Chapter 35

No.1

Elisa,stood on the curb, her arm raised. A yellow taxi with its roof light illuminated swerved toward her, but before it could stop, a sleek black rideshare SUV smoothly cut it off and pulled up directly in front of her.

She checked the license plate against her app,pulled open the heavy rear door, and slid onto the leather seat.

"Aethel Intelligence headquarters, please," she told the driver.

"Yes, ma'am. Traffic is a bit heavy on the avenue right now," the driver replied, pulling the car slowly into the congested lane.

The SUV barely moved ten feet before a red light forced it to a complete stop.

Elisa leaned her head back against the headrest,closing her eyes fora brief moment. The adrenaline from the lunch confrontation was finally fading,

leaving her with a sharp, productive energy.

Suddenly, the driver tapped his horn twice.

Elisa opened her eyes and looked out the window.

The heavy glass doors of Le Bernardin had just swung open. August and Allena were walking out onto the sidewalk, escorted by the maître d'.

No.2

August was holding Allena's elbow, supporting her weight as she awkwardly navigated the steps in her medical boot.

The sound of the horn caught August's attention.He turned his head sharply toward the street.

His dark eyes swept across the line of stopped cars.They locked instantly onto the tinted rear window of Elisa's SUV.

Even through the dark glass, Elisa knew he could see her.

August frowned. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. He clearly hadn't expected her to still be lingering outside the restaurant.

He leaned down, murmured something into Allena's

ear,and then let go of her arm.

He stepped off the curb and walked directly toward the SUV.

Elisa watched him approach. His stride was long,arrogant, and filled with an irritating sense of entitlement. He walked through the stopped traffic as if he owned the street.

He reached the side of the SUV. He raised his hand and rapped his knuckles sharply against the glass near her face.

No.3

Tap.Tap.

It wasn't a polite knock. It was a command.

Elisa considered ignoring him. The light was about to turn green. But she knew August. If she ignored him,he would likely stand in front of the car and cause a massive public scene.

She pressed the button on the door panel. The window slid down silently.

The cold air rushed into the warm cabin, carrying the scent of exhaust and August's expensive cedarwood cologne.

August rested his left hand on the roof of the car. He leaned down, his face appearing in the open window frame.He studied her face, searching for the tears or the anger he expected to see after the incident inside.

He found nothing. Her face was a mask of serene indifference.

"Simon just flagged a call you made. To Todd Kirby.Don't think I don't have eyes everywhere," August said. His voice was low, laced with a casual, arrogant curiosity.

Elisa's jaw tightened imperceptibly. He had been eavesdropping.

"My phone calls are none of your business, August,"Elisa said flatly,looking straight ahead at the back of the driver's headrest.

No.4

August let out a short, patronizing chuckle.

"Tribeca is a shark tank, Elisa," August said, leaning in slightly closer. "Todd Kirby is a notorious predator.He will bleed you dry on the closing costs if you don't know what you're doing."

Elisa finally turned her head to look at him.

He was looking at her with an expression of smug superiority. He genuinely believed she was a naive,inexperienced nurse who was about to get scammed the moment she stepped out of his protective shadow. He thought she was using the money she had blackmailed out of him for the Hamptons property to buy this apartment.

He was offering help, but it wasn't out of kindness. It was a power play. It was a way to re-establish his dominance, to prove that she still needed him to survive in the real world.

"I can have my lead counsel at Chambers Group review the contract for you," August offered,his tone dripping with condescending charity. "Just send the PDF to Simon. I'll make sure Todd doesn't screw you over."

Elisa stared at him.

The sheer, staggering arrogance of the man was almost comical. He had just publicly humiliated her,allowed his mistress to insult her mother, and now he was offering his lawyers as if he were throwing a

bone to a stray dog.

A cold, razor-sharp smile touched the corners of Elisa's mouth.

No.5

"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Chambers," Elisa said, her voice dripping with lethal sarcasm. "But I don't need your charty. And I certainly don't need your lawyers."

August's smile vanished. His eyes narrowed.

"Don't be stupid out of spite, Elisa," he warned, his voice hardening. "You don't know how to handle a multi-million dollar real estate transaction."

"My legal team is perfectly capable," Elisa replied smoothly. "In fact, they are significantly more competent than yours. And much cleaner."

The insult hit its mark. August's face flushed with sudden anger. The rejection of his 'help' stung his massive ego.

He pulled his hand off the roof of the car and stood up straight.

"Fine," August sneered, his voice turning to ice."Throw your money away. But when Kirby steals your deposit and you end up with nothing, don't come

crying to my mother for a bailout. You are entirely on your own."

"August!"

Allena's whiny voice cut through the air. She was standing by the curb, waving frantically. A massive,black Maybach had just pulled up behind her."The car is here! It's cold!"

No.6

August looked back at Allena, then turned his gaze back to Elisa.

His eyes were dark and filled with a sudden,vicious malice.

"And one more thing," August said, leaning back down to the window. "Keep your mouth shut about Allena. If I ever hear you insult her again, I will make sure your new life in this city becomes an absolute nightmare. I will crush you."

He didn't wait for a response. He turned on his heel and strode back toward the Maybach.

Elisa watched him gently help Allena into the back seat,his hand hovering protectively over her head.

The traffic light ahead turned green.

Elisa reached out and pressed the button. The window rolled up, sealing the cold air and the sight of them outside.

"Go," Elisa told the driver.

The SUV accelerated, leaving the Maybach behind.

Elisa pulled out her phone. She opened a secure messaging app and typed a quick text to Alastair Cromwell.

No.7

I am thirty minutes away. Have the server architecture schematics ready. We are rewriting the core algorithm today.

She locked the phone and dropped it into her bag.

The brief encounter hadn't upset her. It had clarified everything. The line was drawn. They were no longer just estranged spouses. They were enemies standing on opposite sides of a battlefield.

And she was about to build a weapon he couldn't even comprehend.