Chapter 6

Martha hesitated, glancing anxiously at Julian's dark expression, terrified to move.

Julian rose to his feet, stepping toward me until his tall shadow completely swallowed me up.

He was studying my bizarre behavior.

No tears. No hysterical accusations. No desperate pleas for him to see my side.

This eerie, chilling quiet gave him the arrogant illusion that I had finally been broken into submission.

"The dog cannot stay," Julian said, his tone softening a microscopic fraction. "Chloe is moving in permanently. I won't have any threats under this roof. I'll have my assistant drop him off at a no-kill shelter."

"He's my dog," I said, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. "I'm taking him with me today."

"Take him?" Julian chuckled, as if hearing an absurd joke. "You leave this house, and you don't even have a roof over your head. How do you plan on feeding a dog?"

He paused, his voice slipping back into its familiar, imperious cadence.

"Apologize to Chloe on the dog's behalf. Promise you won't throw any more tantrums. If you do, I might consider letting you build a kennel for him in the backyard. And you can move back into the guest room."

In his eyes, he was bestowing an act of supreme mercy upon me.

All I had to do was bow my head, and I could resume my role as his obedient, invisible pet.

"Julian..." Chloe whimpered from the couch, tugging his blazer, her eyes flashing with displeasure.

"No need," I interrupted, my voice perfectly level.

Summoning every ounce of strength in my left hand, I gripped the twisted knot of wire and yanked with all my might!

Snap!

The sharp wire gave way, snapping free of Bailey's neck.

The jagged edge tore open my left palm, but I didn't even flinch.

I pulled the trembling terrier between my knees, reached into my pocket, and pulled out a silver key.

The master key to the estate.

I placed it gently on the console table by the entryway.

"Miss Montgomery is right. This is her home now. A dog doesn't belong here."

I looked directly into Julian’s eyes, devoid of any anger or pain. "I'm only here for Bailey. As for the rest of my personal things in the closet, you can throw them in the incinerator. Here is your key."

Julian’s gaze locked onto the silver key. His face instantly drained of color.

He had expected me to beg. He had expected me to jump at the chance to crawl back into his good graces.

Instead, all he found in my eyes was complete, unadulterated apathy.

"Summer, what kind of sick game are you playing?" He took a menacing step forward, grabbing my left wrist with enough force to crack the bone. "Returning the key? Do you honestly think I can't live without you?!"

The grip hurt, but I didn't even pull away.

I just watched him, exactly the way one looks at a stranger yelling on a street corner.

Three days left.

In three days, I would be at thirty thousand feet.

There was no need to escalate. No need to provoke a monster. I just needed to walk away cleanly.

"I'm not playing games," I said, offering him a faint, polite smile. "Mr. Sterling, my drawing hand is ruined. I can't design your collections anymore. Staying here would only make an eyesore of myself."

A flicker of raw panic darted across Julian’s eyes.

He searched desperately for a hint of heartbreak or longing in my face. He found nothing.

That total loss of control drove him into a blind rage.

He violently threw my wrist aside.

"Fine! Outstanding!" He sneered, pointing a trembling finger at the door. "Get out! Once you walk through those doors, even if you crawl back on your knees begging for scraps, I will never let you set foot in this house again!"

"Thank you."

Without a second's hesitation, I clipped the leash onto Bailey’s collar, turned on my heel, and walked out the door.

Behind me, Chloe’s sugary, placating voice echoed from the grand living room: "Julian, don't be mad. She's just being emotional. Once she realizes how cruel the real world is without you, she'll come running back."

I walked down the winding asphalt driveway, step by step, holding Bailey’s leash.

A sliver of afternoon sun cut through the heavy gray clouds, warming my skin. For the first time in seven years, I felt like I could breathe.

I was never coming back.

Never again.