THE BILLIONAIRE'S PHOENIX

Years

phn

f fear creeps up my skin. My husband, Ethan, is marching toward me. He isn't supposed to be here. His face is a thu

re walking in, their faces stern and unyielding. But what sho

n three long strides. His hand shoots out, fingers digging into the soft skin of my upper a

ad, trying to pull my arm ba

uld do whatever you pleased?" With a sudden, cruel shove, he releases me. I stumble backward, my balance lost,

g aches with a deep, weary pain. And in that mome

s. I look him straight in the eye, my voice trembling but clear. "No! I am not

other-in-law, Esther Croft, looks down at me with pure

you when I raise my voice at your son," I say, my voice growing stronger, "

e's being forced to watch. The last shred of my naivety shatters. I had truly bel

m. His eyes are filled with venom. "So now you aren't scared if your father's company collapses

rrifying finality settles in his eyes. "It seems," he says, his voic

the top of the stairs. "Get your hands off my daughte

follows closely behind him, her usually gentle, round face etched w

merely releasing a piece of furniture. I scramble away fro

Dad thunders, pointing a shaking finger to

and Natasha–don't move an inch. They st

e to take my wife home. Whatever stories she has told you a

ry out, clinging

hter is perfectly fine. It is you who is deran

nts, Victor and Esther, smile with proud, smug l

g to buy it." He runs his fingers through his hair, sighing dramatically before taking a threatening step to

f. How dare he say

undred million? We are n

ble for the business deals you failed to honor, which

s sides. His whole body is rigid with fury. "That is utter nons

he argument. "Our records show otherwise. Th

this; his face is red, and the veins in his neck are standing out. He looks like a cornered animal, and it terrifies me. Helpless

lunges forward and grabs my father by his collar, shaking him. "Stop bull

oke out, my voice trembling. My eyes land on the h

pick up the receiver when another hand–a familiar, delicate one with a perfectl

Daph," she says, her

r away from me. I know it wasn't that forceful, but she lets out a dramat

tc

y. He gently sets Natasha aside and takes another step toward me, his expres

ther's shouts and lunges for me, his fingers digging

is older, but fueled by a father's love, he throw

ward, his legs tangling with the rug. There is a sickening, heavy thud as

rld fr

ther's lips before he goes completel

m my throat, raw a

y hands fluttering over him, afraid to touch him. The commotion is deafe

eyes, wild and unfocused, scan the room. They land on the ornate fruit

, his voice cracking as he snatches

ury. My mother, seeing the weapon in his hand, rushes t

tack. As she passes him, he swings out blindly. The sh

ok of pure shock on her face. She crumples to

umed by his violence. He turns back to me, the bloody letter opener raised. I try to push myself away, but I am to

e sounds fading. The last thing I see is my mother, her hand stretched out toward me, her eyes wide with terro

s shrill scream, and Ethan's pani

nce, and the overwhelmin

anchored to the cold floor. Through blurred vision and the d

gh his hair, his breath coming in ragged pants. Victor Croft's

an snaps, but his voice i

utting through the men's panic. "They're gone

er into my fadi

me and then back to his parents and Natasha. I can't even

kept in the sideboard and begins dousing the heavy velvet curtains. He then pulls out his lighter from his pocket and wait fo

tongue. It licks hungrily at the dry material, growing, spreading with a soft

ng second, our eyes meet. He sees the faint gleam of life still in my

urns

Now," Victo

st to leave. She pauses at the threshold, looking back at the growing inferno, at the bodies of

lls the fron

choking my last breaths. The crackle of the fire is the only sound now, a roaring applause for thei

es into nothing b

, nothin