10: Burn The Whole Forest

Hannah's POV. 

I stared at Grace for a long time.

My heart was thumping hard against my ribs, but I didn’t let my hands shake. I kept them buried in the soft silk of my robe. The house felt too quiet, except for the sound of Daniel in the kitchen, moving plates around like he was trying to pretend he couldn't hear us.

Grace was smiling. It was a nasty, jagged look. She thought she had me. She thought that by bringing up my father, she had found the one thing that would make me crawl back into my hole.

"What's the matter, Hannah?" Grace asked. She stepped closer, still holding Samuel. The little boy looked tired, his head was resting on her shoulder. "Did you forget that part of the story? The part where you signed the papers that put your own father in a cell? You think Alexander Mercer wants a woman who destroys her own blood?"

I didn't blink. I let her talk. I let her feel like the winner for ten more seconds. I watched her eyes sparkle with the idea of taking me down.

"You're very loud tonight, Grace," I said. My voice was calm. It was the kind of calmness that usually scares people, but Grace was too excited to notice. "You're so busy trying to use my past as a weapon that you forgot one very important thing about how our family works."

Grace’s smile didn't disappear, but her eyebrows pulled together. "What are you talking about?"

"My father didn't go down alone," I said. I took a step toward her. I didn't care about the wine glass anymore; I set it down on the small table by the stairs without looking. "He had partners. He had people who helped him move the money. Do you remember who those people were, Grace? Or were you too busy eyeing Daniel even back then to pay attention to the business?"

Grace’s face lost a little bit of its color. She clutched Samuel a bit tighter. "That was years ago. It’s over."

"It’s never over when it comes to the IRS," I said. I reached out and adjusted the collar of Samuel’s shirt. He looked up at me and gave a tiny, sleepy smile. I felt a tug at my heart, but I kept my eyes on Grace. "If I go down, if Alexander finds out everything and decides he doesn't want me around... I have nothing left to lose. And a woman with nothing is very dangerous."

I leaned in, my face was inches from hers. I could see the tiny pores in her skin, the way her mascara was starting to smudge.

"If the police start looking at those old files again, they won't just see my signature," I whispered. "They’ll see your father’s name. And your mother’s. They’ll see the offshore accounts they used to pay for your college tuition. You think you're blackmailing me? Grace, I am the only thing keeping your parents out of a jumpsuit."

The silence that followed was heavy. Grace looked like she’d been slapped. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

"Daniel!" she finally yelled, her voice had started to crack. "Daniel, get out here!"

Daniel came running out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He looked at Grace’s terrified face and then at me. He looked confused, like a dog trying to understand a card trick.

"What? What happened?" he asked.

"She’s... she’s threatening my parents!" Grace screamed.

Daniel turned to me, his jaw tightening. "Hannah, that’s enough. You can't just..."

"I can do whatever I want in my own house, Daniel," I cut him off. I didn't even look at him. My eyes stayed on Grace. "Go ahead. Tell Alexander. Call him right now. But before you do, ask yourself if you’re ready to visit your own parents in a cage. Because I promise you, I will burn the whole forest down just to see you lose your tree."

Grace’s eyes filled with tears. Real ones this time, born out of pure fear. She turned and ran down the hall toward the guest room, carrying Samuel. I heard the door slam so hard the pictures on the wall rattled.

Daniel stood there, looking at me. He looked like he didn't recognize me. Good. I didn't want him to recognize the woman he had spent three years breaking. That woman was dead.

"You've changed," Daniel said. He sounded almost sad.

"You changed me," I replied. "Now, finish the dishes. I'm going to bed."

I walked up the stairs, my head held high. But the moment I closed my bedroom door, I leaned against it and let out a long, shaky breath. My heart was racing. I wasn't as brave as I looked, but I was learning.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the street. It was late. The streetlights were the only thing moving out there. Then, I saw it.

A black SUV was parked at the curb, right in front of the house. The engine was off, but the lights were on. I knew that car.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I picked it up, my fingers trembling a little.

One new message: Alexander Mercer.

I opened it.

‘I know they moved in, the text read. I'm not leaving until I know you're safe. Look out the window.’

I looked back down. The driver’s side door opened, and Alexander stepped out. He was still in his suit from the office, but his coat was open. He stood there, leaning against the door, looking up at my window. Even from this far away, I could feel the intensity of his gaze.

I felt a weird heat in my chest. He wasn't just my boss. He wasn't just a partner in this revenge game. He was actually there.

I picked up the phone and started typing. My thumb hovered over the screen.

‘I’m okay,’ I wrote. They’re in the guest room. ‘I have the leash on him.’

A second later, his reply came back.

‘I don't care about the leash, Hannah. I care about you. If he touches you, or if she says one more word to make you cry, you call me. I don't care if it's three in the morning.’

I watched him from behind the curtain. He didn't get back in the car. He just stood there, a tall, solid figure in the middle of the night. He was like a wall between me and the mess inside this house.

I felt a tear finally roll down my cheek. Not because I was sad, but because for the first time in my life, someone was standing guard for me.

I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the door. I could hear Grace and Daniel arguing in the guest room. Their voices were muffled, but they sounded bitter. They were trapped in here with me, and they were starting to realize it.

I looked at Alexander's text one more time. I realized that Grace was right about one thing...I was brave because of him. But she was wrong about the rest. I wasn't a traitor. I was a survivor.

I laid down, the silk of the sheets feeling cool against my skin. I didn't take any pills. I didn't need them. I fell asleep listening to the sound of my enemies fighting in the dark, knowi

ng that Alexander was outside, watching the door.