Chapter 2 - The Midnight Escape
I stared at my husband in absolute, paralyzing horror.
Julian had played the perfect, loving partner for two entire years.
Now, he looked at my bruised and battered body with nothing but cold, calculating annoyance.
"She called your grandfather, Julian," Margaret gasped, dropping the heavy letter opener onto the floor.
"Arthur is sending his private security team right now."
Julian's handsome face darkened into a mask of pure, lethal calculation.
"Then we don't have much time to stage a tragic accident before they arrive," Julian said smoothly.
He walked toward me, pulling a pair of heavy leather gloves from his expensive coat pocket.
I scrambled backward across the marble floor, my heart pounding fiercely against my ribs.
"Julian, please, I am your wife," I begged, tears streaming down my face.
"You were a convenient cover story to convince my grandfather I was stable enough to inherit the trust," he replied coldly.
He lunged forward and grabbed my ankle with a brutal, unbreakable grip.
I kicked wildly with my other foot, striking him squarely in the jaw.
Julian stumbled backward with a vicious curse, releasing my leg for a split second.
I pushed myself up and sprinted toward the kitchen, adrenaline overriding my agonizing physical pain.
I crashed through the swinging doors and grabbed a heavy cast-iron skillet from the massive stove.
When Julian burst through the doors, I swung the skillet with every ounce of my remaining strength.
It connected with his shoulder, sending him crashing heavily into the marble island.
I didn't wait to see if he got back up.
I bolted out the back door and sprinted blindly into the freezing, rain-soaked night.
I reached the edge of the sprawling estate, shivering and gasping for breath in the dark woods.
Suddenly, the headlights of a black armored SUV snapped on, blinding me completely.
A heavily armed man stepped out of the vehicle and aimed a weapon directly at my chest.
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"Get in the car, Clara," the stranger commanded.
"Your father sent me to bring you home."
