---- Chapter 6 Abby Talley POV: The ballroom was in chaos. Brannon' s calm, authoritative statement had done little to quell the pandemonium my choice had unleashed. People were shouting, pointing, their faces a mixture of confusion and morbid excitement. They were witnessing the public implosion of the Walls family' s carefully crafted succession plan. "This is a farce!" Connor shrieked from the floor, clutching his wrist. "Father would never allow this! He knows Abby and | are meant to be together!" Suddenly, a heavy, commanding voice cut through the noise. "l allowed it." Howard Barrett emerged from the wings of the stage, his face grim. He looked at his younger son with profound disappointment. "| allowed Abby the choice my gratitude demanded. Her father saved this company. The least | could do was give his daughter the freedom to choose her own partner, not have one forced upon her." The Herald, seizing the moment of quiet, stepped forward again. "The choice is confirmed and recorded. The alliance between the Talley estate and Brannon Walls is hereby formally recognized." ---- "No!" Connor scrambled to his feet, his eyes wild with desperation. He looked at me, his expression pleading. "Abby, please. Tell them this is a joke. Tell them you' re just trying to punish me for Jana. ' m sorry, okay? I II get rid of her. It will be just you and me, like we always planned." His words were a pathetic, desperate bid to reclaim what he had lost. He still believed this was about jealousy, about another woman. He couldn' t comprehend that it was about him. | met his frantic gaze with a look of cold pity. "There was never a plan, Connor. There was only your assumption." Brannon, who had remained a silent, imposing figure at my side, shifted slightly. His body was a solid wall between me and Connor, a silent protector. | saw his hand twitch, as if resisting the urge to inflict further damage on his brother, He was surprised. | could feel it radiating from him. He had expected me to choose Connor. Everyone had. My decision had caught him completely off guard. He had stepped in to protect me from Connor' s attack, an instinct he couldn' t suppress, but he was still processing the reality of my choice. "You' re lying!" Connor bellowed, his desperation curdling into tage. "You loved me! You wrote me letters! You followed me everywhere! You can' t just turn it off!" He tried to lunge at me again, but this time, Barrett Corporation security guards materialized, their movements ---- swift and efficient. They grabbed Connor by the arms, restraining him. "Get your hands off me!" he roared, struggling against their grip. "Abby! Don't do this! You' II regret this!" Howard Barrett gave a sharp, curt nod to the guards. "Take him out of here. And lock the doors." The heavy oak doors of the ballroom slammed shut with a deafening thud, cutting off Connor' s frantic screams. An unnerving silence descended upon the room. The Herald cleared his throat, holding out a small, velvet box. "Miss Talley, as a symbol of this new alliance, Mr. Barrett wishes for you to have this." | opened the box. Inside, nestled on a bed of silk, was a key. Not just any key. It was the master key to the Barrett Corporation' s executive suite, a symbol of ultimate authority and access. It was a position of power second only to the CEO himself. It was the one thing Connor had coveted his entire life. The thing he believed was his birthright. And now, it was mine.