Chapter 4

Reina had finally made her decision. She was going to do this—for her own sake. She needed to find the right way to fix this tangled, troubling, and messy setup. Something about her situation with Gabriel just didn’t feel right.

She knew he was a powerful mafia man—a Robertson—the official heir of his generation.

Carrying only a small bag, she decided to wait a moment for her maid, Guada. She would help her escape from the guards.

A minute passed.

She heard three knocks—that was the signal. She was sure it was Guada.

“Guada,” she said quickly as she opened the door.

But instead of her maid’s face, it was Alejandro who appeared.

“Where’s Guada?” Her voice trembled slightly.

“She was caught sneaking into the alley with the keys. We suspect she was helping someone sneak into the banker’s wing. We have to bring her back to her quarters.” Alejandro’s voice was calm, but the message crushed her hopes.

Her heart sank. Guada was caught—and it was her fault.

“My queen?”

She just shook her head. She didn’t want to look affected. She sighed and looked away.

“I need someone to clean my bathroom,” she said coldly.

“All right, my queen. Just wait a minute,” he replied, then walked away, speaking into a small pager clipped to his shoulder—a device the mansion security used to stay in touch.

The alley was no longer an option. But then, an idea sparked in her mind. There was another way out: her bedroom window. It faced the sea, and just below were lined-up yachts. She could reach them from there.

She remembered what her father, Axel, had told her:

“You must do this discreetly. Gabriel’s parents must never find out I told you to escape. We must protect our name. We’re allies. No one can know our plan.”

She was doing this to uncover the truth. She needed to investigate her future husband. She needed to understand the real arrangement between the Collins and Robertson families.

“Your Papa Hiron will be your gateway. You must leave the mansion. If you succeed, there’s still hope for the plan,” Axel had told her.

She needed to get to the pier, board a ship, and meet her Papa Hiron. He was her second father figure. He raised her, and only recently did she find out he was one of Axel’s men. Her life had been planned from the very beginning—every detail controlled.

But not anymore. She was going to take control.

She hid her bag under the bed, grabbed the long curtains from the window, and started tying them together.

Ten minutes.

That was how long until Alejandro would return.

She threw the tied curtains out the window.

Eight minutes.

She tied the other end to the bedpost and looped the bag securely. Then she wrapped part of the rope around her foot for better balance.

Five minutes.

She had reached the yacht and grabbed her bag that was dangling from the curtain-rope.

“Oh my…” she whispered. The knot was too tight. Her sweat ran cold as the sea breeze touched her face.

“Please cooperate,” she whispered to the rope, struggling to untie it.

Luckily, she finally got it loose. She quickly entered the yacht and rushed to the control room. There, she saw the steering wheel, buttons, compass, and radar screen. She had no idea how to operate it, but she had already planned to call Papa Axel.

Three minutes.

“Hello?” Axel’s voice was tense.

“Papa, how do I start the yacht?”

“Shoot! Wait, I’ll send the manual. Damn it!”

Two minutes.

One.

She received a screenshot of the manual. It showed the steps clearly.

“Oh my God, I can do this. Lord, help me,” she whispered, making the sign of the cross. Nervously, she pressed the buttons. They lit up. The wheels began to turn. One push forward—and she was sailing away from the mansion.

“Yes! Thank you, God!” she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. The yacht moved forward. Alarms blared behind her. The guards had discovered her absence.

She closed her eyes and did the final step.

She sent an anonymous message to Alejandro, saying she’d been kidnapped. That way, her family wouldn’t be suspected. She would disappear—unknown and unseen.

“It’s necessary,” she said softly, then threw the phone into the ocean.

She headed straight for the pier they had discussed. Not long after, she arrived.

Wearing men's clothing and a cap, she blended in easily. When she docked, she caused a distraction by starting a small fire, drawing people’s attention. Amid the confusion, she spotted Papa Hiron waiting in a car.

She ran toward him and jumped in, trembling.

“You did it. I’m proud of you, anak,” he said, pulling her into a tight hug.

She smiled through her tears. They immediately drove off, heading to the Collins family’s private helipad. Time was crucial.

When they arrived, the helicopter was already warming up.

“Let’s go!” Papa Hiron said.

They ran toward the aircraft. Reina could feel the heat from the engine as they climbed aboard.

She fastened her seatbelt, and only then did she allow herself to cry.

For the first time, she felt free.

“I did it,” she whispered with a tearful smile, feeling the aircraft lift higher into the sky.

And for the first time in her life—Reina felt like she truly had a choice.

Her heart, though heavy with uncertainty, was beating for a future she would now shape on her own.

No longer the pawn in someone else's game—she was her own queen now.

Buckling her seatbelt, Reina couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore. The tears started falling as the engine of the plane roared louder, signaling that they were about to take off. This was it—her escape, her choice, her life.

"I did it," she whispered again, this time with more strength in her voice. "I’m finally free."

Papa Hiron reached for her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "You’re brave, Reina. Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together."

She nodded, looking out the window. As the plane began to lift off, she saw the mansion fade in the distance like a closed chapter in a book. It was no longer her prison. She wasn’t running anymore—she was chasing her future.

The cold air inside the aircraft couldn’t match the warmth blooming in her chest. For once, she made a decision for herself—not for duty, not for Gabriel, not for her parents. This was hers.

"I’m not going back," she said softly, this time to herself.

A small smile curved on her lips as the clouds swallowed the view below.

This was only the beginning.