with a dark patch of dried blood that wouldn’t come out no matter how many times she ran the vacuum over it. She stood there, the machine humming in her hands, and stared at the spot where Kael had been lying







