All Chapters of Revenge is Best Served Cold: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Elena's POV I stood in the lobby of my new building, watching workers hang the gold letters that spelled "Phoenix Advisory" above the entrance. Two years had passed since I started my consulting company, and now I owned a six-floor office space in a building in the heart of the financial district."The letters look perfect," Sarah said, walking up beside me with a clipboard full of grand opening details. "The caterers will be here at two, and the first guests should arrive by three.""How many people are coming?" I asked."Over two hundred," Sarah replied. "Business owners, lawyers, city officials and reporters from three different magazines.""And Julian?""He'll be here," Sarah said with a knowing smile. "He wouldn't miss your grand opening."I looked around the marble lobby with its crystal chandeliers and expensive artwork. Phoenix Advisory now had twenty-two employees spread across three floors. We handled financial consulting, business security, and our newest service, real est

Dr. Parker's POVThe prison gates closed behind me with a loud clang, but I barely heard it. After twenty three months in that concrete hell, I was finally free. Free, but not really.I stood on the sidewalk outside Riverside Correctional Facility, holding a plastic bag with everything I owned. One change of clothes, a cheap watch that didn't work anymore, and forty-three dollars in cash. That was it. That was all I had left after thirty years as a doctor."Dr. Parker?" A voice called from behind me.I turned around and saw my lawyer, Sandra Mills, walking toward me in her cheap suit. She looked tired, like she always did. Overworked and underpaid, just like most public defenders. I couldn't afford a better lawyer because even though I was a seasoned doctor, I had a gambling addiction, which was why I needed the money Marcus offered me to fake his death."The paperwork is all finished," she said, handing me a folder. "You're officially released. But remember, you still have to report

Elena's POV The next four hours passed in a blur of phone calls and careful planning. Julian made calls while I drafted statements, and slowly the panic in my chest began to ease. He moved around my office like he belonged there, loosening his tie, rolling up his sleeves, totally focused on protecting me and everything we built together. I watched him work and felt something I hadn't experienced in years. Safety. Not the cold, calculated safety I created with money and power, but the warm feeling of having someone actually care about what happened to me. "Patricia Walsh is asking hard questions about Morrison's sources," Julian said, hanging up his phone. "She wants to see the police files before she'll even consider running the story." "Will Morrison give up?" "Young reporters don't like being embarrassed. He'll probably try to find another angle, but without Parker's story as the foundation, he's got nothing." Julian loosened his tie completely and pulled it off. "How's the st

Elena's POV I stood in front of my bedroom mirror for at least the tenth time in twenty minutes, adjusting the neckline of my black dress. Too formal? Not formal enough? I couldn't remember the last time I cared what I looked like for someone else. Actually, I could remember. It was three years ago, when I still believed Marcus loved me. When I still thought marriage meant partnership instead of betrayal. I shook my head, pushing away the memories. Tonight wasn't about Marcus. Tonight was about Julian, who invested a lot of money in my company just because he believed in me. Julian, who looked at me like I was something precious instead of something to be used. My phone buzzed with a text: "Outside whenever you're ready. No rush." Even his texts were considerate. Marcus would have been honking the horn by now, making me feel guilty for keeping him waiting. I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs. Julian stood beside his car, and when he saw me, his whole face lit up. He wasn'

Elena's POV I sat in my office at nine in the morning, pretending to review quarterly reports while my mind was somewhere else entirely. The coffee in my cup was cold definitely, but I kept sipping it anyway. Julian would arrive soon for our weekly business meeting, and I needed to look professional, not like a woman obsessed with tracking her enemies. I checked my clock. I had more than an hour before Julian arrived. Enough time to drive to Fifth and Broadway, where I knew they would be working their usual corner. Some people might call it unhealthy but I called it staying informed. The drive took fifteen minutes through downtown traffic. I parked across the street from the corner where Marcus, Isabella, and Sophia spent most of their days. From my previous life, I knew Victor's operation well. I knew which corners his people worked, which routes they took, which corners they sold their goods at. I rolled down my window slightly and watched through my tinted glass. There they