Chapter 11 - THE CORNERED BEAST
While the Shaw family’s public standing was decimated, cornered predators are often the most dangerous.
On a rainy Thursday evening, I was driving home from the foundation office where I worked. The twins were with Luca at his downtown headquarters, where he was showing them his office before taking them out for dinner.
As I turned down a quiet, tree-lined street near Lincoln Park, a heavy dark SUV suddenly pulled out from an intersection, cutting off my lane.
I slammed on the brakes, my tires screeching against the wet asphalt. Before I could throw the car in reverse, a second vehicle boxed me in from behind.
My heart hammered against my ribs as two men in dark jackets stepped out of the front vehicle.
I immediately grabbed my phone and hit the speed dial.
"Nia?" Luca’s voice answered on the first ring. "We're just leaving the office, are you—"
"Luca! Someone cut me off on 14th Street!" I panicked, locking the doors as one of the men approached my window. "Two cars! They've boxed me in!"
"Nia! Stay in the car!" Luca’s voice instantly transformed from warm to terrifyingly cold. "Marco is five minutes away! Lock the doors!"
THUD.
One of the men shattered my driver's side window with a heavy iron baton. Glass showered over my lap as I screamed, dropping the phone. A hand reached through the broken frame, unlocking the door and pulling me out into the rain.
"Get her in the van!" a voice barked.
Through the rain, a familiar figure stepped out from the backseat of the SUV, holding an umbrella.
It was Evelyn Shaw.
Her expensive makeup was flawless, but her eyes were wild, bloodshot, and unhinged.
"Evelyn?" I gasped, struggling against the heavy grip of the man holding my arms.
"You ruined everything," Evelyn said, her voice shaking with a terrifying, quiet hysteria. "My father's company is bankrupt. My mother is facing federal indictment. And Luca threw me away like trash because of you and those bastard children."
"This won't save your family, Evelyn!" I shouted over the sound of the pouring rain. "Luca will destroy you for this!"
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"Luca destroyed us already!" she screamed, stepping closer and slapping me hard across the face. The blow stung, forcing my head to the side. "He thinks he can have a happy little family now? He thinks he can just wipe us out and move on with his life? If I can't have the Moretti empire, you won't have it either."
"Put her in the car," Evelyn commanded her men. "We're going to make Luca choose what his legacy is really worth."
