"Wait!"
Brendan's furious shout echoed across the garage. He was kneelingon the concrete, holdinga remarkably pale and trembling Ashlee against his chest.
Anissa stopped, but she didn't tum around. She simply tilted her head slightly, offering hima profile carved from ice.
“She's havinga panicattack because of youl” Brendan roared, pointingan accusingfinger at Anissas back You come in here, you assault me, yous terrify your sister! You are goingto turn around and apologize to her right now!"
Ashlee buriedher face in Brendan's jacket, letting out a soft, pathetic sob. “Its okay, Brendan... she hates me. Let her go."
The classic manipulation tactic made Anissas stomach churn She slowly turned around.
She looked at Brendan, her eyes devoid of any human warmth.
“My sister?" Anissa r epeated, a dark, humorless laugh es caping her lips. “I don't have a sister, And from the moment you threw me out of that house, | don't have a family."
Brendan scowled, his jaw tight. "You broughtthat on yourself with your disgustingbehavior. You disgraced the Roy name!"
Anissa took three slow, deliberate st eps toward him The sheer force of her presence made Brendan instinctively pull Ashlee closer, as if bracing for another physical blow.
‘Disgraced the name?" Anissa whispered her voice a lethal hiss "Why don't you ask the fragile little victim in your arms to check her trust fund accounts? Let's see who the real thief in this family is."
The word thief hit Ashiee like a physical bullet.
Her fake panic attack vanished Her body went completely rigid The color drained from her face so fast she looked like a corpse. Her eyes darted frantically around the room. That was her darkest secret. How did Anissa know?
0.0% 1544 NI
Sinha 5 +120 Points at most Brendan frowned, looking down at Ashlee in confusion “What is she talking about?”
Anissa didn’t give Ashlee a chance to spin a lie. She reached into the innerpocket of her leather jacket and pulled out a folded pieceof heavy, watermarked paper.
She walked right up to Brendan and slapped the paper directly against his chest
"Read it,” Anissa commanded.
Brendan instinctively grabbed the paper. He unfolded it. At the top of the page, stamped inbold, terrifyingred ink was the official seal of the Snow Empire's Legal D epartment.
His eyes scanned the text, His pupilsdilated rapidly. The legal jargonwas dense, but the core words jumped off the page like fire: Federal Fraud. Forgery. Embezzlement. Grand Larceny.
it was an official notice of a federal lawsuit against the Roy family for stealing Anissa's trust fund.
“From this exact second forward," Anissa declared, her voice ringingwith absolute finality, "I, Anissa Snow, sever all ties with the Roy family. | will see you infederal court”
Brendan's hands began to shake. The paper rattled loudly in the quiet garage, He looked from the document to Ashlee's terrified face. For the first time in his life, a crack of genuinedoubt appeared in his eyes. “Ashiee.." Brendan's voice trembled. ‘Is this true? Did you forge her signature?”
Ashlee burstintoviolent, hysterical tears. She shook her head frantically , her blonde hair whippingaround her face.
“No! No, Brendan, you know me!’ Ashlee sobbed diggingher nails into his am, ‘She forged this! She's usinghernew husband'slawyers to frame me because shes jealous! My heart... my heart hurts so much!”
She clutched her chest again, gaspingfor air with terrifying realism. Brendan looked at the legal document then at the we eping hyperventilating girl in his arms. The lifetime of conditloningand blind favoritism won. He couldn't acc ept that his perfect little sister was a federal criminal
He crumpled the Snow legal document intoa tight ball and shoved it into his pocket. He scooped Ashlee up into his arms:
“Medic!” Brendan screamed, runningtowara the back of the garage. ‘| need a doctor over here!”
Anissa watched him run away, choosinga comfortable lie over a brutal truth. She felt absolutely nothing The fast rotting thread connectingher to that family had just been severed.
Forrest walked up beside her. He watched Brendan disappear into the. medical tent, his face twisted in disgust.
“Are you really goingto sue them?” Forrest asked quietly.
Anissa turned to him The ice in her eyes melted instantly. She reached out and gently touched his arm, “They aren't my family, Forrest. Only you are.”