Chapter 2 - The Fifteen-Minute Window
"Maddie, hey... it was just a joke," Bradley stammered, taking a hesitant step backward as water dripped from my gown onto the deck. "Come on, everyone does the pool jump at family retreats. You're making it weird."
"A joke," I said, my voice so quiet and venomous that Tyler and Greg quickly backed away into the shadows.
Barbara scoffed from her wicker chair, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, stop being so dramatic, Madison. You ruined a perfectly good dress because you have no sense of humor. Go upstairs, dry off, and make sure the caterers bring out the dessert platters."
I turned my back on them without another syllable, walking into the chalet.
The moment the sliding glass doors closed behind me, cutting off the chill of the night, I moved with laser-like efficiency.
I took the stairs to the master suite, stripped off the soaked gown, threw it directly into the trash bin, and pulled on a warm cashmere sweater, dark designer jeans, and heavy winter boots.
I grabbed my luxury leather duffel bag, packed my passport, birth certificate, laptops, and the black leather folder containing the master lease agreement for the Aspen chalet.
At 9:42 PM, I pulled out my phone and dialed three numbers.
The first call was to Apex Luxury Property Management, the premier chalet leasing service in Aspen:
"This is Madison Vance, primary signatory on the lease for 880 Red Mountain Ridge," I stated calmly. "I am executing the immediate emergency termination clause under Section 4 due to gross property misconduct by unauthorized occupants. Cancel all concierge access, lock the heated gate controls, and dispatch your private security team to clear the premises by 10:30 PM."
The second call was to my corporate private bank, J.P. Morgan Private Client Services:
"Cancel secondary authorization on the corporate black card ending in 4092, effective immediately," I instructed. "Decline all pending transactions originating from the Aspen area."
The third call was to Arthur Sterling & Associates, my family’s estate litigator in Denver:
"Arthur," I said, stepping into the hallway. "Prepare the emergency divorce petition, file an ex parte asset freeze on the commercial logistics account, and revoke Bradley's executive vice president credentials at Vance Logistics. The marriage is over."
I walked down the private service staircase to the underground heated garage, loaded my bag into the back of my Range Rover, hit the ignition, and drove out through the security gates.
As I reached the bottom of the winding mountain road, I glanced at the digital dashboard clock.
9:57 PM.
May you like
Exactly fifteen minutes.
Behind me, high on the dark mountain ridge, the lights of the chalet began to flicker out one by one as the property management grid cut off the power.
