CHAPTER 3 — THE ESCAPE

I signed, my hand would not stop shaking but I signed.

Lorenzo did not even look at me, he looked out the window, he said thank you Aria for understanding.

Thank you, like I was a stranger, like I was nobody.

I picked up one cheap suitcase, and one small velvet box, inside was Leo, four weeks, one photo, one sac, my secret, only mine.

I walked out of that mansion, that house was never my home anyway.

Marcus was by the car, his eyes were red, he tried not to cry.

Madam, he said, where will you go.

Far, I said, far from here, Julian please, do not tell him about the baby, promise me, do not tell anyone.

He nodded, he opened the door, his hand was shaking too.

At JFK, I sat alone on the cold floor, no one hugged me, no one waved, I held my stomach, flat, flat but Leo was there, I knew he was there.

The flight was Eight hours, I cried the whole Eight hours, quiet, no sound, just tears falling on the velvet box.

A woman next to me gave me tissue, she thought I was scared of flying, I said thank you, I could not say I just lost my husband.

London, Heathrow, rain, cold, loud, everyone hugging, everyone home, I stood alone, one suitcase, one box, shaking like leaf.

Then I saw him.

Rhys Carter, near the exit, cardboard sign, QUEEN, written big, black marker, his handwriting.

Aria, he said, one word, just my name.

And I broke, I really broke there, I did not cry in New York when I signed, I cried now, loud, ugly cry, in the middle of airport.

He did not ask why, he just took my suitcase, he took my hand, his hand was warm, mine was ice.

Do not cry here, he whispered, people are looking, let us go, please.

Let them look, I said, I have nothing left, nothing.

In the taxi, rain on window, my teeth were hitting each other, cold, fear.

You took nothing, he asked.

I took Leo, I said.

You told him, he asked, he looked at my stomach.

No, I said, he does not deserve to know, he chose her, he married her today, out of guilt, out of pity.

Rhys was quiet, then, four weeks, he asked.

One boy, I said, I opened the box with shaking hands, I showed him the tiny photo, his name is Leo, I already named him, is that stupid, am I stupid.

No, he said, no, Leo is strong, like his mother, you are strong too, you just do not see it.

The flat in Shoreditch, small, cold, crack on window, but my sketches were still there, on the wall, Atelier S, my old dreams, from when I was hungry, from when I was nobody, drawing on floor.

Rhys put soup in front of me, on the floor, we had no table, we had nothing.

Eat, he said, for Leo, please.

I am not hungry, I said.

Eat for him then, he said.

I ate, one spoon, two spoons, then I told him everything, Seraphina in my robe, my robe, Lorenzo saying we talked about this, like I was a child, like I agreed to share my husband, the fifty million I said no to.

When I finished, Rhys did not say sorry, he knew sorry was nothing.

About that dying story, he said, you sent me two photos, remember.

He showed me, one was Seraphina bracelet, Royal Marsden, cancer hospital London, second was file, Hohenegg Clinic Zurich, patient S Vale, psychiatric rest.

My cousin worked at Hohenegg, Rhys said, he told me Hohenegg is not cancer hospital, it is for rich people who want to hide, who are crazy, who lie, no chemo, just lake and quiet.

My blood, it went cold, ice cold.

So which lie is true, I whispered, is she dying in Royal Marsden, or is she hiding in Hohenegg that is not even cancer, which lie did my husband believe, which lie made him marry her.

Rhys called his cousin, speaker.

Hohenegg, his cousin said, no cancer there bro, only rich ladies who lie, who need rest.

Call ended.

My hands started shaking, not sad now, angry, so angry, burning angry.

She is lying, I said, she is not dying, she faked it, she took my husband with a lie, she took Leo father with a fake report.

Rhys looked at me, eyes hard, what do we do now, he asked.

I walked to my studio next door, dust everywhere, but my machine was there, my mannequin was there, my dream was still there, waiting.

I opened locked drawer with small key from velvet box, inside black folder, I wrote it two years ago, night Lorenzo came home late smelling like her perfume, I was scared that night, so I made plan B.

Cover said IF HE EVER REALLY BREAKS MY HEART.

Inside, Atelier S plan, my empire.

Rhys at door, what do we do now Queen, he asked.

I put hand on stomach, flat still, but Leo was there, or maybe it was my heart beating hard.

We stop hiding, I said, voice clear now, no more tears.

Call Vogue, I said, tell them ghost is back, tell them S is ready.

Rhys picked phone to call, but before he dialed, my phone rang, unknown number, New York.

I picked.

Madam, Julian whispered, shaking voice, you need to know, her report is fake, I saw real paper, she is not dying, and sir, he married her one hour ago, small wedding, he looked dead.

My hand dropped, velvet box fell, Leo photo fell on floor.

And at that same second, my phone buzzed.vogue ,And another text from Lorenzo: "Aria ,Where are you ?"