His voice was hard as steel, laced with the tone of a man who expected absolute obedience.
"Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock. The Grand Hyatt. You will be there, dressed to the nines."
"If you don't show up, I'm sending Lily to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere."
My grip tightened around the phone. I swallowed the fury clawing up my chest and kept my voice perfectly level. Not a single ripple.
"Of course. I'll be there right on time."
Maxwell seemed caught off guard by how easily I agreed. He let out a cold grunt and hung up.
I stared at the darkened screen, a slow, razor-thin smile curling at the corner of my lips.
"Are you ready for hell, Maxwell Gilbert?"
"I'm not just going to show up. I'm going to make sure none of you can ever show your faces in Cloudvale again."
I dialed K and gave the final set of instructions.
Everything was in place. All I needed now was the right moment.
The Grand Hyatt's ballroom glittered under a cascade of crystal chandeliers.
Maxwell had booked the entire top floor. The venue was dripping in extravagance—towering floral arrangements, champagne towers, the works.