About half of the table grabbed their things and bolted from the conference room. The other half remained behind, still unsure. Eventually, Russell shouted at them hard enough that not only did his face turn blue, but the remaining shareholders outside of anyone named Moreau vacated. The only unaffiliated parties to remain behind were the Clayborns and Abby, the latter of whom was dismissed to direct the shareholders to another room.
“How dare you,” Russell spat. “How dare you embarrass me in front of the company like this. Who the fuck are you to do this? What are you doing?”
Danica finally dropped her façade. The look she shot her father held nothing but disdain. “I wasn’t lying when I said that I took some hints from you. Everything I’ve done today? I’ve learned from you. Except I didn’t cheat anyone or try to havesomeone maimed or killed. I know what you did to Mother. I know what you’ve done to my wife.”
Alicia waited for her father-in-law to deny anything. Instead, he laughed, throwing back his head and slapping the table in front of him. “This is rich, even for you, girl. You’ve lost all sense of reason, you know that?”
“No, Father. You’re the one who lost reason a long time ago. I should have seen it sooner, but my eyes were not completely open until recently.”
“Because of her!” Such a violent finger to point at Alicia, who stepped forward with her chin tipped high.Remember who you are, Alicia. You belong here. This is your domain now.“You let this whore into our family and would destroy everything we’ve built? You’re no daughter of mine!”
“Too bad you don’t have any other heirs, Father.” Danica inadvertently made eye contact with Ms. Clayborn, who turned away. “Too bad you killed them all.”
“What are you talking about!”
“I’m talking about Eddie! Or have you forgotten your other child?”
Alicia took a step back. Everyone but Russell took a step back. When Danica finally unleashed her pent-up anger? The whole room shook.
“My ex-wife’s child was defective. The doctors said so themselves. Would’ve been lucky if he learned to tie his shoes before he went off to community college.”
“Jesus Christ, Father!”
“As for her?” Sarah ducked behind her brother while Russell referenced her. “Please. Like I would let the help have any child of mine.”
“You’re garbage, Father.”
“Says the girl who insists on tainting our family! You’re unbelievable. I should have turned down your mother’s handwhen I had the chance. Should have known she would pass her craziness on to you. Here I thought you would be a perfect specimen. All our brains and determination… all the Johnsons’ good looks. Well, before the fires, anyway.”
Danica curled a tight fist and moved her jaw as if to bite her own father’s throat.
“That damn Clarissa insisted I go through with the union. Wasn’t bad enough that she took my company from me when it was rightfully mine to take. Bitch had to go and insist I make the greatest personal folly of my life.” Russell glared at Alicia again. “Ms. Colbert is beautiful, girl, but will your children be beautiful? Will her hideous family drain us of everything we’ve worked so hard for? Have you even met her pathetic excuse for a brother?”
Oh, hell no.
Alicia pushed her wife out of the way. Nobody – and that meantnobody– came for Terrence to her face!
“Ah, Ms. Colbert.”
“Shut up!” Here it came. All the stress, the disbelief, the fear, and anxiety… bubbling up from Alicia’s chest and vomiting on this monster. “Call me Ms. Colbertone more time!”
Russell’s lips parted.
“That’s Mrs. Moreau to you, fuckhead.” Alicia wanted to cackle at the look she received in return. “You don’t get to disrespect me. You don’t get to control everyone’s lives anymore. You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies as if you’re a god!” Russell wasn’t the only one who could jab fingers into people’s faces. “Your time is over. Your reign of terror has come to a huge, burning end.Iam in charge now!”
Even Danica raised her eyebrows at that assertion.
What did Alicia care? She loved her wife. Danica had taught her almost everything she had learned in the past several weeks. She was Alicia’s other half, her guiding light, the reason shewent to bed feeling better than when she woke up. Yet what did she really know about what went on beneath her nose? Did she know what she had done when she took Alicia under her wing and declared her a fated match? Did she know what destiny she ascribed? Did she know what Alicia was truly capable of?
To be fair, Alicia had no idea she was capable of this, either. She did, however, know that she was sick and tired of being used as a convenient scapegoat, of being undervalued, and having people – yes, including Danica – assume that her role was to be a sweet and coy behind-the-scenes woman.
Fuck. That.
She was Alicia Moreau, one half of the most powerful couple in the city. The state. The whole damn eastern seaboard. Other couples thought they were powerful? They had never met the formidable force that was Danica and Alicia, a pair unafraid to yank a whole company’s rug out from beneath a stack of shareholders. This wasn’t just Danica’s company. This was Alicia’s legacy, too!
“You are nothing.” Alicia’s voice dispelled a toxic whisper that sank its cruel tentacles into Russell’s sinewy body. In her voice carried the fear and despondency Julia Moreau felt when everything she was raised for was taken away from her, most of all the two children she so desperately wanted to protect but ultimately failed. Her voice was Sarah Clayborn’s, used, discarded, and then abused when a twist of biology occurred. Who knew how many other women suffered beneath this tyrant? Alicia didn’t need her own strength. She needed theirs, too.
This man would have me killed. He would kill my child.
