CHAPTER 1 — THE COUNTERSTRIKE
She peeled off the dress, stuffed it into the closet, and slipped into jeans and a sweater. Her hands trembled, but her mind was cold and precise.
She called her father.
He picked up on the first ring.
“Princess? Why are you calling on your wedding night?”
“Daddy,” she whispered, “I need you tomorrow. At the notary’s office.”
Silence.
A dangerous, simmering silence.
“What did that boy do?”
“Nothing yet,” she said. “But he won’t get the chance.”
Her father exhaled sharply.
“Send me the address.”
Next, she rang Sila—her best friend, a lawyer feared in every Atlanta courtroom as The Red-haired Reaper.
The moment Sila heard the recordings, rage lit her eyes.
“Girl… this is coordinated fraud. And guess what? You’re going to crush them. Legally. Elegantly.”
“We’re not finished,” Abeni inhaled. “I want them to regret choosing me.”
Sila’s smile turned predatory.
“Oh, they’re going to choke on it.”
