I never told my ex-husband or his wealthy family that I was the secret owner of the multi-billion dollar company where they all worked. To them, I was just the "poor, pregnant burden" they tolerated out of obligation.

The heavy oak doors of the dining room swung open with a violent crash.

Five men in tailored black suits stepped into the room, their expressions completely unreadable.

Leading them was Marcus Vance, the terrifyingly efficient Head of Global Security for Vanguard Holdings.

Brendan stood up immediately, his face flushing red with sudden anger.

"Who the hell are you people, and how did you get into my house?" Brendan demanded, stepping forward to assert his dominance.

Vance didn't even look at Brendan.

Instead, his sharp eyes scanned the room until they landed on me, sitting there dripping wet.

His jaw tightened, but his professional demeanor never slipped for a single second.

Vance walked right past Brendan, completely ignoring the man's outrage, and stopped directly in front of me.

He bowed his head deeply in a gesture of absolute respect.

"Madam Chairman," Vance said, his deep voice echoing in the sudden, dead silence of the room. "I apologize for the delay. The perimeter is now secure."

Diane’s wine glass slipped from her fingers.

It shattered against the floor, spilling expensive red wine across the very same Persian rug my water was currently dripping onto.

Brendan froze, his eyes darting between Vance and me in utter confusion.

"Madam... what?" Brendan stammered, letting out a weak, nervous laugh. "This is a joke, right? Cassidy, did you hire these actors with my credit card?"

I slowly stood up from the chair.

I didn't bother wiping the dirty water from my face.

I wanted them to see exactly what they had done.

"Vance," I said, my voice eerily calm. "Who owns this estate?"

Vance reached into his jacket and pulled out a thick, legal folder.

"Vanguard Holdings Real Estate Division, Ma'am," Vance replied loudly and clearly. "It was purchased as a temporary executive perk three years ago."

Diane’s mouth opened and closed like a fish suffocating on dry land.

"That’s a lie!" Diane screeched, pointing a shaking finger at me. "My son is a Vice President at Vanguard! The company provided this house to him because of his brilliance!"

I finally looked at Diane, a cold smile forming on my lips.

"The company provided this house because the CEO ordered it," I corrected her softly. "And I only ordered it because my husband complained that our previous house wasn't grand enough."

Jessica, who had been hiding behind Brendan, suddenly looked terrified.

"Brendan," Jessica whispered, tugging on his sleeve. "What is she talking about?"

Brendan’s face was pale. "Cassidy, stop this nonsense right now. I don't know how you know Marcus Vance, but you're going to get me fired!"

"You're already fired, Brendan," I said, picking up a napkin to dry my hands. "Protocol 7 isn't just an eviction. It's a complete asset freeze and termination."