CHAZ & LEXIE'S STORY...
March 4th
“Sir! Sir! You can’t?—”
I don’t stop.
The assistant’s frantic voice echoes behind me as she scrambles from her desk. “I’m calling security!”
I know the risk I’m taking by barging in here. I know this could end badly. But this is my baby sister—the little girl I raised, the one I’ve always protected. The fact that she’s now a young woman doesn’t change that.
Sophia’s tear-streaked face flashes in my mind, each sob fueling the fire in my chest. That bastard, Drew Marshall, thought he could use his power to crush her, to treat her as if she was nothing. He thought he could get away with it. He was wrong. Dead wrong.
I slam open the boardroom door, the sound reverberating like a gunshot. My eyes lock on the man seated at the head of a gleaming wood conference table. Arrogant. Smug. Holding court with three corporate sycophants eager to do his bidding. My fists curl into wrecking balls. My breath burns in my throat.
Then I see her.
The lone woman in the room.
Lexie.
But not. This is some other version. Sleek and polished. A stranger in a designer suit. Her hair is slicked back in a professional twist, and her makeup is flawless. Every inch of her radiates poise—and deceit.
The world tilts, the ground beneath me shifting as disbelief collides with fury. How can this be? Nothing about her resembles the woman I’d spent five unforgettable weeks with—the one who had shared her dreams, her scars, her soul with me. How is she here, sitting beside the man who hurt Sophia? The man I’ve come to destroy.
Those dark blue eyes meet mine. They’d first captivated me with their rare color and depth of emotion. Now, they’re cool. Unaffected. They hold not a flicker of shock, not an ounce of nerves. Her expression is a mask of calm indifference. But I see it. The faint tapping of her finger against her thumb. A tell. A crack in her armor.
It snaps me out of my stupor. Rage keeps me focused—keeps me moving. I close the distance to Marshall, my nails biting deep into my palms.
“You sick son of a bitch. That was my sister.”
His bravado falters, sweat beading on his brow. I step closer, raising my fist.
“No!” She’s on her feet in an instant, getting in between us, protecting him. Her voice is firm, but her eyes plead for me to leave. She thinks she can just make this go away without even a care for Sophia.
The room erupts into chaos around us. Two security guards rush in. Marshall’s panicked shouts demand my removal. They approach, asking her to step aside. She doesn’t budge. Instead, she lifts her hand, signaling them to stand down like she has the authority to call the shots.
Then, as composed as can be, she identifies herself.
And her name rips me in two.
Five weeks earlier…
SISTAHS4EVER Group Chat
Lex: I’m here!
After a two-hour drive, blasting my Fuck It playlist for inspiration, I text my girls to let them know I made it. Now parked in the driveway, I squint through the chalky, salt-splattered windshield at the little white cottage tucked among snowy trees. This will be my home for the next six weeks. I’m equal parts excited and terrified.
My best friends are quick to respond.
Dee: You deserve this time, Lex. Love you to bits.
Jordyn: So effing proud of you, babe!!! You got this!
I respond with a stream of heart emojis and promise to give them a video tour later. Bracing myself for the cold, I exit the car into the bitter wind that tosses my hair and stings my cheeks. While a trip to the Caribbean might have been a more obvious choice for January, I was drawn to this coastal town. From the pictures, it seemed an ideal place to recharge and make plans for my future.
After retrieving my bags from my trunk, I follow the shoveled pathway to the porch and punch in the security code. Inside, the air is warm and inviting. I hang my coat on a hook by the door and line up my boots on the mat—heels even, toes pointed toward the wall. It’s a small thing that helps me retain some sense of control.
