WHITMO

breathing. "My father what?" I asked, my voice cracking in

ected it to turn out this way. The man I spent a dec

"He loves me and would never do such. I wasn't sold but married

art from the beginning." What! He al

t was signed between your father and a man listed only as J.W. Funds were transferred through

er and full of disbelief.

ading a crime scene, "that someone paid for you. Le

I look like a property?" I asked Dominic who s

ou were." I moved backwards. My pare

h?" My heart skipped immediately he asked th

illion." My father valued me for Two poi

I had to ask to confirm. I mean two point seve

e down payment."

back. "This

the second transfer. It hit six months after your wedding. Another five milli

breath. "Valence is one

"This wasn't a dowry.

e. That our union was spiritual." I said still trying har

come with wire rece

o her. "Can you

ady worki

t and sold like a stock option." I held the window frames. My eyes outside the ro

u were used to clean money. That contract? It gave Mark legitimacy. A pub

iage was

nodded.

ed so he should have known a thing or two. Maybe that was why he insisted I go with h

e way. He was a threat to the deal. You were already m

killed him." I asked,

e ends."

again. "And I was

. "Not anymore, Not n

at a desk and manage your calendar after this?" I aske

f doing now that you know the truth." He said as he sto

whispered softly as I rais

fering power." His hands sat on m

you go full Shakespeare in here,

e?" I removed Dominic's

toward me again. "You

in. "What are

screen. Photos. Char

Devout. Obedient. Most of them were married off before they turned twenty.

selling me, he was greedy enough to

t I can prove.

air. "God. It's a trafficking ri

And your husband? He's not just a partici

y mother know?" Let me j

further. Now I know why my father always said that he was a lucky man blessed with

caught. "S

perwork," Kit said. "Bu

n't go back. That would be entering

't plan

an't warn her. Not yet." He said st

d as I turned

l shut everything down. Burn it all. And then you'll never get proof." Then I recalled w

leave my kids

em by tonight. And besides they can't har

oncerning that but where are you

You still have that

d. No digital trail." She said he

where

limbs barely cooperating. "They're

th

're giving you housing. Tell her you want the kids close.

" Mom turns out to be a v

ad. "Then we show

ture. The way he had looped the last letter of his

to burn

id. "That's the ri

it. "What do

h. You document. Everything fr

your cover. You'll be on every business call. Every financi

just a victim anymore,

led into my ch

's phon

nded it to Kit. "Tell me that's a

ssed through her teeth. "It's not.

d staring at

s the screen. "The trust account just locked itself and p

k to

r opened the fi

rward. "What

ything. But we have a thirty-minute w

my hand. "We h

anything ill

on't care about legal. They care about con

l contact you from a new drop point. Go dark. Don't use your phones. Do

odded. "B

lway

legs finally caught up with my brai

t. No one kn

asked, I'm a

wer until the

he said

he door. Praying silently so

st after your s

p at him.

that's a huge word. Erase. Meaning

ight hard