My fiancé bragged to his friends about poking holes in our condoms to trap me at home and steal my director's chair, unaware I was recording every word.

At 9:45 a.m., fifteen minutes before the Shareholder Summit, Arianna sat in Evelyn Davenport’s private dressing room adjacent to the main auditorium.

Arianna was sipping warm ginger tea to soothe the faint morning sickness that had settled in her stomach an hour ago. She felt tired, but beneath the fatigue was a terrifying, crystalline calm.

Mark Taylor tapped on the door and slipped inside, grinning from ear to ear.

"He took it," Mark said, leaning against the vanity. "Hook, line, and sinker. Downloaded the presentation at 8:34 a.m. from your office terminal."

Evelyn, who was adjusting her diamond broach in the mirror, turned around. "Did he alter the master script?"

"He didn't even open it to verify the slides," Mark laughed. "He was so terrified of getting caught by security, he just dumped it onto his flash drive and ran down to the fourth-floor green room to rehearse his delivery."

Arianna set down her tea cup. "Has Carter arrived with the bailiffs?"

"Carter is in the back row with two plainclothes detectives and an emergency injunction signed by Judge Thornton," Evelyn answered smoothly. "The doors to the auditorium will be locked from the outside the moment the presentations begin. Logan Vance will have his audience. The largest audience of his life."

Arianna looked at her reflection in the full-length glass.

She wore an impeccably tailored cream wool suit today, the jacket cinched slightly above her hips. She placed both hands over her lower stomach, feeling the tiny life nestled inside her.

*You will never have to bow your head to a monster,* she thought silently to the child. *Today, your mother burns down his kingdom.*

The chime for the summit echoed through the backstage intercom.

*"Ladies and gentlemen, shareholders and esteemed members of the board. Please take your seats in the Grand Auditorium. The annual Davenport Group Strategic Direction and Leadership Summit will commence in ten minutes."*

Arianna turned to Evelyn. "Shall we?"