She’d known that he was a greedy and grasping man, slightly unhinged on occasion, but nothing unmanageable. She put up with it because being married to him had some addictive perks, like credit cards without limit, a mansion home, vacations abroad. But nothing was worth murder or the jail time she could get if she was associated with the murder.

She had to get him to call it off before it was too late. She stood, putting on her most seductive smile. She stepped in front of him as he walked past her, blocking him. Putting a hand on his chest, she ran her fingers from his pectorals to the waist of his suit pants.

“There’s no reason to spill the blood of innocents,” she pleaded. “Especially not an unborn child.” She felt a pang as she thought of the tiny life being extinguished. She’d had too many years of disappointment and negative pregnancy tests to ever want anyone else to feel that loss. “Call your man and tell him you changed his mind. We’re fine with our cut of the company, and maybe, one day, we’ll be able to get our hands on more shares.”

Demir’s gaze appeared to soften as he looked at her, and she felt a moment of relief. Her husband had never been able to resist her when she wanted something. She pouted, cajoled, and seduced until she got what she wanted.

Demir moved so swiftly she couldn’t protect herself when her head smacked into the wall behind her. She couldn’t breathe because her husband’s hand was wrapped around her throat, squeezing the life from her.

“Enough of your manipulations,” he snarled, spittle flying from his mouth.

She gripped his hand as she choked, trying to pull it away, but he was too strong.

He dragged her towards him until they were nose-to-nose. “You’re a stupid cunt, Zeynep. I married you because it was easy to turn the head of the daughter of a lowly oyster salesman and you were a decent fuck. I convinced you to take a position in the family company, then made you think it was your idea to sit on the board. Do you really think I intend to share Kartel Transport with you? You were a means to an end and now you’ve outgrown your usefulness.”

Zeynep dug her fingernails into his hand until she drew blood. As he eased his hold, she said the only thing that might keep her alive. “You think I don’t know that?” Tears streamed from her eyes.

He threw her from him in disgust and glared down at her as she collapsed to the floor, rubbing her throat. “What the fuck do you mean by that?”