The Neglected Wife Takes His Empire

The crumpled ball of heavy, expensive paper hit Eldridge Hall's chest and landed with a soft thud on the polished marble floor. It was a reservation confirmation for a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan.

"You are not leaving this penthouse," Ava Downs said. Her voice shook. Her chest heaved beneath her silk blouse, struggling to pull in enough oxygen.

Eldridge didn't even glance at it. He meticulously brushed a speck of invisible dust from his custom Tom Ford lapel. "Have you finished your tantrum?" he asked, his voice devoid of warmth. His movements were deliberate, slow, and dripping with absolute disdain.

"Stop acting like a lunatic, Ava," Eldridge continued. His voice was a flat, cold line. "I have a meeting."

"A meeting?" Ava stepped forward, the heels of her stilettos clicking sharply against the floor near the top of the grand spiral staircase. She shoved her glowing smartphone directly into his face. "Bird Blair just texted you. 'Can't wait to see you tonight, El. Wear the navy tie.' Is that your meeting?"

Eldridge's jaw tightened. A muscle feathered in his cheek. He slapped her hand away, the impact stinging her wrist.

"You went through my phone," he said, his eyes narrowing into dark, dangerous slits. "You are completely irrational. I am done with this conversation."

He turned his back to her, stepping toward the edge of the stairs.

A wave of pure, blinding heat rushed to Ava's head. Her vision blurred at the edges. She reached out, her fingers curling into tight hooks, and grabbed the back collar of his suit jacket. She pulled with all her body weight.

"Look at me!" she screamed.

Eldridge felt the sudden, violent yank on his collar. His reflexes took over. He spun around, his broad shoulders twisting, and swung his arm out to break her grip. It was a harsh, dismissive motion.

The force of his swing met the resistance of her pull. Ava's right ankle rolled outward. A sharp crack echoed in her ears.

Her center of gravity vanished.

Ava fell backward into the empty space above the deep, sweeping staircase.

Eldridge's pupils dilated. His hand shot out instantly, his fingers grasping at the air. He caught the cuff of her silk sleeve.

The fabric tore with a loud, sickening rip.

Ava's falling weight jerked Eldridge forward. His leather dress shoes slipped on the smooth edge of the top step.

For one fraction of a second, they hung in the air. Ava looked up at him. Eldridge looked down at her.

Then gravity took them.

The world turned into a chaotic blur of spinning marble, sharp corners, and violent impacts. Bone cracked against stone. The breath was punched out of their lungs.

From the bottom of the stairs, the housekeeper let out a piercing, terrified scream. Then, everything went black.

The sharp, chemical smell of bleach and antiseptic burned the inside of the nose.

The eyes opened. The harsh glare of a surgical light above the hospital bed forced them to squint.

A heavy, groggy feeling weighed down the limbs. The person in the bed tried to lift a hand to rub the pounding ache in the forehead.

The hand that entered the field of vision was large. The knuckles were thick. Blue veins pushed against the surface of the tanned skin.

The breathing stopped.

The person sat up so fast the IV line taped to the back of the hand pulled taut. Blood backed up into the clear plastic tube.

The person looked down. The hospital gown gaped open. Beneath it was a broad, flat chest covered in light muscle, and male anatomy.

A high-pitched, hysterical scream shattered the silence of the VIP room.

It came from the bed next to this one.

The person in the male body turned his head slowly, the neck joints feeling stiff.

In the other bed sat Ava Downs. But she was staring down at her own chest, her hands frantically touching her breasts, her eyes wide with a terror that bordered on madness.

The woman in the bed looked up. Her eyes locked onto the man in the bed.

In that split second, the man looking out of Eldridge Hall's eyes realized he was Ava. And the woman screaming in Ava's body was Eldridge.

"Ava" threw the thin blanket off and tried to jump out of bed. The female legs, lacking the muscle mass Eldridge was used to, buckled instantly.

"Ava" crashed to the linoleum floor, knees hitting hard.

Ava, sitting in Eldridge's body, looked down at the woman on the floor. For a moment, confusion warred with terror. Then, she felt it. The raw, coiled strength in her limbs, the sheer physical presence of the body she now inhabited. The fear evaporated, replaced by a dizzying sense of power she'd never known. A low, raspy, deeply masculine chuckle vibrated in her new chest. It sounded absurd. It sounded powerful.

The heavy wooden door of the VIP suite swung open. Miles Porter, Eldridge's executive assistant, rushed in.

"Mrs. Hall!" Miles gasped, seeing the woman on the floor. He hurried over, reaching out to help her up.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Miles!" the woman on the floor roared. The voice was female, but the cadence, the raw aggression, and the exact phrasing were pure Eldridge Hall.

Miles froze, his hands hovering in the air. He looked terrified. He slowly turned his head toward the man sitting on the bed.

Ava felt the weight of Miles's gaze. She took a breath, feeling the massive lung capacity of the male body. She adjusted the cuff of her hospital gown, a signature move she had watched Eldridge do a thousand times.

"Get out, Miles," Ava said. Her voice was deep, resonant, and perfectly cold. "And lock the door behind you."

Miles swallowed hard, nodded quickly, and backed out of the room. The lock clicked shut.

Eldridge, trapped in Ava's body, grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled himself up. His chest heaved.

"What did you do to me, Ava? !" he screamed, the female vocal cords straining to produce the volume he wanted.

Ava reached over and ripped the IV needle out of her hand. She didn't even flinch. She swung her long, muscular legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

She towered over him.

Ava stepped forward, raising her large hand. She pinched Eldridge's jaw between her thumb and forefinger, forcing his face up.

"Welcome to my hell, Eldridge," Ava said softly.

Eldridge's eyes blazed. He pulled his fist back and swung it at her face.

Ava didn't even have to try. She raised her forearm and blocked the punch mid-air. She grabbed his wrist and twisted it backward.

Eldridge let out a sharp cry of pain. The bones in the female wrist felt like they were going to snap under the immense pressure of the male grip. He dropped to his knees, completely overpowered.

Ava let go of his wrist and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the Manhattan skyline. She flexed her new, powerful hands.