Chapter 6 - The Edge of the Blade
Air struggled to reach my lungs as Gavin pinned me against the cold brick wall. The rain washed down my face, but the heat of absolute panic flared in my chest.
"Gavin..." I choked out, gasping for breath, grabbing at his wrist. "What... what are you doing?"
"Don't play dumb with me anymore!" Gavin hissed, his eyes wild in the dim light filtering from the house. "I saw your car parked down the street! You thought you were being clever, didn't you? Following us, checking up on Brianna?"
I realized instantly that if I showed fear now, I was dead. I had to pivot—fast.
I stopped clawing at his hand, forcing my eyes to meet his with an expression of intense, betrayed heartbreak rather than fear. I let tears mix with the raindrops on my cheeks.
"You... you lied to me, Gavin!" I sobbed out, letting my voice crack with emotional despair. "I came back because... because I was scared!"
Gavin’s grip hesitated slightly. "Scared of what?"
"Of you! Of us!" I wept, letting my body go somewhat limp against his hold. "I saw a detective standing outside my office yesterday asking questions about your father's business! He said your family was bankrupt! He said you were just using me for my money! I didn't want to believe him... so I came here tonight to talk to you privately before I signed the merger papers! And then... then I saw the lights in the basement..."
Gavin froze. The wild rage in his eyes flickered, replaced by a sudden wave of defensive panic.
"A detective?" Gavin lowered his hand from my throat, though he kept his body blocking mine against the wall. "What detective? What did he say?"
"He said Elijah was under federal investigation for fraud," I lied, my chest heaving as I played the panicked, overwhelmed bride. "He said if I merged my company with Herndon Global, the government would seize my agency too! Gavin, I was terrified! I thought you were keeping secrets from me! I came around back because I didn't want your mother to see me crying!"
Gavin stared at me, his mind clearly racing as he processed the lie. The seed of paranoia I had planted hit him right where he was weakest: his fear of financial ruin and legal exposure.
"You... you haven't talked to the police, have you?" Gavin asked, his voice losing its predatory edge, turning sharp with anxiety.
"No!" I cried, putting my hands over my face. "I love you, Gavin! But I built Wellman Media from nothing! If your father is in trouble, you have to tell me! Why is Brianna in the basement? What is happening in this house?"
Gavin took a step back, running a hand through his rain-soaked hair. He looked toward the basement vent, then back at me. He genuinely believed I was just a terrified, desperate woman caught in a storm of confusion.
"Alyssa... listen to me," Gavin said, taking my hands, his voice morphing back into that smooth, manipulative tone he had used for two years. "My father... he made some bad investments. People are trying to smear our name. That's why the detectives are asking questions. It's all lies."
"And Brianna?" I asked, wiping my eyes.
"Brianna is mentally unstable, Alyssa," Gavin claimed smoothly, squeezing my hands. "She tried to steal money from the family trust to fund an addiction. We had to restrain her tonight for her own safety until her medical team arrives tomorrow. My mother is trying to protect her."
It was a monstrous, horrific lie, delivered with a straight face.
"Oh, thank God," I gasped, leaning into his chest as if relieved. "I was so scared, Gavin. I thought... I thought you didn't love me."
"I love you more than life itself, babe," Gavin lied, kissing the top of my damp head. "Look, we need to sign those merger papers tomorrow. Once our companies are combined, our legal team can block those fake federal investigations and protect your agency. Will you sign them tomorrow?"
"Yes," I whispered into his suit coat. "I’ll sign whatever you want. Just don't let them destroy us."
"Good girl," Gavin murmured, victory evident in his tone. "Now, let me walk you back to your car before you catch a cold."
As Gavin turned to guide me down the pathway, I subtly dragged my foot through the mulch, using my toe to slide my fallen smartphone beneath the thick roots of a hydrangeas bush. The screen was dark, but the recording was saved, and the device's GPS tag was active.
Ten minutes later, I was back in Marcus’s SUV. Gavin stood on the curb, waving goodbye with a warm, loving smile until our taillights disappeared around the corner.
The second we turned the street, the fake tears vanished from my face. I grabbed a towel from the backseat, rubbing the rain from my neck where Gavin’s fingers had left red marks.
"You okay?" Marcus asked, his face tight with anger as he looked at my neck in the rearview mirror. "I was three seconds away from pulling a weapon on him."
"I'm fine," I said, my voice cold and lethal. "He bought the story. He thinks I'm signing the unconditional asset transfer tomorrow morning."
"Are we still executing the landmine clause?" Marcus asked.
"No," I replied, looking out the window into the dark Atlanta streets. "We're going bigger. Call the District Attorney’s office tonight, Marcus. Use your federal contacts. Tell them we are handing them a multi-million-dollar financial fraud case, a human trafficking and unlawful imprisonment case, and a physical abuse case on a silver platter tomorrow at 10:00 AM."
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"Where?" Marcus asked.
"At the signing ceremony at the Herndon estate," I said. "I’m going to invite the local press under the guise of an executive merger announcement. When Gavin signs those papers, he won't just be signing away his freedom. He’s going to do it in front of every news camera in Georgia."
