Chapter 8
Mara remained huddled against the metal legs of the utility shelving, her elegant silk robe stained with dust and tears. The bright, natural lighting of the hallway offered no place to hide from the devastating judgment radiating from her husband.
Ryan stood over her, his tall, deeply masculine figure casting a long shadow across her trembling form. He looked at the heavy diamond wedding ring on her finger, a symbol of a union built entirely on a foundation of sociopathic lies.
"Take it off," Ryan commanded, his voice a slow, measured drawl.
"Ryan, please," Mara wept, clutching her left hand against her chest. "I love you. I raised Lily for you. We can move past this. We can send Ava to a private facility in Europe. No one else has to know. We can protect our image."
"Take. The ring. Off," Ryan repeated, the controlled pause between the words carrying an unquestionable threat.
Trembling violently, Mara slowly slid the heavy diamond ring off her finger. She held it out toward him, her rosy cheeks pale and wet.
Ryan did not take the ring. He slapped her hand away, sending the expensive piece of jewelry skittering across the hardwood floor until it disappeared under the broken coat rack.
"Your marriage to me. Is annulled," Ryan stated coldly. "You are stripped of the Carter name. You are stripped of all your assets, your bank accounts, and your authority within this syndicate."
"You are throwing me out?" Mara gasped, her eyes widening in sheer terror. "Where will I go? The rival families will hunt me down the moment they realize I don't have your protection!"
"You should have thought of that. Before you locked my blood in a wall," Ryan whispered, leaning down so his face was inches from hers. The cold, sharp intensity in his eyes was paralyzing. "You are leaving this estate tonight. With nothing but the clothes on your back. If I ever see your face in this city again, I will not hesitate to end your life."
"You can't keep Lily from me!" Mara shrieked, a desperate, maternal panic finally breaking through her selfish facade. "She is my daughter!"
"You forfeited your right to be a mother," Ryan said, standing back up, towering over her. "When you decided to starve another woman's child for your own gain. You will never see Lily again."
"I will fight you in court!" Mara yelled, struggling to her feet. "I will expose this entire syndicate! I will tell the feds everything about your shipping routes!"
Ryan did not flinch. He reached into his dark trousers and pulled out his encrypted smartphone. He tapped a single button and held it to his ear.
"Frank," Ryan said calmly. "Bring the van to the back service entrance. My former wife is going on a long trip. Ensure she gets on a cargo freighter headed for South America. Make sure she doesn't get off until it docks."
"Understood, Boss," the voice replied.
Ryan lowered the phone. He looked at Mara, who was now hyperventilating, realizing that her threats were utterly meaningless against a man who owned the entire city.
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"Take her," Ryan ordered the remaining bodyguards.
They grabbed Mara by the arms, dragging the screaming, hysterical woman away from the cinematic brightness of the hallway, pulling her toward the dark service exit and out of Ryan's life forever.
