The Priceless Wife He Threw Away

"Turn the car around. Now."

Kason's voice sliced through the heavy silence in the Maybach, sharper than the torrential rain battering the windshield.

Allison's stomach dropped. She tightened her grip on her phone, her thumb hovering over the text message from her military liaison. Final deadline for retrieval is 0800 tomorrow.

"Kason, we can't," Allison said, her voice tight. "We are thirty miles from D.C."

Kason didn't even look at her. He pressed his phone closer to his ear.

"I know, baby, I know," he murmured into the receiver, his tone softening into something he never used with his wife. "I'll find him. Buster can't have gone far in this storm. Just stay inside, Haylee."

Haylee.

The name hit Allison's chest like a physical blow. Her lungs constricted, making it hard to pull in a breath.

"Take the next exit," Kason barked at the driver, twisting his expensive Patek Philippe watch around his wrist-his signature tell when he was losing patience.

The driver glanced nervously in the rearview mirror. "Sir, if we turn back to New York now, you'll miss the Washington itinerary entirely."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Kason snapped. "Do it."

Allison turned her body toward him. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Tomorrow is the absolute deadline to claim my parents' ashes," she said, forcing the words through her tight throat. "You promised you would come with me."

Kason let out a harsh, humorless laugh. He finally turned his head, his dark eyes sweeping over her with pure disgust.

"Are you seriously using dead people to compete for my attention?" Kason sneered. "Haylee is out there crying her eyes out over a living, breathing animal, and you want me to prioritize a box of dust?"

Allison's eyes burned. Her hands shook as she unlocked her phone, pulling up the official notification email.

"It's not a game, Kason. Look at the clearance code-"

Kason's hand shot out. He slapped the phone out of her grasp.

The device hit the leather door panel with a sickening crack and fell to the floorboard.

"You are cold-blooded, Allison," Kason spat, leaning into her space. "A dog's life is in danger, and all you care about is your pathetic need for sympathy."

The sheer absurdity of his words paralyzed her. A cold, heavy numbness started at her fingertips and crawled up her arms.

The Maybach swerved violently onto the emergency shoulder, the tires screaming against the slick asphalt before slamming to a halt.

Kason hit the master unlock button on the door console.

"Get out," he ordered.

Allison stared at him, her jaw locking. "No."

She grabbed the door handle, holding it shut.

Kason's face twisted with rage. He leaned across the center console, his shoulder digging painfully into her chest, and shoved the passenger door open.

Freezing rain and violent wind instantly ripped into the cabin. The icy water soaked Allison's collar in seconds.

Before she could react, Kason grabbed her leather tote bag from the floor.

"Don't delay my