Chapter 4

When Flynn ran almost to the safe area, he turned around and did not see me. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Audrey!"

Flynn shoved Cleo out of his arms, leaving her in the smoke-filled hallway. He charged back into the sea of fire like a madman, grabbed my wrist tight, and dragged me out of that air vent just as it was about to collapse.

We tumbled onto the grass outside the warehouse. He was covered in ash, his face blackened by the smoke, and his chest heaving violently. Yet he stared at me without blinking, as if to confirm I was still alive.

Behind us, Cleo's screams and violent coughing echoed out. Only then did he turn back and rush in to save her.

But it was too late. The smoke was too toxic.

Cleo had inhaled too much toxic smoke. She was carried out curled up in agony, her hands tightly clutching her lower belly.

"Flynn! I hate you to death!"

"You killed our baby! It is all your fault and that woman's! Go kill her and avenge our baby!"

Flynn lowered his eyes, showing a profound grief I had not seen in five years.

But when he turned to look at me, there was nothing left but coldness.

I smiled at him. "Are you crying?"

"How rare. This is the first time I have ever seen the ruthless Don shed tears."

"If your heart aches so much, why did you have to put on a show and come back to drag me out? Now you have ruined everything for both of us, and everyone is full of regrets."

Flynn's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. For the first time ever, he raised his hand at me.

His chest heaved violently as he gritted his teeth, squeezing the words out of his throat.

"Do not push me when you have already won!"

"Audrey, stop using my love for you to push my limits!"

That hand hovered in the air, trembling for a long time, before finally smashing hard against the wall.

"Get lost. I do not want to look at you right now."

After that day, Flynn never returned to the estate.

He used to be so possessive that he wanted to know my whereabouts every single hour. Now, my phone was completely silent.

Later I found out that Cleo had a miscarriage that night.

And the next time I saw them was on the day she was discharged from the hospital. In the family church, they held a memorial service for the baby.

I was forcibly "invited" over by several burly bodyguards. Before leaving the house, they even injected me with a sedative to stop me from fighting back.

As soon as she saw me, hatred burst from Cleo's eyes.

"Get on your knees! Bow to the cross and apologize to my baby!"

I sneered without a word and stood my ground, though the drugs were kicking in and making me weak. Then I looked at Flynn.

This time, he did not stand firmly in front of me like he had for the past five years. Instead, his face was tense as he stepped behind me.

Then, I felt a hard kick to the back of my knees. My already weak legs gave out, and I slammed to the floor on my knees.

A large hand pressed against the back of my head, leaving no room to fight back. It forced my head down toward the cross.

My vision went dark for a second. The man's low, hoarse voice came from above my head.

"Cleo has not eaten or drank anything in three days. She said she would not unless you came to atone."

"Audrey, you killed this baby. This is what you owe her."

I was forced to the floor, staring at the small memorial plaque.

Just as I thought. He really cared that much about that replacement and the baby.

Cleo walked over to me with a cold laugh and raised her hand high.

Flynn instinctively reached out to stop her, but she questioned him with red eyes.

"What, do you feel sorry for her?"

"Then what about our baby? Who ever felt sorry for the baby?"

Slap! The backhand finally landed heavily on my face.

My cheek went numb, and my ears were ringing. Because of the sedative, I did not even have the strength to lift my hand.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Flynn's hand hanging by his side clench into a fist. The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and he was shaking hard.

But this was not enough.

They took me back to the estate again.

Like she was patrolling her territory, Cleo kicked open my bedroom door.

She dragged out my wedding dress and grabbed scissors, cutting it into shreds. Then she opened my jewelry box, put every single diamond inside on herself, and admired her reflection in the mirror, turning side to side.

Cleo shook her wrists, laughing with extreme arrogance.

"Flynn and I are going to an island for our honeymoon. He promised to give me another baby."

"Right now, you are the most worthless piece of trash here."

From beginning to end, I just kept my eyes lowered and did not say a word.

It was not until the door slammed shut and Cleo's arrogant laughter drifted up from downstairs.

"Have the guards call me Donna. I want to hear them say it!"

By the time I walked out to the balcony, they had already boarded the private helicopter parked on the lawn.

Cleo provocatively turned her head and gave me the middle finger. The diamonds between her fingers caught the sunlight, reflecting a blinding glare.

The helicopter blades spun, whipping up strong winds that made my skirt flutter wildly.

I suddenly laughed out loud. The emotions I had suppressed for so long finally found an outlet.

I leaned happily against the railing, waving goodbye to them with a beaming smile.

I held up my phone, looked into the camera, and spoke gently, word by word.

"I miss you, Riccardo."

The moment those words dropped, out in the sky, the steady roar of the helicopter rotors suddenly shifted off course.