Chapter 34 No Way Out
The faces in the room were filled with shock.
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None of them had expected Claudia, once quiet and meek like a shadow, to show such defiance. And what was even more surprising–Alan was letting her.
Unheard of.
Alan swept his gaze across the crowd, his tone faint. “Go to the next room.”
Then he turned to Summer. “I’ll come find you when I’m done.”
Summer wanted to pout, to throw a fit, but the moment she met Alan’s deep, dangerous eyes, her temper deflated.
An angry Alan was not to be provoked.
As she left, Summer deliberately shouldered Claudia, but Claudia, ready for it, stepped aside. Summer stumbled instead, nearly falling before someone caught her. Still, Claudia was shoved by one of Summer’s friends, crashing against the doorframe.
Soon the room was empty. Nathan closed the door behind them.
The luxurious room fell into silence.
Alan leaned back on the sofa, golden light casting shadows across his sharp features, giving him a dark, dangerous allure.
Even with only two people left, the atmosphere, was heavier than when the room had been full. Claudia felt suffocated, surrounded by his presence, with nowhere to run.
“Didn’t you just insist on talking?” His voice cut through the silence. “Why aren’t you coming over?”
In the dim light, his eyes were cold and predatory beneath his short black hair. “Come here. If you’re begging, you should act like you’re begging. Don’t you agree, my wife?”
Claudia didn’t move.
She could feel the danger radiating from him. She knew her threat earlier had already enraged him. Stepping closer was impossible.
Standing by the door, she took a deep breath. “Alan, the divorce is between you and me. If you think my terms are too high, we can negotiate. But I will not tolerate you threatening and hurting my friends. You-
“Come here.”
Alan cut her off, his voice colder still. “Claudia, my patience with you is limited. With your friends, even
less.”
The silence thickened.
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Chapter 34 No Way Out
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Claudia pressed her lips together, forcing her trembling legs to carry her forward, each step echoing in her pounding heart.
Since their marriage, she had hardly seen this side of him. Normally, he was distant, indifferent, treating her like an object he could use and discard.
This kind of furious intensity had only surfaced before their marriage–and again, just days ago.
It left a dark shadow of fear in her heart.
Step by step, she edged closer, mind racing desperately for a way out. Through clenched teeth she offered, “I can compromise on the equity split, Alan. Don’t push me further. We’ve been married for years–let’s both give a little, end things peacefully.”
But as soon as she drew near, a strong hand yanked her down. She fell into Alan’s chest, her white down coat torn away in the motion, leaving only a slim white sweater that clung to her waist, delicate and fragile.
Alan locked her in his arms, his head lowering to her ear, a chilling laugh brushing against her skin.
“Peacefully?”
“Claudia, when did we ever have peace?”
“You dared to force my hand back then. You should have known–whatever comes after, you’ll endure it. Ending things? You don’t have that right. Do you understand?”
As he spoke, his hand slipped beneath the edge of her sweater, searing against her skin.
Claudia jolted, struggling furiously, trying to wrench free. But his grip only tightened, pinning her down. Her shin struck the crystal table at the sofa’s side with a painful thud, forcing a muffled cry from her lips.
Alan’s hand paused briefly, but only for a second before moving deeper.
Claudia, hurt and furious, lashed out recklessly. “I didn’t! If you hadn’t stolen that glass of wine back then, none of this-!“.
Crash!
Glasses and bottles toppled across the crystal table as Alan slammed her down onto it. Pain seared her back, tears springing to her eyes.
A heartbeat later, his heavy frame pressed over hers.
Through tear–blurred vision, all she could see were his fox–like eyes, burning with violence so dark it threatened to swallow her whole.
Harsh, ragged breaths filled the lavish room.
Her body weakened, splayed across the crystal table, her white sweater in disarray. Pain made her eyes brim with moisture, her phoenix–shaped gaze shimmering.
She forced herself to stay conscious, staring at the man above her.
Alan’s expensive black suit was as disheveled as hers, his chiseled face shadowed by unrestrained desire.
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Chapter 34 No Way Out
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His breath was hot against her cheek, his sharp, dangerous eyes clouded with a haze that could drag anyone into ruin.
She couldn’t deny it–Alan was devastatingly handsome, the kind of face that could make hearts fall and souls lose themselves.
But now, that face held no power over her.
Not anymore.
Maybe it was the pain in her back.
The pain kept her awake.
