Two uniformed law enforcement officers stood in the hallway. They weren't smiling
“Connor Snow?” the taller officer asked, his voice flat,
I am,’ Connor said, his tone instantly shiftingto one of annoyance and authority. "What is this about?"
The officer held up a document. “We're here to serve an eviction notice. This property is under the sole control of the Snow Family Trust. Your legal counsel informed us of a hostile situation and revoked your twenty “four-hour grace period We've been instructed by Mr. Harding Snow to ensureyou vacate the premises immediately."
Connorlaughed, a harsh, ugly sound "You've got to bekiddingme. Do you know who | am? | am the Snow family."
"Our orders are from Harding Snow, sir” the officer said, his expression unchanging We only recognize his authority inthis matter. We'll give you ten minutesto collect your personal effects before we beginsealing the property.”
The world tilted on its axis. They didnt recognize him
He watched, paralyzed, as one of the officers walked past him and began placing official -looking tickers on the furniture. His furniture. The feeling of being erased, of being a ghost in his own fife, was suffocating.
He snapped.
He turned, grabbedhis Aston Martin keys from the bowl by the door, and stormed out of the apartment, shovingpast the officers without another word
He had to find her. He had to find Harding He had to make them stop. He tore throughthe city streets, the car's enginescreamingin protest. He would go to Harding's office. He would confront them both, He stil believed, with every fiber of his deluded being that all he had to do was show up. That the moment Anissa saw him she would crumble, just like shealways did
He screeched to a halt in front of the monolithic glass tower of Snow Industries. He threw the car into park and jumped out, leaving the door hangingopen
As he reached the re volving doors, a wall of black suits moved to block his path.
Alex Stone, Harding's head of security, st epped forward. His face was a mask of cold professionalism.
“Mr. Snow,” Alex said, his voice like ice. Tm afraid you're not welcome here."
aan 1251 —-
Sana š +120 Points at most “Get out of my way, Alex," Connor snarled, trying to pushpast nim Alex didn't move, Four other guards closed ín forming an impenetrable barrier. Mr. Harding Snow and Mrs, Snow have given explicit instructions” Alex continued his eyes devoid of any emotion. ‘They are not to be disturbed Especially not by you " Mrs. Snow. The name echoed in the vast, empty space of Connors skull. It was the final nail in the coffin of his denial
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< Marrying My Exs Powerful Bilonaire Uncle % +120 Points at most Sunlight streamed into the penthouse diningroom, glinting off the silver and crystal. The air was quiet, filled only with the gentle clink of a fork against porcelain and the rustle of newspaper pages.
Anissa siiced into a perfectly poached egg the golden yolk spilling over a bed of smoked salmon and hollandaise. She savored the bite, a small, genuin epleasure ina world that had, for the first time, become peaceful. Across the long marble table, Harding sat, seemingly engrossed in the Wall Street Joumal. The morning light caught the gold rims of his glasses, but his gray-blue eyes were unreadable, as always. He hadn't said a word about her confrontation with the Roy family, yet a team of his lawyers was already systematically dismantling their financial empire.
Eleanor, the head butler, approached the table, her st eps silent on the polished floor. She leaned down and whisperedsomethinginto Harding's ear, her expression carefully neutral but tinged with a hint of trouble Harding folded his newspaperwith a crisp snap and placed it beside his coffee cup. He looked at Anissa his gaze direct.
“Connoris makinga scene inthe lobby of my building” he stated, his voice calm, as if discussingthe weather
Anissais fork paused mid-air. A flicker of profound annoyance, of sheer ‘exhaustion with the man's existence, crossed her face. It was a fleeting shadow, quickly r eplaced by a cold resolve.
“If he's determined to đie” she said, her voice quiet but sharp, "then let himdie"
A ghost of a smile touched Harding's lips. It didn't reach his eyes, but it was there. He pressed a small, discreet button on the underside of the table.
“Alex,” he said into a hiddenspeaker. ‘Let one call throughto Mrs. Snow's personal phone From my n ephew.”
A few seconds later, the new phone Harding had given her, resting on the table beside her plate, began to vibrate. The screen lit up with a name she thought she had erased from her fe.
Connor Snow.
She stared at it, a relic from a buried past. Harding gave her a slight nod, an unspokenpermission an encouragement She pressed the green icon
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