LOGINElizabeth POV I stood in front of the small pawn shop on the corner of a dusty street. My hands trembled as I pulled the wedding ring off my finger. It felt heavier than it ever had — that beautiful band Christian had slid on my finger with so much love and possession in his eyes. Now it was just another thing I had to give up. “How much for this?” I asked, holding it out to the man behind the counter. He took it from me, turning it slowly under the weak light, squinting like he could value it with his eyes alone. My heart twisted. It was the last real piece of Christian I had left. Lily had warned me when I first mentioned selling it. “That ring is part of your soul and his,” she had said, voice firm. “Don’t let go of it, child.” But here I was. The man finally looked up. “Three hundred rand, Miss.” “What?” The word came out sharper than I meant. “That’s absurd. This ring cost over two million dollars.” He gave me a strange look, almost suspicious. “You have a ring w
ELIZABETH POV It’s been two months since Paul had threatened me for reaching out to Tessa, it had become almost impossible to even think about contacting anyone else. Every time my finger I think about creating a fake page or reaching out, his warning echoed in my head. I wondered if Alexander was trying to find us, turning over every stone in New York. I thought about Luca too — how he must be taking Christian’s death. He and Christian had grown so much closer after Paul went to prison the last time. Luca regretted testifying against his brother during that trial. He had been clueless tom, he had no idea what their mother went through. He believed their father had changed when he took that stand. The irony of it all still stung. Christian gave him a second chance, welcomed him back with open arms, and became the most amazing uncle to our kids. I had hoped for something similar with Jessica… but look where that blind trust had landed us. I was at the auto workshop, sorting t
Elizabeth POV These days feel too much like the ones after I got pregnant with Hope — when my father shipped me off to my grandmother’s tiny house like I was something shameful to hide. Except this is so much worse. Back then, I was young, scared, and broken, but I still had hope flickering somewhere inside me. Now? There’s nothing left but this heavy, suffocating emptiness that follows me everywhere. Lily has been carrying us again. She’s too old for this, but she won’t stop. This morning she left before the sun was properly up for a cleaning job at some big office building downtown — scrubbing floors, washing windows, hauling trash that younger people complain about. Her back hurts constantly, I can see it in the way she moves when she thinks no one’s looking, but she still smiles at the kids and tells them stories like nothing’s wrong. All because of me. Because I didn’t listen to Christian. Because I walked us straight into Paul’s trap. She even got me two jobs — mornings
Elizabeth POV It’s been two weeks since Christian died, and none of it feels real yet. I keep waiting to wake up. Waiting for the moment when the nightmare ends and he walks through the door with that half-smirk on his face, calling me Red like he always did. But every morning I open my eyes in this tiny, suffocating room and the truth hits me again like a fist to the chest. He’s gone. Really gone. And I helped kill him. Three days after we got here, the shock took our unborn baby too. The doctor at the rundown clinic spoke in quiet, careful English, telling me my body couldn’t handle the grief. That I would lose more if I didn’t get help. I just nodded, signed whatever papers they put in front of me, and went home. Help? What kind of help could fix this? My kids are the ones who need saving. Not me. Daniella still doesn’t understand. She walks around the small apartment asking “Papa? Papa?” in her sweet, broken little voice every single day. Most times I freeze. I just sit th
Elizabeth POV I couldn’t believe it. The words from the TV anchor kept repeating in my head like a broken record, but my body refused to move. I stood frozen in the middle of the aisle, supplies scattered at my feet — bandages, antiseptic wipes, little tubes of ointment. Everything I had grabbed for my babies’ wounds. None of it mattered now. Christian is dead. The screen showed twisted metal, flashing emergency lights, and a photo of him — my Christian — looking sharp and powerful in one of his suits. The kind of photo they used when important people died. The tires. I heard them again, screeching through the phone. The sound after his voice broke. The sound that came when I said you deserve to die and he had nothing left to say. The last thing I ever said to my husband was that he deserved to die. And then he died. People in the store started whispering. I felt their eyes on me. “That’s his wife… oh my God, she’s so young.” “Can’t believe she’s widowed at her age
ELIZABETH POV “Now… let’s move to the second part.” Paul’s voice stayed calm, almost conversational, like this was just another business meeting. He gave a small signal to one of the men in black. The guy stepped forward holding a thick envelope. Paul took it, opened it with slow, deliberate movements, and held up what was inside. Tickets. “You know what these are, right?” he asked, waving them lightly in front of my face. I stared, throat tight. “Tickets.” “One-way tickets.” He fanned them slightly, letting me see the quantity. “For you. Your children.” He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting. “And the one who isn’t here right now.” My whole body went rigid. Hope. He meant Hope. “Where is she?” The words came out fast and sharp before I could stop them. “What did you do to her—” “Relax.” He waved a hand. “She’s safe. Of course.” Another pause, deliberate, well-timed. “Until you do what I tell you.” I clamped my mouth shut. Forced myself to breathe. “Of







