"Taken care of?" My voice sounded foreign to my own ears.

"Brandon Shaw, that was a human life! Your own child!"


He waved dismissively.

"It was merely an accident. Since you couldn't accept it, eliminating the problem was the logical solution."

He didn't even register the moral implications.


In his worldview, removing obstacles from his path was simply standard procedure.

Whether that obstacle was an unborn child or... a disobedient brother.


The Shaw family forge hadn't created just one monster in Brian.

It had also created Brandon—polished and sophisticated on the outside, but equally cold-blooded within, viewing people as mere pieces on a chessboard.

A chill ran down my spine.

"It's impossible. We're finished."

"I want this divorce."

Brandon immediately panicked.

"Anna Chapman! You can't do this to me!"

"I've apologized—why can't you forgive me?"

"There's nothing standing between us anymore! I've removed all obstacles!"

"If you're upset about my physical relationship with someone else, you and Brian aren't exactly innocent either. I can forgive you—why can't you forgive me just once?"

I stared at him, fighting the ache in my chest.

I knew I needed to sever ties with the past, no matter how painful.

"Brandon, relationships aren't business transactions."

"Yes, I slept with Brian. Now let's get divorced."

Brandon's composed facade instantly crumbled.

"I don't care! I said I don't care, Anna! I refuse to divorce you!"

"We've been together since college—I made one mistake! You can't throw everything away over one error!"

I closed my eyes, swallowing my tears as I stood to leave.

"Then I'll see you in court. There's nothing left to discuss."

"Wait... wait!"

Brandon seemed to have a sudden realization.

He grabbed my arm, desperation etched on his face.

"Don't you want to know what's happening to Brian?"

I froze. "What about him?"

"They broke his leg at the family estate. They're planning to ship him abroad to fend for himself."