Chapter 3 - The Escape
Two heavy hands clamped down onto my shoulders with brutal force.
I screamed, thrashing wildly to protect my unborn daughter.
"Let her go!" Dr. Evans shouted, fighting against his captors.
One of the guards struck the doctor across the jaw, knocking him unconscious to the floor.
They began dragging me toward the private elevator, my shoes slipping on the sterile tiles.
I remembered Mark's gentle voice telling me to be brave for our baby.
Adrenaline surged through my veins, and I stomped my heel hard into the guard's kneecap.
The man grunted in pain, loosening his grip for just a fraction of a second.
I broke free and sprinted down the adjoining emergency stairwell as fast as my heavy body would allow.
"Do not shoot her, you idiots, I need the baby alive!" Victoria screamed from the hallway.
I pushed through the heavy fire doors and stumbled into the underground parking garage.
The cold air hit my face as I desperately scanned the dimly lit rows of cars.
My old sedan was parked three levels down, completely out of reach.
I heard the stairwell door bang open above me, followed by the heavy sound of combat boots rushing down the steps.
I ducked behind a large concrete pillar, covering my mouth to muffle my heavy panting.
Suddenly, a sleek black SUV silently rolled to a stop right behind me.
The tinted passenger window rolled down, revealing a man with a scarred face.
"Get in, Sally, right now!" the man ordered in a harsh whisper.
I hesitated, wondering if he was another one of Victoria's lethal assassins.
"Mark sent me," the stranger urged, throwing the passenger door open.
"He told me to wait here if the donation plan went wrong."
I had no other choice, so I hurled myself into the leather seat.
The SUV tires screeched violently as we sped toward the garage exit.
I looked back and saw Victoria's men firing suppressed weapons at our rear bumper.
"Who are you?" I gasped, clutching my aching stomach.
The man kept his eyes on the road, weaving expertly through the city traffic.
"My name is Elias, and I was Mark's private bodyguard before he escaped the family."
I let out a huge sigh of relief, finally feeling a glimmer of hope.
"Thank God he planned for this," I cried softly.
Elias slammed on the brakes, locking the car doors with a sharp electronic click.
He turned to look at me, and his expression was completely devoid of empathy.
"Mark did not plan for this, Sally."
May you like
Elias pulled a loaded gun from his jacket and aimed it directly at my chest.
"I work for Mark's brother, and you are worth fifty million dollars to him."
