Chapter 15Sarah tried to build a quiet life in Havenwood.She found a job waitressing at the local diner, a small, friendly placecalled “Rosie’s.”The work was tiring, the pay was low, but it was honest.Lily seemed happier, away from the sterile environment of hospitalsand the oppressive tension of Ethan’ s world.But her health was a constant […]

Chapter 14Days later.The news of Ethan’ s massive reward had reached every corner of thestate.Marcus, Ethan’ s security chief, called.“Mr. Hayes. We have a credible sighting. A small motel. Rural towncalled Havenwood. About three hours north.”Ethan didn’t wait.He drove there himself, pushing his powerful car to its limits.Havenwood was a speck on the map.The motel

Chapter 13Sarah’ s hands shook as she dialed the hospital.‘Dr. Ramirez, please.”She had to get Lily out. Now.Lily was stable enough for a brief discharge before the scheduledtransplant. She’ d checked that yesterday, in her previous life.“Dr. Ramirez, this is Sarah Miller, Lily’ s mother. I … I need to take Lilyfor a second opinion.

Chapter 12Ethan woke up with a gasp.A sterile smell.Beeping sounds.A hospital room.Olivia was by his side, her face etched with concern.Real concern? Or just another performance?“Ethan, darling, you fainted,” she said, her voice soft. “You gave us allsuch a scare. Are you okay?”He stared at her, his mind struggling to catch up.Fainted? The truck …

Chapter 11Olivia’ s perfectly made-up face contorted in fury.“Your daughter?” she shrieked, her voice shrill. “With that … that tramp?She’ s a bastard, Ethan! A nobody!”Ethan looked at Olivia.For the first time, he saw her cruelty, her possessiveness, her ugliness,with stark clarity.The veil of his obsessive guilt over her past, his twisted sense ofresponsibility, had

Chapter 10Ethan was with Olivia.She was recovering from a minor, unrelated procedure. Something toboost her “delicate” constitution.He was still focused on her general well-being, her every comfort.He was annoyed.Sarah wasn’t answering her phone.Her insolence was grating.He’d deal with her later.But the silence stretched.His annoyance grew into a nagging unease.Her last text: “We are done, Ethan.

Chapter 9Ethan dragged me away from Olivia, his grip bruising.My pleas for my father’s grave, for my parents’ memory, were ignored.Later that night, he found me huddled in my small staff room.He didn’t speak.He just held out his phone.A video played.Men, dark figures in the night, at a cemetery. A headstone, unmistakably my father’s, being

Chapter 8 Ethan’ s eyes were filled with a strange mix of anger and desire when hemade his vile offer.“Want me to help? Then be useful. Olivia’s health is delicate. I haveneeds.”He wanted sex in exchange for Lily’s medical care.I had numbly agreed. There was no other choice for Lily.Our degrading encounters continued. Always in

Lily, my daughter, recited the story I had taught her.“My daddy loved Mommy very much,” she told Ethan, her voice smallbut clear. “They were the bestest couple.”She said it to protect me.To shield me from the pitying looks, the whispered questions about afatherless child.Ethan’ s face had contorted with a strange anger.He had stormed out.Now,

The first rays of dawn were painting the sky when Mrs. Davies found me.I was collapsed by the edge of the pool.Soaked.Freezing.There was blood. A lot of it.Hypothermia, she’ d later say.Ethan appeared, drawn by her cry of alarm.He saw me, a crumpled heap.For a split second, something flickered in his eyes.Unease? Shock?Then Olivia, from