na's
ennington estate. It's a tactical decision. My clothes, my persona
ght in front of the main entrance, where Mr. Pennington usually parks his Bentley. When their
eps when they get out. Mrs. Pennin
ryone but her precious son. Mr. Pennington Sr. would have been silent, his mind cal
at me. "You will regret this, you hear me? You
cepting your 'arrangement'? That ship has sailed, sunk, a
nce gone. "This isn't just about Brown. Our businesses are i
th this, we will make sure your father's company is buried in so
. My father. He's a good man, but not a
You will call your lawyer," Mr. Pennington Sr. commands. "You will t
p clarity. This is their next move. I need to be two steps ahead. I remai
lk into the house. "I ne
to the master suite that I once shared with Brown. The room is cold and impersonal, l
oorway, watching me.
hout looking at him. "Ther
my phone. I send a text to my one tr
and coffee runs, but she's sharp, loyal, and owes me a debt. Most importantly, she's
mily financials. Club sentiment. K's background. And leverage your archi
munition. And I need to know what weaknesses my
in seconds. A single em
bly mine. The rest-the jewels, the designer clothes they
e door, right past Brown.
Penningtons are waiting
... proposal," I lie smoothly. "I need a night t
I walk out the door, loa
didn't come after me to keep me or insult me. I wa
ink much.And drive away from the Pennington
nterstate, the kind with flickering neon signs and bolted-down furnitur
ssons I learned being married into a cri
onto the lumpy bed. The adrenaline wears off, leaving me shaking and exhausted. I haven't won. I
mind racing through possibilities, stra
makes me jump, my heart
g," a muffle
There is no housekeepi
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