Three weeks after my baby shower, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl. That same night, my mother-in-law told my husband, “A woman who cannot give this family a son is not the right woman for you.” He listened. He pulled away. And before our daughter ever learned to walk, he was gone.

I slammed my foot onto the gas pedal.

The old sedan lurched forward, struggling to gain speed on the slippery highway.

The black SUV accelerated instantly, closing the distance between us.

Julian gripped the dashboard.

He told me to take the next exit and head into the industrial district.

He said the cleaner wouldn't hesitate to run us off the road in traffic.

I swerved across two lanes, earning a blaring horn from a semi-truck.

I took the tight curve of the exit ramp at dangerous speeds.

The tires squealed against the wet pavement.

The SUV followed, moving with terrifying precision.

I asked Julian who this cleaner was.

Julian explained that his name was Vance, a former mercenary Evelyn kept on a secret payroll.

He said Vance was the one who tampered with the brakes on his car ten years ago.

That was the accident that was supposed to kill Julian.

My knuckles turned white on the steering wheel.

I turned down a narrow, unlit street lined with abandoned warehouses.

The rain was falling so hard my wipers could barely keep up.

The SUV surged forward and slammed into our rear bumper.

The impact threw me against the seatbelt.

Lily woke up and started screaming in the back.

I fought to keep the steering wheel straight.

Julian yelled at me to hit the brakes.

I slammed both feet onto the brake pedal.

The sedan skidded violently to a halt.

The heavy SUV could not stop in time on the wet road.

It flew past us, sideswiping our car with a horrific screech of tearing metal.

The SUV spun out and crashed head-on into a concrete barrier.

Steam immediately poured from its crushed hood.

I sat frozen, listening to my harsh breathing and Lily's cries.

Julian told me not to stop moving.

I threw the car into reverse, turned around, and sped away into the night.

Ten minutes later, we arrived at the underground parking garage of Julian's hotel.

We rushed to the elevator.

I held Lily tightly as we rode up to the penthouse floor.

Julian swiped his keycard and threw the door open.

“Which daughter is yours?” should have been a harmless question

The first wineglass shattered at 8:07 p.m

The moment the mafia boss’s wife called me “an illiterate servant,”

We froze in the doorway.

Daniel was sitting on the sofa, holding a silenced pistol.

Chapter 6 - The Chase in the Rain