CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - 5 YEARS LATER
Mornica Charleston stepped out of the black Mercedes in front of Addams Tower. She wore a tailored navy suit that cost more than most people's monthly salary. Her dark hair was pulled back in a professional bun. Diamond earrings caught the morning sunlight.
Five years had changed everything about her. The scared girl who had been dragged away was gone. In her place stood one of Berlin's most successful international lawyers, specializing in human trafficking cases.
"Mommy, is this where Daddy works?" Wednesday asked from the backseat. At four years old, she already showed signs of her father's sharp intelligence.
"Yes, sweetheart. This is where the bad man works."
Wednesmore pressed his face against the window. "It's really tall."
"Not tall enough," Mornica muttered. She was going to bring it crashing down.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Maria Santos: "Contracts signed. Charleston branch of Santos Legal is officially yours. Make him bleed."
Mornica smiled. Five years of preparation had led to this moment. She now owned three law firms, had forty million dollars in assets, and connections to prosecutors across two continents. More importantly, she had information. Lots of information about Nevermore Addams and his business practices.
The building's security guard opened the lobby door for her. "Good morning, ma'am. How can I help you?"
"I have an appointment with Mr. Addams. Mornica Charleston from Santos Legal."
The guard checked his computer. "I don't see any—"
"He'll see me." Mornica's voice carried the authority of someone used to being obeyed. "Tell him it's about the Kozlov contracts."
The guard made a phone call. After a few minutes, he hung up. "Thirty-second floor. Mr. Addams will meet you in Conference Room B."
Mornica left the twins with their bodyguard in the lobby. Hans had protected them for three years and would die before letting anyone harm them.
The elevator ride to the thirtieth floor felt like traveling back in time. Everything in this building reminded her of the day she lost everything.
Conference Room B was exactly as she remembered. Same mahogany table where she had served coffee and sandwiches. Same view of Charleston Harbor where the cargo ship had taken her away.
The door opened. Nevermore Addams walked in.
He looked older. Stress lines around his eyes, gray threads in his black hair. His suit was expensive but couldn't hide the exhaustion in his posture. Good. Running a business built on lies was hard work.
He stopped when he saw her.
"You look familiar," he said slowly. "Have we met before?"
Mornica stood up. "We have a mutual friend. Viktor Kozlov."
Nevermore's face went pale at the Russian's name. "What do you want?"
"I represent several parties interested in your shipping contracts. There seem to be some irregularities in your cargo manifests from 2019."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Mornica opened her briefcase and pulled out a thick folder. "Really? Because I have very detailed records of what you shipped. And who."
She placed a photograph on the table. It showed her being dragged onto the cargo ship five years ago, taken by port security cameras.
Nevermore stared at the photo. His hands began to shake.
"That's... that's impossible. You're..."
"Dead? Missing? Disappeared forever?" Mornica sat down and crossed her legs. "Disappointed?"
Recognition dawned in his eyes. "Mornica?"
"Hello, Nevermore. Did you miss me?"
He stumbled backward, hitting the wall. "You're supposed to be... Viktor said..."
"Viktor said I was delivered safely to Germany. Which was true. What he didn't tell you was that I escaped. And spent the last five years becoming very, very good at destroying men like you."
"Mornica, I can explain—"
"Can you? Can you explain why you sold a pregnant woman to human traffickers? Can you explain why you told the police I ran away? Can you explain why you married Charlotte six months later?"
Nevermore's face crumbled. "I had no choice. Viktor threatened my family."
"Your family." Mornica laughed, but there was no humor in it. "What about our family, Nevermore? What about your child?"
"Child?" He looked confused. "But you were only three months—"
"Twins, actually. A boy and a girl. They're downstairs right now, waiting for Mommy to finish her business meeting."
The color drained completely from his face. "Twins?"
Mornica pulled out her phone and showed him a recent photo. Wednesday and Wednesmore at their birthday party, wearing matching outfits.
"Wednesmore has your eyes. Wednesday has your stubborn streak. They ask about their father sometimes. I tell them he was too much of a coward to raise them."
Nevermore reached for the phone, but Mornica pulled it back.
"Don't. You lost the right to see them when you signed their death warrant."
"Mornica, please. I've regretted that day every moment for five years. I love you. I never stopped loving you."
"Love?" Mornica stood up. "You sold me for money. You told everyone I abandoned you. You married my worst enemy. That's not love, Nevermore. That's ownership."
She gathered her papers and put them back in her briefcase.
"This was just a courtesy call. To let you know I'm back. I've already filed lawsuits against three of your biggest clients. By tomorrow, the news will report that Addams Enterprises is under federal investigation for human trafficking."
"You can't do this. I have lawyers—"
"Better than me?" Mornica smiled. "I've spent five years preparing for this conversation. I know every illegal contract you've signed, every bribe you've paid, every law you've broken. I have prosecutors in three countries ready to charge you with trafficking, fraud, and conspiracy."
She walked to the door and turned back.
"Oh, and Nevermore? The children call themselves Addams now. Wednesday Addams and Wednesmore Addams. I thought you should know before you see it in the custody papers."
"Custody papers?"
"I'm suing for child support. Five years of it, plus medical expenses, education costs, and emotional trauma. Should be about twenty million dollars. Consider it a down payment on what you owe us."
Nevermore slumped into a chair. "What do you want from me?"
"Everything," Mornica said. "I want you to lose everything you love, the way I lost everything I loved. Your business, your reputation, your freedom. And when you have nothing left, I want you to remember that you did this to yourself."
She opened the door.
"The twins are beautiful, by the way. It's a shame their father is a monster."
Mornica walked out, leaving Nevermore alone with the photograph of her being dragged away.
In the lobby, Wednesday ran to her. "Mommy! Did you see the bad man?"
"Yes, sweetheart. Mommy saw him."
"Is he sorry for being bad?"
Mornica picked up her daughter. "Not yet. But he will be."