Chapter 4

The Broken Woman

Elena

"How do you know my name?" I asked, taking a step back from the car. My grip tightened on my suitcase handle, every muscle in my body tense and ready to run.

Marcus Stone or the man who claimed to be Marcus Stone smiled gently, keeping his hands visible on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I'm Damien Cross, actually. I own Cross Industries."

The name hit me like a thunderbolt. Even in my shattered state, I knew who Damien Cross was. Adrian had spent countless dinner conversations ranting about him, his biggest competitor, the one man who could match his wealth and influence. Adrian called him ruthless, dangerous, a snake in expensive suits.

"You're Adrian's rival," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"I prefer to think of myself as his reality check," Damien said with a wry smile. "But yes, our companies have been... competing for years. I heard about what happened tonight."

"You heard?" My stomach dropped. "How could you possibly…"

"Word travels fast in our circles, especially when it involves Adrian Blackwood throwing his pregnant wife out in the middle of the night." His eyes softened with what looked like genuine concern. "Elena, you're shivering. Please, let me help you."

I looked down and realized he was right. My whole body was trembling, whether from cold or shock, I couldn't tell. The thin coat I'd grabbed during my hasty exit wasn't nearly enough protection against the night air.

"Why would you want to help me?" I asked suspiciously. "What's in it for you?"

Damien was quiet for a moment, studying my face in the dim streetlight. "Maybe I just don't like seeing pregnant women abandoned on the street. Maybe I think Adrian Blackwood is a bastard who deserves to face some consequences for once in his privileged life." He paused. "Or maybe I see an opportunity for justice."

"Justice," I repeated, tasting the word.

"Get in the car, Elena. You're exhausted, you're pregnant, and you have nowhere to go. Let me offer you a safe place to think about your next move."

Every rational part of my brain screamed at me not to trust him. This was Adrian's enemy, a man who probably saw me as nothing more than a weapon to use against my husband. But as I stood there on the empty street, clutching my meager possessions, I realized I didn't have many options.

"One night," I said finally. "Just one night, and then I'll figure something else out."

"Of course," Damien said, reaching over to open the passenger door. "Whatever you're comfortable with."

The leather seats were warm and soft, a stark contrast to the cold concrete I'd been walking on. As we drove through the city, I caught glimpses of Damien in the dim light, strong jawline, intelligent eyes, expensive clothes that fit him perfectly. He was handsome in a different way than Adrian, more mature, more solid somehow.

"Where are we going?" I asked as we turned into an upscale neighborhood I didn't recognize.

"My penthouse. Don't worry, I have a guest suite. You'll have complete privacy."

Damien's penthouse was stunning but in a completely different way than Adrian's mansion. Where Adrian's home was all cold marble and sharp edges, Damien's space was warm and inviting. Rich woods, comfortable furniture, books everywhere. It felt like a home instead of a showpiece.

"The guest room is down this hall," Damien said, leading me past floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the city sparkling below. "There's a private bathroom, and I'll have my housekeeper bring you some clothes tomorrow."

"Thank you," I said quietly. "I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't need to repay me, Elena. Just rest. Tomorrow we can talk about what you want to do next."

But sleep was impossible. I lay in the comfortable bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying every horrible moment of the day. Adrian's cruel laughter, Maya wearing my jewelry, the threats, the way he'd looked at me like I was nothing.

Around dawn, I heard voices coming from the living room, Damien talking to someone on the phone. I crept to the door and listened, though I knew I shouldn't.

"Yes, I have her here," Damien was saying. "No, she's not in any condition to make decisions yet. Adrian really did a number on her." A pause. "Of course I see the opportunity. But she's not ready. Give her time to heal first."

My blood ran cold. I was right, this was all about using me against Adrian. I started to turn away when Damien's next words stopped me.

"She's pregnant and traumatized, Michael. I'm not going to manipulate a woman in that condition, no matter how much I hate Blackwood. When she's ready, if she wants my help, I'll give it. But it has to be her choice."

I pressed my back against the door, emotions swirling through me. At least he wasn't planning to force me into anything. That was something.

The next few days passed in a blur. Damien was the perfect gentleman, bringing me meals, giving me space, never pressuring me to talk about what had happened. His housekeeper, Mrs. Chen, was kind and motherly, making sure I had everything I needed.

But on the third day, everything changed.

I was sitting in Damien's living room, mindlessly flipping through channels, when Adrian's face filled the screen. My heart stopped as I turned up the volume.

"..delighted to announce that my divorce will be finalized within the week," Adrian was saying to a crowd of reporters outside his office building. He looked perfectly polished, completely unaffected by everything that had happened. "I'm ready to start this new chapter of my life with someone who truly understands me."

The camera panned to show Maya clinging to his arm, beaming like she'd won the lottery. She was wearing a new necklace, bigger and more expensive than anything he'd ever given me.

"Mr. Blackwood, can you tell us about your engagement to Miss Maya Rodriguez?" a reporter called out.

Adrian's arm tightened around Maya's waist. "Maya and I will be married as soon as my divorce is final. She's everything I could want in a wife, intelligent, sophisticated, supportive of my ambitions."

Everything I wasn't, in other words.

"What about rumors that your wife was pregnant when you separated?" another reporter shouted.

Adrian's expression didn't change, but I saw something cold flash in his eyes. "I have no comment on unfounded rumors. My ex-wife has a tendency toward... dramatic fabrications."

The screen went black as I threw the remote across the room. My hands were shaking with rage, with humiliation, with a pain so deep I thought it might kill me.

"Elena?" Damien appeared in the doorway, his face full of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Did you see it?" I asked, my voice hoarse from trying not to scream.

"I saw it." He moved into the room carefully, like he was approaching a wounded animal. "I'm sorry you had to hear him say those things."

"Dramatic fabrications," I repeated, my voice breaking. "He made our baby sound like a lie I made up for attention."

Damien sat down across from me, his expression serious. "Elena, I told you I might be able to help you get justice. I meant it."

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face. "What do you mean?"

"Adrian Blackwood thinks he's untouchable. He thinks his money and connections make him invincible." Damien leaned forward, his eyes intense. "But everyone has weaknesses. Everyone makes mistakes. And I've been watching him for years, waiting for the right moment to make him pay for his arrogance."

"You want to destroy him," I said. It wasn't a question.

"I want to give him what he deserves. But I won't do it without you. This has to be your choice, Elena. Your fight."

I thought about Adrian's smug face on the television, about Maya wearing my jewelry, about the lies he was telling the world about our baby. A fire was building in my chest, something fierce and protective and completely foreign to the woman I'd been just a week ago.

"What would I have to do?" I asked.

Damien smiled, and for the first time, I saw why Adrian considered him dangerous. "You'd have to be willing to become someone Adrian never expected you to be. Someone strong enough to take everything away from him, the way he took everything away from you."

I was about to respond when a sharp pain shot through my abdomen, so sudden and intense that I doubled over with a cry.

"Elena!" Damien was at my side instantly, his hands steadying me as another wave of pain hit.

I looked down and saw blood – bright red against my pale pajama pants. Terror flooded through me as I clutched my stomach.

"The baby," I whispered. "Something's wrong with the baby."

Damien was already moving, scooping me up in his arms with surprising strength. "Hold on, Elena. I'm getting you to the hospital right now."

The ride to the hospital was a blur of pain and fear. Damien held my hand as the emergency room staff rushed me into an examination room, his presence the only anchor I had in a world that seemed to be falling apart again.

Dr. Williams, a kind-faced woman with gray hair, examined me with gentle efficiency while a nurse prepared an ultrasound machine.

"How far along did you think you were?" Dr. Williams asked as she spread the cold gel on my stomach.

"I... I'm not sure. Maybe six weeks? Seven?" I gripped Damien's hand tighter as another cramp hit.

The doctor moved the ultrasound wand across my belly, her eyes focused on the screen. After what felt like an eternity, she turned to look at me with an expression I couldn't rea

d.

"Mrs. Blackwood," she said slowly. "I need to tell you something about your pregnancy that might come as quite a shock."