The s.l.a.p was meant for Vivian Calder’s fragile face, but I stepped between them before I even had time to think. Seconds later, I was on the marble floor with blood running down my cheek, while the billionaire crime boss hosting his own engagement party walked in and asked the one question that made the entire room go silent.

The darkness surrounding the estate's private docks was absolute, save for the flickering amber lights lining the wooden walkways and the distant glow of the Manhattan skyline.

I didn't stay in my room. I couldn't.

Instead, I slipped down the hidden service staircase—a path I knew intimately from my months as a housekeeper—and followed the tree line that edged the property down toward the water. I hid behind a thick cluster of hemlock trees, my heart threatening to burst out of my chest as I watched the scene unfold.

A large, sleek speedboat was moored against the wooden dock. Four men stood on the pier, dressed in dark tactical gear, while a fifth man—tall, broad-shouldered, with Celeste's distinct light hair—stood in the center, holding a heavy iron crowbar.

It was Vance Whitcomb, Celeste's older brother.

Standing twenty yards away from them was Julian, flanked by Marcus and six heavily armed security personnel.

"You should have stayed in Miami, Vance," Julian said, his voice cutting through the ambient sound of lapping water like a honed blade.

Vance sneered, taking a step forward, swinging the crowbar lazily at his side. "You ruined my family, Calder! My father's assets are frozen, my sister is a laughingstock in every social circle, and you think you can just shut us out?"

"You shut yourselves out the moment your family mistook my tolerance for weakness," Julian replied smoothly. He hadn't pulled a weapon, nor had his hands left his coat pockets. "You brought four armed men onto my private property. That is a trespass offense, Vance. One I am legally permitted to handle with absolute force."

"You think I care about your legal permissions?" Vance roared. "I came for the girl! The maid! Celeste said she's the reason you blew everything up! Where is she, Calder? Hand her over, let my sister settle the score, and maybe we don't burn your shipping crates to the ground!"

Cold horror washed over me. Vance hadn't come to negotiate business—he had come to kidnap me to avenge his sister's pride.

Julian didn't flinch. But his posture shifted slightly, dropping lower, like a predator preparing to strike.

"You want Emma?" Julian asked, his voice dropping so low it was almost a growl.

"Yeah, I want the maid," Vance spat. "Where is she?"

"She is far beyond your reach," Julian said softly. "And you will never speak her name again."

Before Vance could react, Julian made a swift gesture with his left hand.

Marcus stepped forward and fired a single shot from a suppressed firearm. The heavy iron crowbar in Vance's hand exploded in a shower of sparks, flying out of his grip and clattering across the wooden planks.

Vance shrieked, clutching his numb, stinging hand. His four hired men instantly reached for their holsters, but before they could draw, Julian's six security guards stepped out from the shadows, their laser sights painting small, deadly red dots across the chest of every single intruder.

"Drop your weapons," Marcus commanded coldly.

The four men hesitated for a fraction of a second before slowly unbuckling their holstered guns and letting them drop to the wooden dock with heavy thuds.

Julian walked slowly toward Vance. He picked up the discarded crowbar, weighed it in his hand, and then tossed it casually into the deep, dark waters of the Hudson River.

He stopped inches from Vance's terrified face.

"Listen to me very carefully, Vance," Julian said, his voice smooth, cold, and utterly devoid of mercy. "If you, your father, or your sister ever set foot in New York again, I won't freeze your bank accounts. I won't send lawyers. I will sink every boat your family owns, sell your properties for scrap, and ensure you spend the rest of your lives in a federal prison."

Julian reached out, grabbing Vance by the collar of his expensive jacket, pulling him so close their foreheads nearly touched.

"Emma belongs to the Calder family now," Julian whispered darkly. "If you so much as dream about her, you better pray I don't find out."

Julian shoved him backward. "Get on your boat and get out of my sight."

Vance scrambled backward like a beaten dog, dragging himself onto the speedboat along with his four terrified guards. Seconds later, the engine roared to life, and the boat sped away into the dark river, leaving white foam in its wake.

Julian watched them go, his chest rising and falling slowly.