The sound of her real name coming from Daniel’s mouth felt like a physical blow. Valerie’s hand froze inside the hidden pocket of her wedding gown, her fingers still tightly gripping the cold metal of the black flash drive. The ticking clock in her mind screamed that she had less than two minutes left before Levi Black pulled the plug on Chloe, but the man standing in the doorway was an immediate, deadly obstacle.
Daniel Morgan did not move. He stood perfectly still in the frame of the mahogany door, his arms crossed over his chest. The normal, polite expression he used as head of security was completely gone, replaced by a cold, victorious smirk.
"You look shocked," Daniel said smoothly, lowering his voice so it would not carry down the eastern corridor where Adrian was still investigating the broken vase. "Did you really think you could fool me? I have spent three years managing the security for the Thorne family. I know how Chloe Prescott walks, how she talks, and how she breathes. You are not her."
Valerie forced her racing mind to slow down. Panic was a luxury she could not afford. She took her hand out of her pocket, leaving the flash drive behind, and dropped all hints of Chloe’s fragile demeanor. There was no point in lying to a man who already had the truth. Her posture straightened, and her eyes turned razor-sharp.
"If you knew, why did you let me walk down that aisle?" Valerie demanded in her natural, fierce tone, stepping closer to the massive oak desk. "Why did you let the wedding happen?"
Daniel chuckled, a low, humorless sound. "Because my job is to protect Adrian Thorne from obvious threats. An identical twin running around pretending to be his bride is highly entertaining, but more importantly, it is highly profitable for me. I wanted to see exactly what you were after first." His eyes flicked significantly toward her gown pocket. "And now I know."
"My sister is dying in a clinic because someone engineered her accident," Valerie hissed, her voice trembling with genuine rage. "I need that drive to save her life. If you have any humanity left in you, Daniel, step aside."
"Humanity does not pay the bills in this city, Valerie," Daniel replied coldly. He took a single step into the study, closing the distance between them. "I know all about Levi Black. I know he is the one pulling your strings from the shadows. But here is the problem: you are currently working on my territory, and if you want to leave this room with that flash drive, you have to pay the toll."
Valerie glanced at the gold watch on the study wall. One minute left. The countdown was almost at zero. If she did not send the confirmation to Levi Black immediately, the machines keeping Chloe alive would stop.
"What do you want?" Valerie asked, her voice tight.
"Ten million dollars," Daniel said without hesitating. "The moment Adrian transfers the first portion of the Prescott trust fund into your account tomorrow morning, you will send half of it to a private offshore account that I provide. If you agree, I will look the other way tonight. I will tell Adrian that a stray cat broke the vase, and I will let you walk out of this study."
"And if I refuse?" Valerie challenged, her muscles tensing beneath the heavy white silk of her gown. She subtly shifted her weight, preparing her body for a fight.
Daniel’s smile turned vicious. "If you refuse, I shout for Adrian right now. He finds his counterfeit wife stealing his private data on their wedding night. You go to maximum-security prison for corporate espionage and identity theft, and your sister’s medical machines turn off anyway. You lose everything."
It wasn't a choice. It was total execution. Valerie felt a wave of cold fury wash over her. She hated being backed into a corner, and she hated extortionists even more. But looking at Daniel’s smug face, she realized something critical: he thought she was just a desperate girl in a big dress. He had no idea she had spent years learning how to fight in the roughest parts of the city while Chloe was being groomed for high society.
"Fine," Valerie murmured, lowering her head to make herself look defeated. She took a slow step forward, acting as if she were about to comply with his demands. "You win, Daniel. I will give you the money tomorrow. Just let me send the confirmation text to save my sister first."
Daniel nodded arrogantly, completely lowering his guard. "Smart girl. Do it quickly."
The exact second Daniel relaxed his posture, Valerie struck.
She lunged forward, using the heavy train of her wedding gown to swing around, generating massive force. Before Daniel could even react, Valerie delivered a lightning-fast, brutal palm strike directly to his chin.
The impact cracked through the quiet room. Daniel’s head snapped back violently, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as his knees instantly buckled. He crashed heavily onto the plush Persian rug, completely unconscious before he even hit the floor.
Valerie stood over him, breathing heavily, her knuckles aching. She quickly pulled out her burner phone. Ten seconds left. She frantically typed a single word to the unknown number: *Secured.*
She hit send just as the clock struck zero. A second later, a reply blinked on her screen: *Good girl. You have twenty-four hours to deliver it to the drop point.*
Valerie let out a ragged breath, shoving the phone away. She needed to get out of the study before Adrian returned. She turned toward the doorway, ready to run.
But she stopped dead in her tracks.
Standing in the shadows of the corridor, right outside the open door, was Adrian Thorne. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching her with a dark, terrifying amusement. He had seen everything.
"Impressive strike," Adrian said smoothly, stepping into the light. "Now, are you going to tell me what is on my flash drive, or do I have to take it from you?"