Chapter 37

No.1

At 3:00 PM sharp, Elisa stepped out of the private elevator and into the opulent reception area of Todd Kirby's real estate brokerage on Fifth Avenue.

The office was a monument to excess. The floors were imported Italian marble, and the walls were lined with massive, backlit photographs of multi-million dollar penthouses.

"Ms. Wilder," the receptionist smiled,recognizing her immediately. "Mr. Kirby is waiting for you in Conference Room A."

Elisa walked down the glass-walled hallway. Her mind was still vibrating with the dark, violent energy from the encounter in the park, but she forced it down into a tightly sealed compartment. She needed this apartment. She needed a secure base of operations.

She pushed open the heavy glass door of the conference room.

Todd Kirby, a man with slicked-back hair and a suit

that cost more than a car, stood up immediately. He flashed a brilliant, predatory smile.

"Elisa! Come in, sit down," Todd gestured to the plush leather chair opposite him.

Spread out on the massive mahogany table was a thick stack of legal documents. The final purchase agreement for the Tribeca penthouse.

Elisa sat down. She didn't waste time with small talk.She pulled her Montblanc pen from her bag and clicked it open.

"Is the earnest money wire transfer routing number correct?" Elisa asked, scanning the first page.

No.2

"Verified and ready," Todd said, sliding the document closer to her. "Just sign on the dotted lines, and the apartment is officially in escrow. You're getting a masterpiece,Elisa."

Elisa lowered the tip of her pen to the paper.

Before the ink could touch the page, the glass door of the conference room was violently shoved open.It hit the rubber stopper with a loud, echoing crack.

Elisa's hand froze. She looked up.

Allena stood in the doorway.

She was still wearing the white Chanel suit from lunch. She was leaning on her cane, but her posture was aggressive and triumphant. Flanking her on either side were two massive men in dark suits-Chambers family private security.

The air in the room instantly dropped ten degrees.

Todd Kirby's slick smile vanished. He stood up SO fast his chair rolled backward and hit the wall. He recognized the security detail immediately.

"Ms. Mills," Todd stammered, his voice suddenly tight with anxiety. "I... I wasn't expecting you. Do you have an appointment?"

Allena ignored Todd completely. She limped into the room, her eyes locked onto Elisa.

She walked right up to the mahogany table. She unclasped her Birkin bag and letit drop heavily onto the polished wood, right next to Elisa's contract.

No.3

"I want the Tribeca penthouse," Allena announced.Her voice was loud, demanding, and dripping with absolute entitlement. "The one on the 40th floor. I'm

paying cash. Full asking price."

Todd looked like he was about to have a heart attack.He looked at the contract under Elisa's hand, then back at Allena.

"Ms. Mills, I... I apologize, but that property is currently unavailable," Todd said, sweating profusely."Ms. Wilder is literally in the process of signing the final contract right now."

Allena turned her head slowly, pretending to notice Elisa for the first time.

She let out a high, theatrical gasp.

"Oh! Elisa! I didn't even see you sitting there," Allena cooed, her eyes gleaming with pure, venomous malice. "Buying a penthouse? My, my. Did August finally give you a little severance package to go away? How sweet of him."

Elisa looked at the woman.

She looked at the face that shared half of her DNA.The face of the parasite who had stolen her father and her life.

The urge to reach across the table and crush Allena's

windpipe was a physical ache in Elisa's hands. But she kept her face perfectly, terrifyingly blank.

No.4

She didn't engage with Allena. She turned her head and looked at the broker.

"Todd," Elisa said, her voice cold and sharp as a scalpel. "We have a verbal agreement, and the contract is in front of me. Tell her to leave."

Todd swallowed hard. He was trapped between a wealthy client and the mistress of the most powerful man on Wall Street.

Allena laughed. It was an ugly, grating sound.

She reached into her Birkin bag and pulled out a sleek,black checkbook. She slammed it down on the table.

"I am offering twenty percent over the asking price,"Allena said, staring directly at Todd. "In cash. Right now."

Todd's eyes widened at the number. Greed warred with professional ethics in his mind.

Allena leaned closer to Todd, dropping her voice to a lethal whisper. "And Todd? If you sell that apartment

to her, August will personally ensure that your brokerage never handles another Chambers Group property again. You will be blacklisted from every luxury building in Manhattan by tomorrow morning."

The threat was absolute. It was the nuclear option.

Todd's face turned the color of wet cement. The internal debate ended instantly. In New York real estate,you did not cross the Chambers family.

No.5

He slowly reached out his trembling hand.

He placed his fingers on the edge of the contract sitting in front of Elisa.

"Ms. Wilder," Todd said, his voice shaking, unable to meet her eyes. "I am... I am so incredibly sorry.But the seller has just informed me that they are exercising their right to review higher offers. The property is no longer available to you."

He gently, but firmly, pulled the contract out from under Elisa's pen.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Allena let out a victorious sigh. She looked down at Elisa, her eyes burning with triumphant hatred.

"You see, Elisa?" Allena whispered, leaning across the table. "You can pretend to be strong. You can buy expensive lunches. But in the real world, you are nothing. You are a bottom-feeder. And anything you want, anything you try to build, I will take from you.Because I can."

Elisa sat perfectly still.

She looked at the empty space on the table where the contract had been. She looked at Todd,who was staring at the floor in shame. She looked at the two massive bodyguards standing by the door.

She was outgunned. The physical and financial power in the room was entirely against her. Fighting for the apartment now was a tactical error.

Elisa slowly clicked her Montblanc pen closed.

No.6

She stood up. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

She looked at Allena.

Elisa didn't look defeated. She looked amused. A slow, chilling smile spread across her face.

"You know, Allena," Elisa said, her voice echoing

clearly in the quiet room. "I should have known you'd want it."

Allena frowned, confused by the lack of tears or anger."Want what?"

Elisa gestured vaguely toward the empty table.

"The apartment," Elisa said smoothly. "It's a beautiful space, but the previous owner had some...questionable habits. It's essentially a used,contaminated space."

Elisa stepped closer to Allena, her eyes locking onto the other woman's face.

"But then again," Elisa whispered, her voice dripping with lethal double meaning. "You've always had a talent for moving into spaces l've already discarded.You love picking up my used garbage, don't you?"

The double entendre hit Allena like a physical slap.The reference to August was unmistakable.

No.7

Allena's face turned a violent, mottled red. Her mouth opened in shock, but no words came out.

Elisa didn't wait for a response. She turned and walked toward the door.

She stopped next to Todd Kirby.

"Todd," Elisa said, not looking at him. "Expect a letter from my legal team regarding breach of verbal contract and bad faith negotiation. I'm going to make this very expensive for you."

She walked out of the conference room,leaving Allena choking on her own rage and Todd staring at the ruins of his professional integrity.