Chapter 10 - The False Victory
Arthur lunged forward with a vicious swipe of his hunting knife, aiming directly for her throat.
Norah sidestepped the attack with a burst of adrenaline, swinging the heavy bronze statue with all her might.
The statue connected squarely with Arthur's jaw, producing a sickening crunch that echoed through the office.
Arthur dropped the knife and collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious before he even hit the carpet.
Norah did not waste a single second looking back at the man who had ruined her life.
She sprinted out of the office, fleeing through the crowded nightclub and bursting out into the rainy alleyway.
She reached the white sports car, throwing the door open and jamming the blue vial into Declan's trembling hand.
Declan weakly triggered the auto-injector against his neck, collapsing backward against the leather seat.
For ten agonizing seconds, nothing happened, and Norah thought she was completely alone again.
Then, Declan took a massive, shuddering breath, the dark veins on his neck slowly beginning to fade back to a normal color.
He opened his eyes, looking at Norah with an expression of profound, genuine gratitude she had never seen on a mobster's face.
He managed to sit up, taking the steering wheel and driving them deep into the city's hidden industrial sector.
They arrived at a highly secure, heavily guarded safehouse overlooking the glittering skyline of Bellgrave.
Norah sat on the edge of a plush king-sized bed, feeling an overwhelming sense of triumph and absolute freedom.
She had defeated her ex-husband, survived a syndicate coup, and earned the eternal protection of the city's most powerful man.
Declan walked into the master bathroom to wash the blood and smoke from his battered body.
Norah stood up and picked up his ruined suit jacket from the floor, intending to drape it over a chair.
She unfolded a crisp white paper that slipped from his inner pocket, expecting to find a list of rival targets or offshore bank accounts.
Instead, she found a legally binding contract detailing the complete financial destruction of her life, signed by her ex-husband over two years ago.
May you like
The buyer's signature at the very bottom belonged to Declan Hayes.
He had orchestrated every single moment of her suffering just to force her into his house.
