LOGINDamian's POVI made it back to the penthouse in fifteen minutes flat, running two red lights and nearly sideswiping a taxi on Fifth Avenue.I didn't care.The only thing in my head was Scarlet's face when she'd turned away from those balcony doors, the devastation in her eyes before the rage took over and ushe'd slapped me hard enough that my face was still stinging.I pulled into the parking garage and my headlights caught them immediately.Scarlet standing next to her car with bags already loaded in the trunk, Mrs. Clara hovering nervously beside her with Jace's hand gripped tight in hers, and Jace himself looking small and confused in his pajamas with his dinosaur stuffed animal tucked under one arm.They were actually leaving.I threw my car into park and was out before the engine fully stopped."Scarlet!"She looked up and her entire face hardened into something I'd never seen before, something cold and final that made my chest tighten."Mrs. Clara, take Jace to the car," she sai
Scarlet's POVI stood frozen in the middle of the ballroom staring at the balcony doors.At Damian and Victoria pressed together through the glass.At her hands fisted in his shirt.At his head tilted down toward hers.At their mouths locked together.The shock hit first. Cold and numbing. Like someone had dumped ice water over my head and I couldn't quite process what I was seeing.That was Damian.My husband.Kissing Victoria.The woman who'd tried to destroy my career. Who'd sabotaged my surgeries. Who'd done everything possible to get me cancelled.He was kissing her.Then the shock burned away and underneath it was hurt. Raw and devastating and so sharp I actually pressed my hand to my chest because it felt like something physical had been ripped out.I'd trusted him.I'd let myself fall for him completely. I'd been standing in a bathroom ten minutes ago feeling free and powerful because I'd finally cut ties with Lucas and Savannah, thinking I could go find Damian and tell him ev
Victoria's Pov The grip around my neck was not hard enough to hurt. Not squeezing. Just there. His fingers wrapped around my neck with enough pressure that I went completely still, my eyes going wide."Listen very carefully," he said, his voice dropping to something I'd never heard before. Something dark and dangerous and absolutely serious. "You're going to stay away from Scarlet. You're going to stay away from her career, her cases, her office, her life. If I find out you've gone near her again I will destroy you so completely you'll wish I'd just had you arrested."I couldn't breathe. Not because he was squeezing but because the look in his eyes was genuinely terrifying."There is nothing I won't do for her," he continued. "No line I won't cross. No person I won't hurt. So if you value your career, your freedom, and your life, you will stay far away from my wife. Do you understand?"I managed a small nod, my heart hammering against my ribs.He let go and stepped back, his face ret
Victoria's PovI watched Damian through the glass doors as he stood at the edge of the ballroom looking distracted, his eyes scanning the crowd like he was searching for something.For her, obviously.Always for her.It made me sick.I'd spent the past hour positioning myself perfectly, waiting for the right moment when Scarlet would be occupied elsewhere. When I'd seen her follow Savannah into the bathroom I'd known this was my chance.I crossed the ballroom floor with practiced confidence and touched his arm lightly.He looked down at me and the expression that crossed his face wasn't polite. It was cold. Dismissive."What do you want, Victoria?"He's not even pretending to be civil? Typical."I need to talk to you." I kept my voice low. Professional. "About the hospital investigation. About Scarlet's case. It's important.""Then talk here.""It's confidential. Patient information. HIPAA." I gestured toward the balcony doors. "Just five minutes. Please."I saw him hesitate. And then
Scarlet's Pov Lucas's mouth opened and closed. No sound came out. His arm was still around her but she was pulling away now, stepping back, her eyes locked on his face. "You told her what?" Savannah's voice was rising now, getting sharper with each word. "You told my sister that we were getting divorced?" "Savannah, I can explain—" "Explain what?" She shoved his arm off her shoulders hard enough that he stumbled back a step. "Explain that you lied to her about us? Explain that while I was two months pregnant with your child you were texting her trying to get her back?" "It wasn't like that—" "Then what was it like, Lucas?" Her voice cracked but there was fury underneath it now, real and raw. "What exactly did you tell her?" "It was— I was upset after the fight with Damian and I just—" He was stammering, his hands coming up defensively, his eyes darting between Savannah's face and mine like he was trying to figure out which fire to put out first. "It was just a conversatio
Scarlet POV I didn't turn. I knew he'd been there. I'd known the entire time. He stepped through the bathroom door with that expression on his face. The one I'd seen a thousand times during our marriage. Disappointed. Patient. Like I was a child throwing a tantrum that he needed to manage carefully. He walked straight to Savannah and put his arm around her shaking shoulders, pulling her protectively against his chest, then looked at me like I was something that needed to be handled. "You're being too hard on her," Lucas said, his voice taking on that patronizing tone that used to make me question my own sanity. "She's standing here crying her eyes out trying to apologize and make amends. Trying to be better. To fix things between you. And you won't even soften your heart enough to forgive her. You won't even try to meet her halfway." He shook his head, his arm tightening around Savannah who was pressing her face into his chest now, her shoulders still shaking. Wasn't this







