Claire felt the room tilt, the weight of the offer crushing the air.
“You’re buying my future?” she hissed.
“Only to secure yours,” Margaret said, her smile thin, the rattlesnake’s faint rattle echoing behind the walls.
Adrian’s Return and the Sudden Bite
The front door slammed; Adrian’s boots thudded on the hardwood as he entered, eyes flicking between his mother and his wife.
“What the hell is going on?” he barked, voice cracking with anger.
“Your mother has a deal with Vanessa Hayes,” Claire spat, tears flashing. “She’s a real‑estate mogul ready to buy Evermere for thirty million.”
Margaret nodded, hands clasped around the edge of the bed. “She’ll take the child, and you’ll have money no one will question.”
“I won’t let you sell my company to a stranger!” Claire shouted, gripping the edge of the nightstand.
Adrian’s face hardened. “You’re being selfish. This is for us,” he hissed, stepping toward the bed.
