Chapter 1 - The Mask Slips
The next morning, my phone buzzed while I was sitting at my executive desk.
It was a text message from Gavin asking how I slept.
I stared at the screen for a long time, watching the little typing bubble appear and disappear.
Only twelve hours earlier, I had watched him stand calmly while his mother beat a defenseless woman with a stick.
I forced my fingers to type a sweet, affectionate reply.
"I slept fine, sweetheart, just thinking about our future."
At 9:00 AM, my private corporate lawyer, Marcus, walked into my office.
Marcus had been handling my agency’s legal affairs since day one.
"You wanted to see me, Alyssa?" Marcus asked, closing the door behind him.
I gestured for him to take a seat across from me.
"Marcus, I need you to quietly review all prenuptial documents Gavin’s family sent over," I said in a steady voice.
Marcus raised an eyebrow, sensing the sudden shift in my tone.
"They want total control over your agency's voting shares after the ceremony," Marcus noted, shaking his head.
"I know," I replied coldly.
"Draft a completely fake asset-transfer agreement that looks entirely legitimate to a layman."
Marcus looked confused.
"Why would we do that?" he asked.
"Because I want them to believe they are about to steal everything I own," I whispered.
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"And while they celebrate too early, I am going to dig up every single skeleton buried in their backyard."
Marcus smiled slowly, realizing the game had just changed.
