Chapter 1 - The Midnight Escape
Harrison arrived in less than twenty minutes, his sleek black sedan screeching to a halt at the edge of the sprawling estate.
He threw open the passenger door, his sharp eyes scanning my shivering frame with absolute disbelief and rising anger.
"Get in, Evelyn," he commanded gently, already cranking the heater to its maximum setting to chase away the biting coastal chill.
I collapsed into the warm leather seat, my trembling hands instinctively cradling my seven-month pregnant belly as if to shield my child.
Harrison did not ask a barrage of questions right away, showing the quiet professionalism that made him the most feared lawyer in Los Angeles.
He simply put the car in drive and sped away from the iron gates of the Malibu mansion I used to call home.
"My accounts are going to be frozen by morning," I whispered, the reality of Julian's calculated strike finally crashing down on me.
"I already assumed that, which is why I transferred a retainer from your personal fund the second you called," Harrison replied smoothly.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror, his jaw tight with barely suppressed rage.
"Julian is a powerful man, Evelyn, but he is completely out of his depth if he thinks he can throw you away like garbage."
I closed my eyes, the image of my husband's cold, dead stare burning into the back of my eyelids.
"He said the baby isn't his, Harrison, which is a biological impossibility."
"He's laying the groundwork for a breach of the infidelity clause in your prenuptial agreement," Harrison explained, his tone shifting into legal mode.
"If he can prove you cheated, he walks away from the marriage without paying you a single cent."
I let out a bitter, humorless laugh that echoed in the quiet cabin of the car.
"He wants to secure his wealth before his tech company goes public next month," I realized aloud.
"Exactly," Harrison nodded grimly.
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"He doesn't just want a divorce, Evelyn; he wants total financial annihilation."
"Then we are going to have to destroy him first," I promised, staring out into the dark night.
