The grand ballroom of the Astor Estate was not merely a venue; it was a fortress of unimaginable wealth, an architectural masterpiece designed to intimidate and mesmerize in equal measure

Genevieve dragged Isabel into the manor’s lavish powder room, locking the heavy brass door behind them. The muffled screams of the panicked guests could barely be heard through the thick walls.

"Are you insane?" Genevieve hissed, hiking up her heavy lace skirt. "You crashed a room full of billionaires with a tape recorder? Julian’s guards will kill you and bury you in the rose gardens before midnight!"

"I didn't have a choice," Isabel shot back. "He was about to merge my fleet with your family’s real estate holdings. I had to stop the transfer."

Genevieve stopped pacing. She looked at Isabel in the mirror. Two women, both used, manipulated, and trapped by the same ruthless man.

"I don't love him," Genevieve admitted quietly. "My family is three weeks away from total insolvency. Julian bought our debt. If I leave him, my family is ruined. But if I stay with him, and he goes to federal prison... all his assets are frozen. I'm ruined anyway."

"Then help me," Isabel said, stepping closer. "Julian keeps the physical 'black ledgers' in the biometric safe in his study. The audio recording proves attempted murder, but the ledgers prove international treason. If we hand those to the authorities, we don't just put him away. We seize his assets."

Genevieve’s eyes narrowed. "And what's in it for me?"

"When I reclaim my company, I will buy your family’s debt at a premium," Isabel offered without hesitation. "You walk away a free, wealthy woman. I walk away with my life back."