Daisy slammed on the brakes. The Porsche jerked to a halt in the visitor parking space outside the VIP wing of Mount Sinai Hospital.

She shoved the door open. She didn't grab an umbrella. She stepped directly into the freezing downpour.

The icy rain soaked through her red dress instantly. The wet fabric clung to her skin, making her shiver violently.

She marched to the glass doors of the hospital and pushed them open. The blast of air conditioning hit her wet skin like a wall of ice.

She ignored the nurse at the front desk calling out to her. She walked straight to the private elevator reserved for the top floor.

A security guard stepped in her path, holding up a hand. "Ma'am, this area is restricted."

"I am Emmett Reese's wife," Daisy said. Her voice was a low, dangerous blade.

The guard hesitated, intimidated by the sheer force of her glare. He reached for his shoulder radio. "Please wait here, ma'am. I need to confirm with Mr. Reese's detail-"

Before he could unclip the radio, Daisy pulled her black card from her pocket, bypassed his outstretched arm, and swiped it against the scanner. The light flashed green. The elevator doors opened.

She stepped inside. The doors closed, sealing her in.

She looked at her reflection in the polished metal doors. Her hair was plastered to her cheeks. She reached up and pushed the wet strands back with shaking fingers.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to the top floor.

The hallway was dead silent. The thick carpet absorbed the sound of her footsteps. A few private nurses stood near the station, whispering to each other.

Daisy walked forward. Her wet dress dripped onto the floor. Her chest felt tight, like a heavy weight was sitting on her lungs.

At the end of the hall, outside the largest suite, stood two men in dark suits. Emmett's bodyguards.

They saw her. Their faces drained of color. One of them immediately shifted his massive frame to block the small viewing window on the door.

Daisy walked faster. "Move," she ordered. Her voice echoed sharply down the quiet corridor.

The bodyguards exchanged a panicked look. They knew her authority. They didn't dare put their hands on her. They reluctantly took a half-step back.

Daisy stepped up to the door. She leaned close to the glass. The blinds were mostly closed, but a small gap remained.

She looked through the slit.

The room was bathed in soft, warm light. Eryn sat on the edge of the hospital bed, wearing a loose gown. Her shoulders were shaking as she cried.

Emmett stood right beside the bed. His back was to the door. His tall, broad frame dominated the space.

Suddenly, Eryn let out a sob and threw herself forward. She wrapped her arms tightly around Emmett's waist, burying her face in his stomach.

Daisy gasped. Her fingernails dug into the wooden doorframe so hard they ached.

Emmett's body stiffened. Slowly, he raised his hand and placed it on Eryn's arm.

From Daisy's angle, it looked exactly like an embrace. It looked like he was holding her back, comforting her.

A sharp, physical pain ripped through Daisy's chest. It felt like someone had reached into her ribcage and crushed her heart with bare hands. She couldn't breathe.

She stumbled backward. The heel of her shoe hit the wooden baseboard with a loud thud.

Inside the room, Emmett's head snapped toward the door.

Daisy's pride flared hot in her veins. She refused to run away like a pathetic, spying victim.

She took a deep breath. The crushing pain in her chest hardened into pure, freezing anger.

She reached out and wrapped her hand around the cold metal handle of the door. She pushed down hard.

The lock clicked loudly in the silent hallway.

Daisy shoved the heavy door open. She stepped into the warm room, bringing the cold, wet reality of the storm right in with her.

The heavy door hit the wall with a loud bang.

Emmett spun around. His pupils dilated the second his eyes landed on Daisy.

He reacted instantly. He firmly grasped Eryn's arms and quickly detached himself from her embrace, stepping away with cold precision. Eryn stumbled backward.

She fell onto the mattress with a soft cry, tears spilling down her cheeks as she looked at the door.

Emmett took a long stride toward Daisy. "Daisy," he said, his voice tight with panic.

Daisy raised her hand. Her palm faced him, flat and rigid. It was a command to stop.

Emmett's boots halted on the linoleum, just one step away from her. His eyes scanned her soaked red dress, the water dripping from her hair, and the deathly pale color of her skin.

Eryn shrank back against the pillows. "Daisy," she whispered, her voice trembling and weak. "Please don't misunderstand. He was just comforting me."

Daisy didn't even look at Emmett. She stared right through him, locking her eyes on Eryn. A cold, bitter laugh escaped her throat.

"Comforting you?" Daisy said. Her voice was razor-sharp. "Did you not cut deep enough this time, Eryn? Or did you just need an audience for the blood?"

Eryn's face went completely white. She clutched her chest. Her breathing turned rapid and shallow. The heart monitor next to the bed started beeping wildly, the tempo increasing with her panic.

Emmett heard the alarm. His jaw clenched. Instinctively, he shifted his weight and stepped sideways, placing his massive body directly between Daisy and Eryn.

He looked down at Daisy. "Kid, that's enough," he said. His voice was a harsh, commanding rumble. "She can't take this right now."

That single movement-that protective stance-slid into Daisy's chest like a rusted blade.

She stared up at the man she married. He was reprimanding her. He was shielding another woman from her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Her throat felt tight, filled with broken glass. She bit down on the inside of her cheek until she tasted copper. She would not cry in front of them.

She sucked in a breath. Her voice shook with pure rage. "Do you even remember what today is?"

Emmett's eyes flickered. A flash of raw pain crossed his face. His hand twitched toward the pocket of his suit jacket, where a velvet box holding a pink diamond rested against his ribs.

But the monitor behind him was still screaming. "We will talk about this at home," he said, his voice strained.

He reached out to grab her wrist.

Daisy flinched like he had burned her. She slapped his hand away violently.

She took a step back, putting distance between them. The smell of the hospital antiseptic mixed with Eryn's sickeningly sweet perfume clung to his clothes. It made Daisy want to vomit.

Behind Emmett, Eryn let out a weak, pathetic cough.

Daisy looked at the two of them. The fight drained out of her, replaced by a terrifying, hollow clarity. The love she had fought so hard to keep suddenly felt like a joke.

She straightened her spine. She lifted her chin, forcing herself to stand tall despite the freezing wet fabric clinging to her legs.

She looked dead into Emmett's eyes.

"Emmett Reese," she said. Every word was distinct and heavy. "I want a divorce."

The air in the room vanished. The beeping of the monitor seemed to fade into background noise.

Emmett's entire body jerked as if he had been shot. The color drained from his face, leaving his skin ashen. His dark eyes turned lethal.

He closed the distance between them in one step. He towered over her, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Take that back," he snarled, his voice a low, vibrating threat.

Daisy didn't blink. She looked at his furious face, a cold smirk touching the corner of her lips. She turned on her heel and walked toward the open door.

Daisy's fingers brushed the doorframe.

Behind her, Eryn let out a soft, trembling sob. It sounded weak, but Daisy heard the unmistakable edge of triumph in it.

That sound snapped the last thread of Daisy's control.

She spun around. She ignored Emmett entirely. She marched past him, her wet heels slapping against the floor.

Before anyone could react, Daisy raised her right hand and brought it down hard across Eryn's face.

The slap echoed like a gunshot in the sterile room.

Eryn's head snapped to the side. She screamed, clutching her reddened cheek.

"Daisy!" Emmett yelled.

He lunged forward. His hand shot out and clamped around Daisy's wrist before she could pull her arm back.

His grip was like a steel vise. His long fingers dug brutally into her delicate skin, instantly bruising the flesh.

Daisy gasped in pain. She looked up at him, her eyes blazing with pure hatred. "Asshole," she spat.

Emmett stared at the fury in her eyes. His chest heaved. He looked down at his hand crushing her wrist, and he flinched. He let go instantly, as if her skin had burned him.

The second she was free, Daisy shoved both her hands hard against his chest. She turned and bolted out the door.

She ran down the hallway. Her wet dress slapped against her legs. Her breathing was ragged and loud in her own ears.

"Daisy!" Emmett cursed loudly. He didn't even glance back at Eryn. He sprinted after her.

Daisy reached the elevator bank. The doors of the car she had taken up were just starting to close. She threw herself inside and frantically slammed her palm against the 'Close Door' button.

The metal doors slid together.

Just as they were about to shut, a large, calloused hand shoved through the gap.

Emmett gripped the edge of the door and ripped it open with terrifying strength. He stepped into the elevator, his eyes completely black with rage.

He slammed his fist into the emergency stop button.

The elevator jerked violently and halted between floors. The sudden stop threw Daisy off balance.

She scrambled backward until her spine hit the cold metal wall. There was nowhere left to run.

Emmett stalked toward her. He looked like a predator cornering its prey. He placed both hands flat against the wall on either side of her head, caging her in completely.

"You do not get to say that word to me," he growled, his face inches from hers. "You are not leaving."

Daisy turned her face away. The heat radiating off his body made her skin crawl. "You make me sick," she whispered, her voice dripping with disgust.

The words shattered Emmett's remaining sanity.

He grabbed her chin, his fingers biting into her jaw, and forced her to look at him.

He crashed his mouth down onto hers.

It wasn't a kiss. It was an assault. It was a desperate, punishing attempt to brand her, to force her to submit. His lips were hard and bruising against hers.

A wave of intense humiliation crashed over Daisy. She shoved her hands against his shoulders, hitting him, trying to push his massive weight off her. He didn't budge.

She opened her mouth and bit down hard on his lower lip.

She tasted hot, metallic blood instantly.

Emmett groaned in pain. His grip loosened for a fraction of a second.

Daisy used all her strength to shove him backward. She swung her arm and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.

Emmett's head turned. He stood frozen in the center of the elevator, a drop of dark blood welling on his split lip.

Daisy didn't wait. She hit the emergency release and smashed the lobby button.

The elevator dropped. The doors opened to the ground floor. Daisy sprinted out into the rain, threw herself into her Porsche, and sped away into the dark.