Chapter 4

For three years, I fought Damon in court with everything I had.

In the end, I gave up every cent of alimony, and in exchange, I took Leo out of the Long Island estate.

But I soon realized I'd been wrong.

Leo went wild every single day in that Brooklyn basement.

He smashed my cheap furniture, screamed at me, and cried that he wanted to go back to the house on Long Island, that he wanted his dad.

I used to think that as long as I loved him enough, it would make up for everything.

It wasn't until countless sleepless nights later that I finally understood. Damon's love was cruel, of course. But wasn't my love for Leo stubborn and cruel too?

For the sake of love, I had dragged a child who was used to having the very best of everything down into the mud with me.

What right did I have to make a child pay for my failed marriage?

It was over.

I would let him go, and let myself go too.

I looked at Bianca standing so smugly outside the door. I didn't even have the energy to be angry anymore. I only said, quietly, "I hope your 'something new' lasts a little longer."

Bianca's fake smile froze. She muttered "psycho" and stormed off in her heels.

I grabbed my suitcase, called an Uber, and headed straight for JFK.

On the way, I got a call from Julian.

"Send me your flight number. I'll pick you up," he said, his voice steady.

"Okay," I answered.

All I had left now was my life. Nothing could ever make me turn back again.

The morning of City Hall, across town, Damon sat in the back of his armored Range Rover, tapping impatiently on his watch.

Nine o'clock had come and gone, and there was still no sign of that familiar figure on the steps of City Hall.

He took out his phone and dialed.

"We're sorry. The number you have dialed is no longer in service."

Damon's face went dark.

He shoved the car door open. "Brooklyn."

When he kicked in that rusty iron door, the basement was already empty.

Her cheap clothes, her suitcase, that thick pile of medical journals, all of it was gone.

Damon stood in the empty room, and his chest felt like something heavy had slammed into it.

He'd always thought she was just playing hard to get. She'd loved him so much back then. How could she just leave?

"Find her." Damon turned to his bodyguards, his voice as cold as ice. "Find out where she went. Tear the city apart if you have to, but bring her back to me!"