Chapter 2
My hand closed around Vivian’s arm.
Hard.
She yelped, the wine glass finally slipping from her fingers.
It shattered on the marble steps, red wine spreading like blood across the white stone.
“Get off me!” she shrieked, trying to pull away.
I didn’t let go.
If anything, I tightened my grip.
“Not until you’re out of this house,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Not until every single thing you’ve stolen is returned.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Elena.
She was still on her knees, watching everything with those wide, burning eyes.
“Elena,” I said softly.
“Stand up, baby. You never have to kneel again.”
For a second, she didn’t move.
Three years of habit don’t break in a day.
Then slowly, shakily, she pushed herself to her feet.
Her legs trembled.
She swayed, and I wanted nothing more than to let go of Vivian and catch her.
But I couldn’t.
Not yet.
“Call security,” I barked at the nearest servant.
The man jumped, fumbling for his radio.
“Now!”
Vivian was screaming now, thrashing in my hold.
“You can’t do this! This is my house! I’ve run everything for three years—you need me!”
I laughed.
It was a harsh, bitter sound.
“You ran my house into the ground while you tortured my wife. You think I need anything from you except your departure?”
Two security guards ran into the foyer.
They skidded to a halt when they saw the scene.
“Mr. Hale—”
“Take her,” I said, shoving Vivian toward them.
“Search every room she’s been in. Take her phone, her wallet, her keys. She leaves with nothing but the clothes on her back. And if she so much as touches a doorknob on the way out, you have my permission to use whatever force is necessary.”
The guards grabbed her arms.
Vivian went wild, kicking and screaming.
“You’ll regret this! You have no idea what I’m capable of! I’ll destroy you both—”
“Get her out,” I said.
They dragged her away, her shouts echoing through the halls until the front door slammed shut.
Silence fell.
Heavy and thick.
I turned to Elena.
She was standing exactly where I’d left her, her arms wrapped around herself like she was cold.
Her eyes were huge, watching me like I might disappear any second.
Like this was all just another dream she’d wake up from.
I walked toward her slowly, like you’d approach a frightened animal.
“Elena,” I whispered.
I reached out, my hand hovering inches from her face.
I didn’t dare touch her yet.
Not until she was ready.
“Baby… it’s me. It’s really me.”
Her lip trembled.
“Ethan?”
Her voice was so small, so broken.
“Is it really you? Or is she just… making me think you’re here again?”
My heart shattered into a million pieces.
I closed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms.
She stiffened at first.
Then she broke.
Sobs tore out of her, loud and ragged, as she clung to me like I was the only solid thing in a world that had turned upside down.
Her fingers dug into my back, holding on for dear life.
“I’ve got you,” I murmured into her hair.
“I’ve got you now. She’s gone. She can never hurt you again.”
I held her while she cried.
Minutes passed.
Maybe hours.
I didn’t care.
The rest of the world could wait.
The servants had quietly disappeared, leaving us alone in the foyer.
The broken glass and spilled water were still there, but none of it mattered.
Nothing mattered except the woman in my arms.
When her sobs finally quieted, I pulled back just enough to look at her face.
I brushed the hair from her eyes, my fingers tracing the bruises on her cheek that I hadn’t noticed before.
“Look at me,” I said.
She lifted her eyes.
Red.
Swollen.
But for the first time, there was no fear in them.
Only exhaustion.
And something else.
Hope.
“I’m going to take you upstairs,” I told her.
“Our room. I’m going to run you the hottest bath you’ve ever had. Then I’m going to call the best doctor in the city to come check you over. And then… then you’re going to tell me everything. Whenever you’re ready. Okay?”
She nodded slowly.
“Our room,” she repeated, like the words tasted foreign.
“I haven’t been in there since… since the night she took me.”
I picked her up then.
She was so light, so much thinner than I remembered.
It made my blood boil all over again.
I carried her up the grand staircase, past the wine-stained steps, past the rooms where she’d suffered in silence.
When I reached our bedroom, I kicked the door open and carried her inside.
The room was exactly as I’d left it three years ago.
Vivian had never dared sleep here.
She’d taken the guest suite down the hall.
Somehow, that made everything worse.
She’d kept Elena close enough to torture, but far enough to pretend she was the lady of the house.
I sat Elena on the edge of the bed and knelt in front of her.
I took her hands in mine.
They were cold.
Rough.
Calloused from three years of scrubbing and cleaning.
I kissed each knuckle, one by one.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice breaking.
“I’m so, so sorry I didn’t find you sooner. I should have known. I should have looked here. I should have—”
She stopped me with a finger to my lips.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
“Please don’t blame yourself. She planned everything. She knew exactly what she was doing. No one could have guessed.”
I kissed her palm.
“Tell me,” I said.
“Tell me what she did to you.”
May you like
Elena took a deep, shuddering breath.
And then she began to speak.
