Within an hour, the luxury suite was cleared of hotel staff, but replaced by something far more terrifying: the cold, institutional machinery of the New York City Police Department and the high-powered legal team of Chambers Global.
Ryan sat handcuffed in a holding cell at the local precinct, his face bruised, his uniform stained with his own and Elliot’s blood. He refused to speak to the duty officers without a lawyer, his mind racing not with fear for himself, but with agonizing terror for Maggie.
Back at the Harrison Hotel suite, the medical team Elliot had hastily called—not for Maggie, but to document his own minor injuries—was packing up. Maggie sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, wrapped in a blanket, her wrists throbbing where Elliot had grabbed her earlier, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Elliot stood by the mirror, a piece of sterile gauze taped to his jawline. His tailored suit was ruined, but his authority was entirely intact. He turned slowly, looking at his wife like she was a piece of broken furniture he was debating whether to repair or discard.
“Your brother has ruined his life,” Elliot said coldly, his voice devoid of any human warmth. “Assaulting a CEO, destruction of property, trespassing in a restricted VIP wing. He’s looking at ten years minimum.”
Maggie looked up, her eyes burning with unshed tears. For the first time in two years, the fear inside her was eclipsed by a cold, hardened rage. “You beat me. You whipped me with a belt while I was eight months pregnant with your child. He defended his sister.”
Elliot chuckled, a dry, mocking sound. “And who do you think the police will believe, Maggie? You, a stressed, hormonal pregnant woman prone to hysteria? Or me—one of the largest financial contributors to the NYPD pension fund and the city's most prominent philanthropist?”
He walked over, gripping her chin tightly in his fingers, forcing her to look up at him.
“Here is how this is going to work,” Elliot whispered, his face inches from hers. “Your brother rots in Rikers Island unless you sign a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement and a signed statement swearing that your brother broke in unprovoked, high on drugs, and attacked me while you tried to stop him. If you comply, I’ll drop the attempted murder charges down to a misdemeanor, and he’ll be out in a year with probation. If you don't… I’ll make sure he never sees daylight again, and I’ll file for sole custody of the baby the second it’s born.”
Maggie’s breath hitched. He had checkmated her. He knew her brother was her only family left, and he was using Ryan as a leash to keep her permanently chained.
“You’re a monster,” she whispered.
“I’m a survivor,” Elliot corrected smoothly, releasing her chin with a sharp shove. “You have until morning to decide. Think carefully about your baby, Maggie. Because right now, your choices are very, very limited.”
