Chapter 3

Serena shrieked, jumping back in terror. "My hands slipped! It... it was hot!"

The showroom went pin-drop quiet.

I stood there, my hands clean, my posture immaculate, looking down at the ruined silk with quiet, calm pity.

"How clumsy," I remarked softly, my voice cool as glass. "Keep the dress, Miss Prescott. You ruined it yourself."

"Evelyn!" Julian's enraged bellow rattled the glass cabinets.

He lunged forward, grabbing my wrist with brutal force, his fingers digging into my skin until my knuckles turned white.

"Have you completely lost your mind?!" Julian hissed, his face contorted in humiliation as the boutique staff ducked out of sight. "You humiliated my partner, you ruined a sixty-thousand-dollar dress, and for what? Because of your pathetic, insecure jealousy?!"

I didn't pull back. I held his brutal, murderous glare, my voice steady as iron.

"Unclasp your hand, Julian."

"No!" Julian tightened his grip, pulling my face inches from his. "You're coming home right now, and you're going to apologize to Serena. If her father pulls his distribution deal tomorrow, I swear to God, Evelyn, I will freeze your founder shares!"

I looked into his eyes -- the same eyes that used to look at me with gentle devotion when we were broke and starving in a rented basement.

The last shred of warmth in my heart shattered into dust.

PA!

I swung my free hand, slamming my palm directly across his cheek with everything I had.

The slap echoed through the room like a crack of thunder.

Julian's head snapped to the side. He froze, his hand slowly letting go of my wrist, absolute shock overtaking his rage.

"Touch me again," I whispered, my voice dropping into a lethal chill, "and I'll walk away before sunset."

Julian touched his burning cheek, his breathing heavy, his eyes turning cold as ice. "You think Mercer Tech can't run without you?"

He let out a cruel, mirthless laugh.

"You're just an engineer, Eve. I am the CEO."

I didn't reply. I turned on my heel and walked out of the boutique.

At 2:00 AM that night, Julian walked into the Mercer Tech central laboratory with two security guards and the legal counsel.

"Evelyn Avery," the lawyer announced, stepping forward. "As of midnight, the Board has voted to suspend your operational duties. Your name has been removed from the primary patent filing."

I looked up from my monitor. "You forged my signature?"

"It's not forgery if I hold your power of attorney from our early partnership filings," Julian leaned down, whispering with dark satisfaction. "You slapped me in public. So now, you get nothing. Escort her out."

The two guards grabbed my arms, dragging me out into the cold rain outside the corporate building.

I stood in the rain, wiped the water from my face, pulled out my phone, and dialed a single number.

"Cancel the compliance sign-off."

I smiled for the first time that day.

"Let him think he owns everything."