The line went dead.
I looked at Damon, and for the first time since our marriage ended, we were completely united in our terror.
“She’s going to kill us all,” he said quietly. “Even if we give her what she wants.”
“I know.” I turned back to the phone. “Marcus, you still there?”
“Yes, ma’am. And I have an idea.”
“Tell me.”
“You’re not going in there alone. I don’t care what she said about coming by yourselves.”
“Marcus, I can’t ask you to—”
“You’re not asking. I’m telling you. That little girl called me for help because she trusts me. I’m not going to let her down.” His voice was steady, determined. “Besides, someone needs to be thinking clearly here, and no offense, but you’re both too emotionally invested to plan this properly.”
He was right. My mind was spinning with panic and rage, and Damon looked like he was about to fall apart completely.
“What do you suggest?” Damon asked.
“First, we need to understand exactly what we’re dealing with. Ms. Monroe, I need access to your father’s estate files. All of them. If this is really about inheritance money, we need to know how much and why it matters enough to kill for.”
I was already moving toward my safe. “Done. What else?”
“We need blueprints of the building—our own copies, not the ones Bianca has. We need to know exactly where she’s planning to place those explosives.”
“I can get those,” Damon said. “I have contacts in construction law.”
“Good. And we need backup. Real backup, not just security guards.”
“No police,” I said firmly. “She’ll disappear with Ava the second she sees a uniform.”
“Not police. Private military contractors. People who know how to handle situations like this without badges and sirens.”
I stared at him. “Marcus, how do you know about private military contractors?”
“My background isn’t exactly what you’d call traditional for an executive assistant,” he said quietly. “Before I came to work for you, I spent eight years in Army Special Forces. Hostage rescue was one of my specialties.”
The room went silent.
“You never mentioned—”
“You never asked. And it never seemed relevant until now.” His voice was calm, professional. “Ma’am, I’ve been watching you build this empire for three years. I’ve seen you take on competitors who tried to destroy you, investors who tried to cheat you, and boards of directors who tried to control you. You’ve never backed down from a fight.”
“This is different. This is Ava.”
“Which is exactly why we’re going to win. Because you’re not just fighting for your company or your reputation anymore. You’re fighting for your daughter. And there’s nothing more dangerous than a mother protecting her child.”
