Audrey couldn't help laughing at Rowan's words—sharp, humorless, edged with the bite of a wolf baring its fangs.
The arrogance of that man. As if she needed anyone to survive.
She wasn't like Lisa, clinging to him like a tick burrowed into a host. Even stripped of every resource Rowan believed he provided, Audrey would still stand on her own four feet. She always had.
For years, Rowan had believed he was the one carrying her, feeding her, sheltering her.
He never realized that Audrey had simply let him believe it—because it kept the peace, and because back then, she still thought loyalty mattered.
Now she knew better.
Rowan's threats didn't cow her. They only exposed how fragile his dominance truly was.
His cold glare flicked toward Riley as he sneered, "You can't even manage yourself. You think that little pup-toy of yours will support you?"
Audrey's patience snapped like a brittle bone. "Are you done?" she growled. "Get. Out."
