Chapter 3

I opened the safe, took everything out, sorted through it, and put it in a drawer.

The first time I caught him cheating, he'd dropped to his knees and begged for my forgiveness.

To win back my complete trust, he gave the combination only to me. I held his fate in my hands, so after I forgave him, I trusted him completely.

That trust was exactly what gave him the chance to cheat again.

I owned plenty, but I packed only the valuables.

I packed one suitcase, wheeled it into the living room, and took one last look around.

That was when my phone rang.

I picked up. It was my mother.

She sounded frantic, and I could tell she was fighting to keep her voice steady. "Serena, your father's been kidnapped. They want a ransom, and I don't have enough money. If we don't pay right away, they'll kill him! You have to do something."

Fear gripped me, and I started to shake.

"Okay. I'm coming home now. Send me the kidnappers' account and the ransom amount."

I dragged my suitcase out the door. As soon as I hung up, I called our finance team. "Find out how much cash the company has available. I want all of it."

Before I'd even finished speaking, I looked up and found Charles standing in front of me. His eyes were cold and dark, and he looked terrifying.

His gaze dropped to the suitcase in my hand, his expression grim.

"You drove Susie to this, and now you want to leave? And take every cent the company has? How did I never see what kind of person you really are?"

"You're coming with me right now. You're going to the hospital to beg her forgiveness!"

Charles grabbed my wrist and started dragging me outside.

I fought him with everything I had and shoved him away. "What are you doing? Charles, why should I apologize to her?"

"Because you almost killed her baby! If you hadn't run your mouth at the hospital, no one would know about us! People wouldn't be looking at her like that. She's already fragile. If I hadn't gotten there in time, you'd have driven her to her death!"

"You two did this yourselves! I only told my lawyer because I want a divorce." I didn't think I'd done anything wrong.

Yet Charles blamed me for Susie's suicide attempt too.

"Come with me and apologize to her. I'll put in a good word for you so she'll forgive you." Charles dragged me toward the car.

I yanked free and clenched my fists.

"Listen to me. I have to go home. Something's happened to my father! I need the money from the company account right now, and it's my money!"

Charles sneered. "You'd make up a lie like that just to run off with all the money."

"Serena, I'm not listening to any of this right now. You're coming with me."

With that, he shoved me into the car.

To keep me from escaping, he tied my hands behind my back with the seat belt, then tore off toward the hospital.

Something inside me went cold. I never thought Charles would choose Susie over me like this.

He didn't even believe me anymore.

He dragged me through the hospital to her room. Doctors and patients stared at us the entire way.

We'd barely reached her door.

Susie scrambled out of bed and rushed over to me.

Her eyes were red as she pleaded with me. "Serena, I know you hate me, and I deserve whatever you do to me. But please, I'm begging you, don't use this to ruin Charles's name. His men will lose all respect for him."

"You can hit me, yell at me, whatever you want."

Susie's voice was hoarse from crying. She looked pitiful.

When I pulled my hand free, she became even more agitated.

Charles rushed to steady her, his anger flaring. "Serena! How can you be so vicious? I was so wrong about you!"

I didn't say a word. All I wanted was to get out of there.

My phone kept buzzing. My mother called again and again, and I was starting to panic.

I ignored them and took out my phone.

Then I turned toward the door.

The next second, Charles yanked me back, snatched the phone from my hand, and slammed it on the floor. "Serena! Why are you still insisting on a divorce?!"

The phone snapped in two. I stared at it, stunned.

My heart lurched.

I stared at Charles, my fists clenching and unclenching. Just as I was about to scream at him, the door swung open.

"Is anyone here with the patient? Could you step outside for a moment?"

Charles forced his anger down. "Forget it. Calm down, and we'll talk when I get back."

Susie watched him leave. The instant he was out the door, the wounded look vanished from her face.

She looked at me with a vicious smile.

"I bet your father's already dead."

The color drained from my face, and my breath caught.

Seeing my reaction only made Susie more excited. "You cost one of your family's old enemies dearly back then, and his people have been waiting for a chance to get revenge. Lucky for me, you came to the hospital. I took a picture of you and sent it to your father. He rushed out without even taking his bodyguards with him. In the end, you're the one who got him killed."

My mind snapped into focus, and I slapped her across the face.

"Why would you do that?"

Susie fell to the floor, a red handprint already blooming on her cheek. She looked up at me and sneered. "I just want to watch you lose everything."

I lunged at her and slapped her again, hard.

I'd pushed myself too hard, and my emotions were all over the place. My body finally gave out, and a sharp cramp tore through my lower abdomen.

I pulled out my gun and cocked it.

Before I could raise it, Charles rushed in, tore the gun from my hand, and pointed it at my head. "What are you doing, Serena?!"

I froze. It was the first time he'd ever pointed a gun at me.