He turned instantly, his expression shifting to panic. “Don’t you dare leave, Emerald, or else your punishment will be worse. Now make sure everything is prepared by tomorrow. Big investors are coming. Don’t fail me again.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Yes. Sure.”
He rushed out with Nadine in his arms, leaving me standing in the ruins of what we once called a marriage.
But I didn’t prepare for his investors.
I called every supplier and canceled the orders. I went into his office, copied the presentation from his laptop onto a flash drive, and deleted the original. If Leandro wanted to play with fire, I’d hand him the flames myself.
By morning, I was gone.
Martin’s car pulled up at dawn, sleek and black. He stepped out, smirking like the devil who knew he had won. “Ready?”
I nodded, clutching my bag.
At the private plane, the moment I stepped inside, my knees buckled. Gwen was there. My daughter.
“Mommy!” she squealed, running into my arms.
I sank to the floor, holding her tight, my tears soaking her hair. “You’re safe. You’re safe now.”
Martin’s voice echoed behind me, amused and victorious. “Welcome back to me, Emerald. And remember—your freedom comes at a price.”
But at that moment, I didn’t care. Gwen was with me. And that was enough.
When we reached the private plane, I pulled out my phone, stared at it for a long moment, then removed the SIM card. My hands shook as I hurled it out of the plane’s open window before the engines roared to life.
