Chapter 7
Kendra choked, clawing frantically at Garrett’s hand as he pinned her against the desk. The sheer, brutal force of his grip cut off her air supply. His face was inches from hers, his eyes hollow and devoid of any human empathy.
"You thought you could outsmart me?" Garrett hissed, his grip tightening. "You are nothing, Kendra. You are a footnote in my life. Give me the bag."
He ripped the cream handbag from her shoulder with his free hand, letting her drop to the floor. Kendra collapsed, gasping for air, clutching her bruised throat as she scrambled backward against the bookshelves.
Garrett opened the bag, pulling out the three hard drives. He laughed, a dark, manic sound that echoed in the quiet office. "Brooke sent you, didn't she? She thought she could buy my mistress."
He tossed the handbag aside and looked down at Kendra. "Get up."
Kendra didn't move, paralyzed by absolute terror. "Please, Garrett. Don't hurt me. Our son..."
"My son," Garrett corrected viciously. "You lost your privileges to him the second you touched my servers."
Suddenly, a loud, heavy knock echoed from the front door of the penthouse.
Garrett froze. He looked toward the hallway, his paranoia spiking. "Did you call the police?"
"No!" Kendra sobbed. "I didn't call anyone!"
Garrett grabbed a heavy brass paperweight from his desk, gripping it like a weapon. He walked cautiously out of the office, moving down the hallway toward the foyer.
Kendra didn't wait. The moment he was out of sight, she pulled the burner phone from her pocket. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely type.
He caught me. He has the drives. He's going to kill me. Please help. She hit send, aiming the message directly at Brooke's encrypted number.
In the foyer, Garrett looked through the digital peephole. Standing outside his penthouse door was not the police. It was a man in a dark suit, holding a leather briefcase.
Garrett cautiously opened the door, leaving the security chain engaged. "Who are you?"
"My name is Cole," the man said smoothly, his eyes cold and professional. "I work for Marcus Vance. I have a highly lucrative offer regarding your sudden need for legal representation, Mr. Hale."
Garrett sneered. "Marcus sent a negotiator? Tell him to go to hell. I'm taking my company back."
"Mr. Vance isn't negotiating for the company," Cole said, stepping slightly to the side to reveal two massive, heavily armed men standing in the shadows of the hallway. "He's negotiating for the woman and the child inside. Open the door, Garrett. Or we take it off the hinges."
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Garrett slammed the door shut, panic finally breaking through his rage. He stumbled backward, realizing that Marcus hadn't just sent police to the estate; he had sent his private army to the penthouse.
The war had officially arrived at his doorstep.
