Chapter 7 - The Hidden Lifeline
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"Cooper..." I whimpered, curling myself into a tight ball as my best friend growled, ripping the silk of my dress to shreds. "Cooper, it's me. Please, baby, it's me."
My voice was barely more than a breath. I kept repeating his name, desperately hoping that somewhere beneath the terrifying fog of the drugs, my sweet boy would recognize my voice and remember the woman who loved him.
As I lay there, enduring the psychological torture of watching my dog lose his mind, a cold, sharp realization pierced through the pain. Brandon wasn't just trying to break my spirit to get my signature. The guests, the cameras, the drugs, the physical mutilation—they weren't simply forcing me to sign away my father's empire.
They intended to kill me tonight. They were going to force my signature, beat me to death, and use the drugs in Cooper's system to stage some kind of horrific accident, or perhaps frame a tragic overdose. Brandon crouched beside me, watching Cooper tear at my clothes, and smiled.
"Your father won't even know the truth," Brandon whispered, leaning in close so only I could hear. "He'll just think his fragile little girl couldn't handle the pressure."
May you like
My father.
Hearing Brandon say those words suddenly acted like a spark in the darkest recesses of my mind. It pulled a distinct, crystal-clear memory through the heavy fog of my physical pain. Months earlier, in his dimly lit apartment, Dad had taken my wrist in his rough, weathered hands. He had fastened a simple, elegant silver bracelet around it, a piece of jewelry I had worn every day since.
