I just needed to get away from him, away from their pitying stares. I stumbled out onto the reception hall terrace, the cool night air hitting my burning cheek. I leaned against the stone railing, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

My instinct was to run, to hide, to pretend this wasn’t happening.

But then, my anger, cold and focused, began to override my shock. He wanted the farm. He wanted control. He thought he could use Emily to get to me. Well, he was wrong. My hands were shaking so much I could barely type, but I knew who I had to call.

This wasn’t something for a lawyer or even the police right now. This was a family matter that Carter thought he had won. He didn’t realize that while I might have been isolated in that ballroom, I had an ally he had completely underestimated. I called the one person who knew Carter Whitmore better than anyone, the person who could truly stop him and protect Emily, if she would let us.

My heart hammered in my chest as the phone rang, hoping I wasn’t too late. When Carter saw who I called… when he saw that I hadn’t just run away, but that I had gone over his head… his face went from smug victory to pure, unadulterated shock.

And that was just the beginning of how everything changed that night.