The countdown ticked on the screen.
23:14:37
23:14:36
Ava stared, unmoving, the glow of the laptop painting her face in blue light. Her heart thundered in her chest like a war drum. It was real. The footage. The voice. The truth. Maddox Raye, the man who had once ruled Manhattan's media empire, presumed dead, was not only alive, but orchestrating a silent coup from the shadows.
And he was coming for them.
Her.
The floor beneath her seemed to tilt as the implications spiraled. He hadn't just faked his death to escape scandal or exile. He'd vanished to rebuild something darker. Ruthless. And judging from his words, she Cambria Vale was now the central threat to his vision.
A knock pulled her from her trance.
Liam stepped into the study, shirt half unbuttoned, his tie loosened. His limp was more pronounced tonight; the pain in his leg had flared up after the ceremony, though he'd said nothing. His eyes landed on the laptop, still open, still counting down.
