I was bruised, braced, and half-awake when my sister unplugged my heart monitor to prove I was dramatic. My mother laughed beside her. I said nothing - then the nurse stepped through the door and called the police before either of them could run.

I threw my uninjured arm up just in time to block Tessa's vicious downward strike.

The sharp edge of the scalpel sliced a deep, burning gash across my forearm.

I screamed in pain, but the adrenaline surging through my veins completely overpowered my fear.

I used the heavy, hard plastic of my discarded leg brace like a club.

I swung the brace with all my remaining strength and smashed it directly into Tessa's knees.

She shrieked in agony and tumbled forward, tumbling down the concrete stairs until she hit the landing below.

The scalpel clattered harmlessly into the dark corner of the stairwell.

I did not wait to see if she was unconscious or just stunned.

I scrambled past her motionless body and dragged myself down the final two flights of stairs.

I burst through the ground-floor exit door and stumbled out into the freezing, pouring rain.

The cold water washed the blood and sweat from my face as I limped toward the busy intersection near the hospital.

I threw myself into the path of an approaching yellow taxi, forcing the driver to slam on his brakes.

I climbed into the backseat and locked the doors before the shocked driver could even protest.

I begged him to drive me to the only address I could think of in the middle of the night.

I gave him the home address of Mr. Vance, the ruthless corporate lawyer who had managed my late father's estate for decades.

I knew Mr. Vance despised my mother, and he was the only person with the legal power to freeze the trust fund.

The taxi pulled up to a massive, gated mansion located in the wealthiest neighborhood in the city.

I paid the driver with a bloody hundred-dollar bill I found in my jeans and stumbled up to the massive oak front doors.

I pounded my fists against the wood until a light finally flickered on inside the foyer.

The door swung open to reveal Mr. Vance wearing a silk bathrobe and holding a cup of tea.

The Billionaire Put On a Waiter’s Apron to Test His Fiancée, but the Wom...

My father bet twenty dollars that I would walk through his front door al...

My Husband Slapped Me Out of His House for His Mistress, Then the Most F...

He looked at my battered body, but he did not offer me help or invite me inside.

He simply stepped aside to reveal Liam sitting comfortably on the expensive leather sofa in the living room.

Chapter 6 - The Escape