Chapter 14 - The Return of Sabine
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The string quartet faltered, screeching to a halt.
Sabine Voss stood in the doorway. She was out on bail, awaiting her federal trial for the conspiracy to murder Eleanor Ror. She wore a simple black dress, looking gaunt, furious, and utterly unhinged. She hadn't come for forgiveness; she had come for vengeance.
"Stop the music!" Sabine shrieked, her voice echoing wildly through the silent ballroom. "You think you can just steal my life and throw a party?!"
The two federal agents flanking her looked uncomfortable, clearly pressured by her high-priced lawyers to allow her this public appearance.
Rafe moved instantly, stepping flawlessly in front of Billy, shielding her entirely from the disgraced designer. His hand drifted casually toward his jacket pocket, where a suppressed weapon rested.
"Sabine," Rafe said, his voice dropping the temperature in the room by ten degrees. "You are violating the terms of your bail by coming within five hundred feet of my fiancée. Agents, remove her from my property before I have my security team do it for you."
The word fiancée sent a shockwave through the crowd. Billy gasped softly, looking up at his broad back, her heart hammering against her ribs. He hadn't officially proposed, but he had just claimed her in front of the entire city.
"Fiancée?" Sabine laughed hysterically, pointing a shaking finger at Billy. "You’re marrying the maid?! You threw me away for a pathetic, scheming servant who faked a hit-and-run to steal my company?!"
"She didn't steal anything," Rafe stated coldly, taking a slow, menacing step toward Sabine. "She simply reclaimed what you built on the blood of her sister. Now, get out."
Sabine wasn't listening. She reached into her clutch purse, her eyes wide with manic desperation.
"If I can't have my life, neither can she!" Sabine screamed, pulling a small, silver handgun from her purse.
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The ballroom erupted into sheer, unadulterated chaos. Guests screamed, diving under the lavishly decorated tables.
Rafe didn't dive for cover. He lunged forward, throwing his massive body entirely over Billy, tackling her to the marble floor just as the deafening crack of a gunshot shattered the air.
