Chapter 14
Days later.
The news of Ethan’ s massive reward had reached every corner of the
state.
Marcus, Ethan’ s security chief, called.
“Mr. Hayes. We have a credible sighting. A small motel. Rural town
called 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 was rundown, paint peeling, a flickering neon sign
advertising “Vacancy.”
He found Sarah in the motel’s small, neglected garden.
A patch of overgrown grass, a few wilting rose bushes.
She was sitting on a rickety wooden bench, reading to Lily.
Lily, her small face pale but animated, was nestled beside her.
The scene was so peaceful.
So normal.
So … domestic.
A lifetime away from the cold luxury of his penthouse, the torment he
had inflicted.
His heart ached.
He approached cautiously, his footsteps crunching on the gravel path.
“Sarah … “
His voice was barely a whisper.
Sarah looked up.
Her eyes widened.
Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.
She snatched Lily, pulling the child behind her, shielding her with her
body.
“Stay away from us, Ethan!” she cried, her voice trembling but fierce. “I
won’t let you hurt us again! I swear, I won’t!”
Her fear was a knife in his gut.
He deserved it. He knew he did.
“Sarah, please,” he said, his voice raw with pain. “I know … I know I
don’t deserve it. Not your trust, not your forgiveness.”
He took a hesitant step closer, his hands raised in a gesture of peace.
“But I’m not here to hurt you. I swear. I was so wrong, Sarah. About
everything.”
His eyes, usually so guarded, were filled with a desperation, a
brokenness she had never seen before.
“Lily … ” he choked out. “She needs proper care. That trial … Sarah, you
can’t do it. You can’t.”
Sarah stared at him.
His words. His expression.
That raw anguish.
She remembered her own rebirth. Waking up, knowing she had died.
Could it be?
Could he also be reliving this?
The thought was staggering.
“If you mean it,” she said slowly, her voice still wary, “then leave us in
peace. That’s all I ask. Just … leave us alone.”
Ethan looked at her, at the fierce protectiveness in her eyes, the fear
that still lingered.
He nodded slowly.
Surprisingly, he agreed.
“Okay,” he said, his voice heavy with resignation. “Okay, Sarah. I’ll leave
you in peace.”
He paused.
“But I’ll make sure you have money. For Lily. For her treatment. No
strings attached. I promise.”
He wouldn’t let her go through with that trial. Not again.
He turned and walked away, the gravel crunching under his expensive
shoes.
He got into his car and drove off.
Sarah watched him go, her heart pounding, a whirlwind of confusion
and disbelief.
Ethan kept his word.
The next day, a large sum of money appeared in a new bank account
Sarah found had been opened in her name.
Anonymous. Untraceable to him directly.
But she knew.
He had left.
But he hadn’t truly gone.
Secretly, he had a discreet security detail monitor them from a distance.
Not to control. Not to intimidate.
But to ensure their safety.
And to provide him with updates.
He needed to know they were okay.
He needed to know Sarah was safe.