Tearing my eyes away from Stefan’s cold glare, my hand scrabbled for the door knob behind me. I burned with rage at the sight of my husband standing there beside my father, both of them completely impassive despite my horror over the explosive, dark secret behind KZ Modeling’s business—a secret I’d just revealed that I had figured out on my own.
“Tori,” my father began.
“Just—don’t.” I shook my head, fury making my voice tremble. It was almost like I was watching the scene from outside my body. My logical mind had retreated, gone somewhere else. I had never felt more betrayed in my life.
My gaze shifted between my father and Stefan, the reality of the situation still sinking in. How could they have known about this, been apartof this? And god, all those women. Scores of women. Degraded and discarded by powerful, careless men who used them for their own gain.
I was disgusted with the men standing before me, but I was also disgusted with myself. For trusting them. For trusting Stefan. For falling in love with him. I felt sick.
“You’re not my father anymore,” I choked out.
My father shook his head at me gently, his expression disapproving. As if I was merely a child throwing a temper tantrum, instead of a grown woman whose father had married her off to a family that used its employees as sexual playthings to be bought and sold.
“I’m going to the authorities,” I said, finally regaining some control, my voice like ice.
They exchanged a glance.
“I’m afraid that won’t go well for you,” my father said. “And you have zero evidence.”
That stopped me cold. He was right. It would be my word against his, against Stefan’s, against the entire Zoric empire. I knew what I had seen with my own eyes, what I had heard from Konstantin’s mouth, but would any of the models agree to back up my story and tell the truth? Would they testify if there could be retribution, if they could lose their jobs or be harmed for talking? Could they find strength in their own numbers?
“I have witnesses,” I bluffed. “They’ll stand with me.”
“It won’twork, Tori,” my father said, his voice like steel.
“You’re not outside the law,” I spat. I glared at my husband. “And neither are you, or your father, or the whole fucking KZM agency. I’m going to burn all of you to the ground.”
I took out my phone, my hands still shaking, but neither of them looked concerned.
“I could call 9-1-1 right now,” I said. “Tell them everything.”
“You’re welcome to try,” my husband taunted me. “See how far that gets you.”
“It would be best to avoid any embarrassing scenes,” my father tsked. “I’d hate to see this on the news later…Senator Lindsey’s daughter making a frantic emergency phone call, raving about delusional scandals and international crime rings. Her mental health called into question.”
He was disgusting. They all were. I lifted my phone, but I couldn’t get my fingers to move. What if he was right? What would I say? What would the authorities do? Anything at all?
“Keep her in her place,” he told Stefan, a warning note in his voice.
My “place”? It was the last straw.
I turned around, flung the door open, and slammed the door behind me before storming toward the bank of elevators.
I wasn’t sure if I could stand to see either one of them ever again.
But when it came to my husband, I didn’t have a choice—because before the elevator could close, Stefan thrust his hand between the doors and stepped inside with me.
I didn’t want to look at him, let alone be in a confined space with him. And still, I hated the way my pulse leapt when he looked at me. The way my body responded as he moved closer.
“Don’t touch me,” I warned as his hand came up to reach for me.
Thankfully he listened, his hand hovering between us for a moment before he let it fall at his side. “I can’t let you leave here alone,” he said. “I won’t let you process this by yourself.”
I scoffed. “Really? Pretty sure I just heardSenator Lindseytell you to keep me in my place. So if that’s what you’re here to do, forget about it. I’m calling the cops. If I were you—”
He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me back against the wall, not hard enough to hurt but hard enough to shock me into shutting my mouth. I couldn’t read the expression on his face as I looked up at him, but what else was new? He was just as inscrutable as ever. But at least he wasn’t wearing the same smug look my father had been.
“The thing is…” he said, his body pressing against mine, “my father and your father both have friends on the force.High upin the force. You understand? Calling the police won’t work.”
