ng with his family's board of directors. He left me in the castle on

a pedicure and read to her unborn child from a book of nursery rhymes. I was on my kn

ds. A group of men dressed in black, their fac

n. She screamed, a high-pitched sound of terror

op, and Evelin shrieked in pain, her arm hanging at an unnatural

He was one of Bernard's cousins, a rival I recognized from a family photo Bern

in's phone and vid

reen, his brow furrowed with anno

nd her. The masked men, th

tting a knife to Evelin's cheek. "A little

eyes were locked on me, wide with a terr

his voice a raw, desperate rasp. "D

e room, includ

ut if you lay one more hand on Addison, I will burn your entire family to

ding her laughed, pressing the knife harder against her cheek, but

e. "I'll sign over my entire stake in

ne, a look of pure confusion on his face. "Wh

say through the gag, shaking my

me hard across the face, and the

sneered, nodding to one of

e sound of an animal in a trap. "Please...

of terror and confusion streaming do

team, the real team, swarmed in, guns firing. The entire kidnapping was a setup. A

ure, Bernard, who must have

sparing me a glance. He

ed her in his arms, crushing her to his ch

ng his chest with her good hand. "Yo

, her face, her tears. "A trick to fool my idiot cou

d, his face a mask of disbelief and

triumphant sound. "You're

started to walk away, leaving me

and grabbed the cuff of his

e gag now loose around my n

ked down at me, h

ed. "Bernard, my stoma

s all i

slodging my hand, and walked away without a ba

pain shot through my abdomen. It was a cramp

was pooling on the whit

ength, I crawled out of that house of horrors. I left a trail of b

ar, and got to the airport. I bought a one-way

rd the plane that would take me away

the number that was no lo

n, I hope yo

rd in half and threw it