Chapter 28
No.1
August lunged across the office,grabbing Simon by the lapels of his suit jacket.
"Did you call the chief of surgery?!" August roared,saliva flying from his lips. "Get the helicopter ready!If there's traffic, we fly her out!"
"I've already alerted the hospital, sir," Simon stammered, terrified by the sheer violence in August's grip. "The car is waiting downstairs."
August shoved Simon aside. He grabbed his suit jacket from the back of a chair and snatched his car keys off the desk.
He didn't even glance at the desk. He was already moving toward the door, his mind entirely focused on Allena's broken body.
Elisa watched him.
Her heart was beating so violently it felt like it was going to crack her ribs.
This was it. The window of opportunity was closing in seconds. If he walked out that door, the document would be sent to his legal team for review later. The trap would be discovered.
No.2
She had to force his hand right now.
As August took his first step toward the hallway,Elisa slammed her left hand down flat on top of the legal document.
"August!" Elisa shouted. Her voice was sharp, loud,and completely devoid of empathy.
August stopped in the doorway. He whipped his head around, his eyes wild and bloodshot.
"What?!" he snarled, looking at her as if she were an insect blocking his path.
"I don't care if your mistress broke her neck," Elisa said, her words dripping with absolute, freezing cruelty. "You are not leaving this room until you sign this paper."
August stared at her in sheer disbelief.
"Allena is in an ambulance," August yelled, his voice echoing in the hallway. "She could be bleeding internally, and you want me to sign a real estate transfer?! Are you a sociopath?!"
No.3
Elisa didn't flinch. She leaned her weight onto her hand, pressing the document firmly against the desk.
"I am a woman who wants her property," Elisa shot back, her eyes locking onto his with terrifying intensity. She deliberately raised her left wrist,looking at her watch. "You have thirty seconds.If you walk out that door without signing,I am calling Germaine. I will tell her the deal is off.I will not attend the gala. I will call Page Six the second I step into the elevator. I will give them every sordid,pathetic detail of your affair while your precious Allena is lying in a hospital bed. Your mother's election campaign will be absolutely ruined by the scandal before the sun goes down."
The threat hit August like a physical wall.
He knew, his mother. If Elisa boycotted the gala and filed for a messy divorce now, Germaine would be furious. The family would blame Allena for the scandal. Germaine might even block Allena from entering the family permanently.
August's chest he heave. The veins in his neck bulged against his skin.
He looked at Simon, who was hovering in the hall,gesturing frantically toward the elevators. Time was running out.
August let out a feral growl of pure, unadulterated frustration.
He stormed back to the desk. He snatched the Montblanc pen from where it had rolled near the edge.
No.4
He didn't look at the pages. He didn't read another word.
He violently flipped the thick stack of paper directlyto the last page.
Elisa's breath stopped. Her lungs burned. She kept her hand pressed firmly on the top edge of the paper,holding it steady for him.
August pressed the pen to the signature line.
The nib scratched aggressively against the premium paper. He signed his full, legal name-Augustus Baron Chambers IV-with violent, jagged strokes.
He pressed so hard on the final letter that the nib
snapped.
A thick drop of black ink splattered across the paper, flying up and hitting the pristine white cuff of Elisa's silk blouse.
No.5
August threw the broken pen onto the desk.
He leaned in close, his face inches from Elisa's. His breath was hot and smelled of coffee and rage.
"Take your goddamn house," August whispered,his voice vibrating with absolute hatred. "And get the hell out of my sight. You disgust me."
He turned and sprinted out of the office. Simon ran after him.
The heavy oak door slammed shut behind them.
The office plunged into a deafening,ringing silence.The only sound was the soft hum of the air conditioning vents.
Elisa stood frozen over the desk.
She slowly lowered her eyes to the final page of the document.
No.6
There it was.
The bold, aggressive signature. The black ink was still wwet, gleaming under the overhead lights.
It was done.
A massive, overwhelming wave of emotion crashed over her. It wasn't happiness. It was the agonizing,beautiful relief of a mother who had just pulled her child out of a burning building.
Her knees buckled. She grabbed the edge of the
desk to keep from collapsing. She closed her eyes,and a single, hot tear slipped down her cheek,splashing onto the mahogany wood.
You're safe, Kayden. He can never touch you.
Elisa opened her eyes. The vulnerability vanished,instantly replaced by the cold, calculating precision of Faye.
No.7
She carefully picked up the document, ensuring the ink didn't smear. She slid it back into the brown leather envelope and locked the clasp.
She turned and walked out of the office,ignoring the stares of the terrified executives in the hallway.
She got into the elevator and pressed the button for the underground parking garage.
She had the signature. But in the realm of billionaire divorces, a signature could be contested.He could claim he signed under duress.
She needed the final lock. She needed the physical manifestation of his absolute consent.
She needed the Chambers family seal. And she knew exactly where it was.