At twilight, I dressed with absolute care. I slipped into a sharp, structured navy dress, pinned my hair back cleanly, and applied a minimal layer of makeup.

It wasn’t vanity; it was a formal ceremony. I was going to close a vault door permanently.

Mr. Vance opened the secure gate and guided Dominic not into the grand main residence, but into a stark, private security briefing room right beside the gatehouse.

The moment Dominic saw me step through the door, he froze entirely. The woman before him wasn’t the pale, quiet wife he’d abandoned on a concrete curb.

This was a Brooks—serene, striking, and entirely out of his financial reach.

“Audrey… please,” he stammered, his voice entirely broken. “You have to stop the liquidation. I’ve lost everything. The startup, the penthouse lease, the vehicles… My mother and Natalie are facing severe civil and criminal charges for that gate disruption.