"Cruel CEO’s Girlfriend Ripped a Waitress’s Dress and Called Her Trash—Then the Billionaire Owner Walked In and Said, “Who Touched My Wife?”...

Three days later, a private invitation was delivered directly to the Everhart Estate.

It was an address in an industrial shipyard along Puget Sound, accompanied by a single sentence handwritten in gold ink: Come alone, or the entire Everhart Global stock network goes down tonight.

Nathaniel refused to let Claire go, but Claire knew that Julian’s target was never just the money—it was the heart of the Everhart family.

"We go together," Claire said firmly, checking the small concealed firearm beneath her jacket. "He expects you to act out of emotion. I act out of logic. You need me there."

Nathaniel looked at her, his eyes full of love and intense protection. "If anything happens to you—"

"Nothing will," she cut him off, kissing him deeply. "We built this team together."

An hour later, their heavily armored SUV pulled up to the abandoned shipping warehouse. Rain poured down in sheets, thunder echoing across the bay.

Inside the cavernous, shadowy warehouse, a single spotlight shone on a elevated steel platform. Standing in the center was a man in an elegant dark coat, swirling a glass of scotch.

Julian Everhart.

"Nathaniel. Claire," Julian smiled warmly, as if welcoming them to a dinner party. "You look stunning, sister-in-law. Much better than when you were playing catering staff."

"Cut the theatricals, Julian," Nathaniel said, stepping in front of Claire defensively. "You faked your death six years ago, hid in the shadows, and used Lucas to try to bankrupt the family."

"Bankrupt?" Julian laughed bitterly. "I built this empire with our father! You took it because everyone thought I was gone! I didn't want to destroy Everhart Global, Nate. I wanted to reclaim it."

"By stealing from a children's charity?" Claire spoke up, her voice steady as she took a step forward. "By setting up illegal laundering networks and threatening your own family?"

Julian’s smile faded, replaced by a dark, manic glare. "You shouldn't have gotten involved, Claire. You were supposed to be just a pretty secret wife keeping out of corporate affairs. But you had to dig into the ledgers."

Julian pulled out a heavy black detonator switch from his pocket. "On this drive is a digital virus designed to wipe Everhart Global's core servers in ten seconds. Sixty percent of the Northwest's tech infrastructure collapses. The stock goes to zero by morning. Unless..."