Chapter 9 - The Devil You Know
I sprinted frantically down the grand staircase, my bare feet slapping quietly against the cold marble floor.
Isabella’s furious, screaming voice echoed from the second floor, forcefully demanding the guards stop me immediately.
I burst violently through the kitchen doors and out into the sprawling, manicured backyard.
The massive security floodlights blazed to life instantly, turning the dark lawn into a blinding, terrifying stage.
Two heavily armed guards rushed rapidly from the perimeter, their tactical weapons drawn and leveled squarely at my chest.
I clutched the heavy black ledger tightly to my stomach, completely trapped in the center of the bright grass.
Before the ruthless guards could pull their triggers, the deafening roar of a massive engine shattered the quiet night.
A heavily armored SUV smashed violently through the wooden garden gates, sending sharp debris flying everywhere.
The heavy vehicle skidded completely sideways across the wet grass, perfectly blocking the guards' line of sight.
The passenger door flew open, and a rough hand grabbed my arm, yanking me violently inside.
I collapsed onto the cold leather seat, gasping desperately for air as the driver hit the gas hard.
We tore recklessly out of the estate, leaving the Morgan guards shooting blindly at our bulletproof windows.
I looked over at the driver, fully expecting to see Julian Rossi or one of his hired mercenaries saving me.
Instead, staring back at me with a face completely pale and terrified, was Elena.
My sister-in-law was gripping the steering wheel so hard her knuckles were entirely white.
I stared at her in absolute shock, frantically demanding to know why she was risking her own life to save me.
Elena didn't look away from the dark road as we sped dangerously toward the city limits.
She tearfully confessed that she had discovered the terrifying truth about the hospital's database breach.
Luke hadn't hacked the medical files just to find out if I was actually pregnant.
He forcefully hacked the files to secretly alter my medical chart before my termination appointment today.
Elena's voice broke into a desperate, agonizing sob as she explained the horrific reality of his plan.
Luke had ordered a highly corrupt surgeon to secretly remove my entire uterus during the procedure today.
He wanted to make absolutely sure I could never have a child with any other man if I ever managed to escape him.
He didn't genuinely care about the baby; he only cared about ultimate, absolute, and permanent control over my body.
My entire body went completely numb as the sheer, terrifying evil of his plot finally sank in.
Elena rapidly drove us to a private, unlit airstrip on the edge of the county, where a small charter plane was already idling on the runway.
She told me to take the ledger and disappear forever, promising to handle Luke's wrath entirely by herself.
I hugged her tightly, feeling a genuine wave of profound gratitude for the only Morgan who actually had a soul.
I stepped quickly out of the SUV and walked rapidly toward the waiting airplane.
The pilot slowly lowered the metal stairs, urgently gesturing for me to hurry up before the tower radar caught them.
I eagerly climbed the steps, clutching the ledger that would finally buy my complete freedom.
I stepped cautiously into the cabin, ready to finally breathe easily for the first time in three years.
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But as the cabin lights flickered on, the breath was completely knocked out of my lungs.
Sitting very comfortably in the luxurious leather captain's chair was my husband, Luke.
