Chapter 4 - Confrontation in the Study
The doorknob twisted violently, but the electronic deadbolt held firm. Corinne yanked the flash drive from the terminal just as the progress bar hit 100%, pocketing it instantly.
"What the hell?" Ross muttered outside, his voice dropping its usual calm veneer. "Why is the study locked?"
Inside the room, Corinne pressed her back against the bookshelf, her hand resting firmly on the grip of her concealed baton. She heard the sound of heavy metal striking the wood—Ross was throwing his weight against the door.
Bang!
The frame splintered slightly.
Bang!
On the second strike, the electronic lock housing gave way, and the door swung wide open.
Ross stood in the doorway, his face flushed with anger, his tie slightly crooked. He froze when he saw Corinne standing beside her desk. For a brief second, panic flickered in his eyes, replaced immediately by calculated rage.
"You breaking and entering into your own home?" Ross sneered, stepping into the room and pulling out his phone to record. "You are violating the temporary restraining order before it's even fully processed, Corinne. This is going straight to the judge."
Corinne didn't flinch. She stepped forward, her posture rigid, carrying the quiet, terrifying authority of a military officer who had faced armed combatants and refused to blink.
"Put the phone down, Ross," Corinne said, her voice dangerously calm.
"Or what? You'll hit me? Go ahead. Let's get it on camera," Ross taunted, thrusting the phone closer to her face. "You're unhinged. Everyone knows it. The police saw the texts, the court has the papers—"
"The court has forged documents, Ross," Corinne interrupted, stepping so close he was forced to take a step back. "And you forgot something very important when you hired cheap hackers to scrub my server."
Ross’s jaw tightened. "What are you talking about?"
"I know about the trust fund. I know about the prescriptions." Corinne’s eyes locked onto his. "And most importantly, I know that Gwendolyn isn't just visiting."
Before Ross could recover, the front door opened again, and Gwendolyn’s voice drifted down the hall. "Ross? Why did you come back from the office so early?"
Gwendolyn appeared in the doorway behind Ross, holding a stack of shopping bags. When she saw Corinne standing in the study, the color drained entirely from her face. The shopping bags slipped from her fingers, hitting the hardwood floor with a dull thud.
"You..." Gwendolyn stammered, pointing a shaking finger. "You weren't supposed to be here. You were supposed to be at the motel."
"Surprise," Corinne said coldly. "Did you really think I’d just roll over and hand my daughter over to two scheming cowards?"
Ross lunged forward, trying to grab the flash drive from Corinne's coat pocket, but years of close-combat training kicked in instantly. Corinne sidestepped his lunge, grabbed his wrist with professional precision, twisted it behind his back, and pinned him face-first against the mahogany desk in one fluid motion.
Ross cried out in shock and pain. "Get off me! Let me go!"
"Listen to me very carefully," Corinne whispered near his ear, her voice like ice. "You are going to drop the custody petition, you are going to pack Gwendolyn’s bags, and you are going to sign a full confession regarding the falsified evidence. If you don't, I won't just hand this flash drive to the local police. I’ll hand it straight to federal investigators who take military family fraud very, very seriously."
Gwendolyn backed away slowly, terror written across her features. "Ross... do something!"
Ross, pinned against the desk and realizing he had completely underestimated his wife, squeezed his eyes shut and nodded frantically. "Okay! Okay! Just let me go! We'll talk to the lawyers! We'll drop it!"
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Corinne released him with a sudden shove, sending him stumbling against the filing cabinet. She straightened her jacket, looked at both of them with utter contempt, and turned toward the door.
"You have twenty-four hours to clear out of this house," Corinne said over her shoulder. "If I see either of you when I get back, I won't use words."
