Chapter 3

I needed to get out of the mansion.

I slipped through the dark, freezing hallways. My heart hammered against my ribs.

I found the night guard standing by the side gate.

I pressed three solid gold coins into his palm. He looked at the gold.

He looked at my bruised face. He opened the gate without a single word.

I ran into the night. The address on the letter led me downtown. I stood before an exclusive, heavily guarded private law firm. I stepped into a massive office.

A man stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. He turned around.

"Zoe," he said. "I am Charles Navarro."

I gripped the brass key. "Who are you?"

"My adoptive father was your maternal grandfather's closest ally," he replied. "Before your grandfather died, I swore an oath to him. I promised to protect his only true heir."

He walked over and gently took the key from my trembling fingers. He moved to a hidden vault behind a painting. He unlocked it and pulled out a thick stack of legal documents.

"Your aunt and Reeve hid the truth from you," Charles said. He handed me the papers. "Your mother was the sole heiress to a massive real estate empire. She transferred everything to you before her accident."

I stared at the documents. The words blurred through my tears.

"But my mother," I choked out. "Reeve has her. He will kill her if I leave him."

Charles handed me a pen. "Sign this authorization. I will handle Reeve."

I signed my name instantly. Charles tapped an earpiece. He gave a sharp command.

Then, he placed a tablet on the desk. A live video feed played on the screen.

Men in black tactical gear moved through a pristine white hallway. It was Reeve's secret clinic. They bypassed the guards effortlessly. They entered a sterile room. My mother lay on a hospital bed. She was surrounded by machines.

Tears spilled down my cheeks. The men carefully transferred her to a mobile stretcher. They moved with precision and speed.

"She is safe," Charles said softly. "My team is moving her to my private hospital. It is untouchable. Reeve cannot hurt her ever again."

The invisible chains around my neck finally snapped.

I looked at the documents on the desk, then finally signed the divorce agreement. I had a courier send it straight to Reeve's office. But it will not end there. This is just the start.

The next morning, the city exploded. A massive scandal hit the news. Someone leaked photos of Reeve and Hayley to the press. Their twisted affair was front-page news. Reeve’s pristine public image shattered overnight.

I knew how he operated. He needed to fix his reputation immediately. He needed to play the victim.

I took a taxi to the Vargas Group headquarters.

Nine hundred and ninety-nine red roses covered the concrete plaza.

Reporters swarmed the area. Camera crews set up live broadcasts. Reeve stood in the center of the flowers. He wore a tailored suit. He looked like a tragic, heartbroken prince.

I walked into the crowd. I wore plain jeans and a faded sweater. I pulled a small bag of roasted sunflower seeds from my pocket. I cracked one between my teeth. I spat the shell onto the expensive red roses.

The crowd parted. The cameras turned to me.

Reeve saw me. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Then, he put on the performance of a lifetime.

He rushed across the roses. He grabbed my wrist. His grip was a vice. His face was a mask of pure agony.

"Zoe!" he cried out. His voice cracked perfectly for the live broadcast. "I know I was wrong. Please, darling. Come home with me. I cannot live without you. I will die without you!"

The reporters gasped. Camera flashes blinded me.

I stared at his fake tears. I opened my mouth to speak.

Reeve leaned in close. He pressed his lips near my ear. He pretended to kiss my cheek for the cameras.

"Don't be a shameless bitch," he whispered maliciously. His breath was hot and toxic against my skin. "Go back to the house and clean it. If you say one wrong word to these cameras, I will call the clinic. I will stop your mother's life support right now."

Before I could react, Hayley pushed through the crowd. She grabbed Reeve's arm. Her eyes were red. She forced fake tears to fall down her cheeks.

"Zoe, please," Hayley sobbed timidly. She looked directly at the cameras. She made sure they caught her good side. "Reeve and I are completely innocent. It was just a misunderstanding. Please do not throw your beautiful marriage away just because you are angry."