Haden stormed out of the club, ignoring the shocked stares of the patrons. He ripped open the back door of the black Maybach waiting at the curb and threw himself into the leather seat. He slammed the door shut, sealing out the sound of the rain and the distant wail of police sirens.

Mitch Kowalski, his driver, adjusted the rearview mirror. His eyes flicked to the blood smeared on his boss's lip and the red handprint on his cheek.

Mitch reached over to the console and pulled out a heated towel. "Do you need a hospital, sir?" he asked quietly, holding it out.

Haden knocked the towel out of his hand. It fell to the floorboard, steaming. He didn't wipe the blood. He let it dry on his skin.

He yanked at his silk tie, loosening the knot until he could breathe. He turned his head and stared out the window at the club's flashing neon sign.

The image of Ember's face flashed in his mind. Her cold, dead eyes. Her absolute, suffocating control.

The feeling of powerlessness made him sick. He pulled his arm back and drove his fist into the leather armrest. The impact hurt his knuckles, but the pain barely registered.

Mitch didn't say a word. He hit the button to raise the privacy partition. The glass slid up smoothly, cutting off the front seat. He put the car in drive and merged into the rainy Manhattan traffic.

The cabin was quiet. The only sound was the rhythmic thumping of the windshield wipers and Haden's harsh breathing.

Suddenly, Haden laughed. It was a low, hollow sound, completely devoid of humor. It was the laugh of a man who had lost his mind.

"Three years, Mitch," Haden said, his voice raw. "Three years I've pictured destroying her. Every single day."

Mitch's voice came through the intercom, cautious. "Sir, personal vendettas aren't good for the stock price. The board is already nervous."

"I don't give a damn about the stock price," Haden snarled. "I want to burn it all down. I want to destroy everything Efford left her. I want to see her crawl in the dirt."

He leaned his head back against the seat. The memory of the night she left hit him like a freight train. The empty apartment. The note that smelled like her perfume. The absolute despair.

His hand moved on its own. His thumb rubbed against the cuff of his sleeve. The cold metal of the old silver cuff link grounded him.

It was cheap. Tarnished. The only gift she had ever given him. He hadn't taken it off in three years.

The love he had for her and the hate he had for her twisted together in his gut, making him want to vomit.

"Call Corbin Bancroft," Haden ordered, his voice suddenly flat and deadly.

Mitch hesitated. "The CEO of Allied Capital? Sir, they are our biggest rival. They've been trying to force a marriage alliance for months."

Haden smiled. It was a cruel, sharp expression. "Good. Let the wolf in the door."

"I'm going to back her into a corner," Haden said, staring at the rain sliding down the glass. "I want to see the look on my dear aunt's face when she has to beg me for mercy."

Mitch knew better than to argue. "Yes, sir."

The Maybach accelerated, the engine roaring as it hydroplaned slightly on the wet pavement. It took the corner sharply, heading straight for the Bancroft estate.

Haden closed his eyes. The red haze of rage faded into cold, hard calculation. He wasn't going to let her go this time. Never again.

The car vanished into the storm, leaving the club behind.

The morning sun cut through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Baldwin Group CEO office. The light was harsh, exposing every speck of dust in the air.

Ember sat behind the massive mahogany desk. She wore a tailored navy suit that fit her like armor. Her fingers flew across the keyboard of a secure terminal.

Lines of code scrolled across the screen. It was an intelligence report from her Architect team. The data was encrypted, detailing a shadow transaction in the Caymans.

The chime of the private elevator rang out, breaking her focus.

Ember's hand moved instantly. She hit the shortcut key. The code vanished, replaced by a boring, standard quarterly profit chart.

The double doors banged open. Haden walked in, his jaw clenched. Behind him followed two people.

Corbin Bancroft IV strutted in, chewing on an unlit cigar. He looked around the office like he already owned it.

His daughter, Tierney Shaw, clung to Haden's arm. She had her platinum blonde hair piled high and a smug smile on her face.

Ember stood up slowly. She placed her hands flat on the desk, her rings pressing into the wood. She looked at them like they were insects.

Corbin stepped forward and tossed a yellowed document onto the desk. "That little stunt your boy pulled at the club last night tanked our stock," he barked. "We're here to finalize the marriage contract."

Ember didn't look at the paper. "That letter of intent expired two years ago. It's legally void."

Tierney pouted, playing the victim. She leaned into Haden's side, pressing her chest against his arm. "Daddy, she's being mean."

Haden walked past the desk to the seating area. He sat down on the leather couch, spreading his arms out. He completely ignored Ember's authority.

He crossed one leg over the other. His custom Italian loafer dangled in the air.

"My shoelace is untied," Haden said suddenly. His voice was loud in the quiet room.

Nobody moved. Corbin smirked, realizing what was happening.

Haden looked right at Ember. "Show me how well you serve the Baldwin family. Tie my shoe," he ordered.

Tierney let out a fake, breathy giggle.

Ember's hands curled into fists under the desk. Her nails bit into her palms, the pain grounding her.

Her mind raced. If she threw them out now, Corbin would dump his shares. The Baldwin Group's capital chain would snap. She couldn't let that happen.

She took a slow breath. She uncurled her fingers. Her face went completely blank.

She walked around the desk. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor, each step measured and deliberate.

She stopped in front of Haden. She looked down at him, then slowly lowered herself to the floor.

She went down on one knee. The plush rug cushioned her fall, but the position was humiliating.

She reached out. Her expensive watch glinted under the lights as she grabbed the leather laces of his shoe.

Haden's pupils dilated. He hadn't actually believed she would do it. He thought she would fight. He thought she would scream.

Ember pulled the laces tight, forming a perfect knot. She let go of his shoe.

She looked up. Her eyes were like chips of ice, staring directly into his soul.

"I'm going to make you pay for this," she whispered. The sound was so low only he could hear it over the pounding of his own heart.

Ember rose to her feet with fluid grace. She smoothed down her skirt, brushing away a piece of lint that wasn't there.

She turned her back on Haden and walked around the desk. She sat back down in her chair, reclaiming her position of power.

Corbin puffed on his cigar, looking extremely satisfied. "Glad to see you're being reasonable, Mrs. Baldwin."

Tierney sashayed over to the glass coffee table. She set her Chanel handbag down with a thud. She opened the clasp and pulled out a small, square piece of paper.

She walked over to the mahogany desk and slammed the paper down right in front of Ember.

It was a black-and-white ultrasound image.

"I'm pregnant," Tierney announced, her voice high and shrill. "With Haden's baby."

Haden, who had been watching from the couch, went completely still for a fraction of a second. The shock hit him hard.

He quickly covered it up. A fake, mocking smile spread across his face. "Is that so?"

Ember stared at the image. A sharp, twisting pain gripped her stomach. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

But she didn't let it show. She forced the emotion down and looked at the photo with clinical detachment.

She saw it immediately. The pixel distribution around the fetus was slightly off. The date stamp in the corner was misaligned by two pixels.

Her brain processed the data in a millisecond. It was a composite image. A fake.

She looked up at Tierney. The girl's eyes darted to the side for a split second. She was terrified.

Corbin seized the moment. "The Baldwin family will give my grandchild a name," he demanded. "Or I go to the New York Times with the scandal. Your stock will be worthless by noon."

Ember knew if she called Tierney a liar right now, the girl would just destroy the evidence. They would deny everything and counter-attack. She needed them trapped.

Ember folded her hands on the desk. She looked at Haden, and a perfect, serene smile appeared on her face.

"Congratulations, Haden," she said softly. "I'm so happy for you."

The words hit Haden like a bullet. The fake smile vanished from his face. His eyes went dark, a dangerous storm brewing in them.

Ember turned to Corbin. "A wedding is a major event. Per the family trust bylaws, I need three days to prepare the share transfer agreements and the press releases."

Corbin thought he had won. He laughed, a greasy, satisfied sound. "Three days. Not a minute more."

Tierney preened, shooting Ember a victorious glare as she hooked her arm through her father's. They walked out of the office, the doors clicking shut behind them.

The room went silent. The air felt thick enough to choke on.

Haden stood up from the couch. He looked like a man possessed. He walked toward the desk, his eyes locked on Ember with pure, unadulterated hatred.