The Unwanted Wife's Ultimate Escape Plan

the knot twisting in her stomach. Outside the floor-to-ceiling

ous silence of the penthouse. The sound tightened the steel band around her

d oak door hitting its frame. A blast of cold, damp air

e city's rain. He ripped at the knot of his si

ep?" he slurred, hi

l wife, but her legs had gone numb from sitting so s

laugh escaped

sian rug. His shadow fell over her, a physical weight that made it hard to

her voice trembling just enough to b

cket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He tossed it onto th

nted at the top. Below it, a string of numbers with too

ere ice-cold, his grip brutally tight, forcing her head up

is what you are. An expense. A line item I pay to keep a dyin

of her eyes. "It's not jus

it? Then why sign the Medical Proxy? Why agree t

the sofa, gasping, the sting of his fingers imprinted on he

sound of a crystal decanter and a heavy tumbler filli

ic scene of fire, screaming, and the crushing weight of the ocean. He had pulled her from the wreckage of the yacht, his fa

before. It stole her breath. She doubled over, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as she

rled into a ball on the sofa. A flicker of something-was it concern?

ow sip of his drink. "I'm not in the moo

nd disbelief. The cramping was so intense she couldn't form

d cracking through the room. In two long strides, he was in front of her. He grabb

She tried to pull away, a weak, useless struggle agains

"You have a contract to fulfill. And if you even think about refusing, I will make one pho

rained out of her, leaving an empty, hollow shell. She stopped struggling, her bod

rustrated sound rumbled in his chest. He shoved her away from him. She stumbl

ld path down her temple. The physical pain in her abdomen was a r

traightened his suit jacket. He took out his wallet, pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills,

front door opened, then slammed shut,

warm, sticky wetness began to spread beneath her, a slow tide of dark red