Section 5
Adrian stepped closer, his jaw clenched. “You need to let Emily speak for herself.” His voice was steady, but I could see the tremor in his hands.
“Speak?” I shot back, holding Emily’s hand tighter. “She can’t speak when you drown her in fear, Adrian. What happened to her arm?”
A smirk flickered across his face. “Just a little accident. Wives need to learn their place.”
I glared at him, my heart racing. “You’re wrong. I know exactly where my daughter belongs—far away from you.”
“Mom, please,” Emily whispered, but I couldn’t back down.
I stepped closer to Adrian. “You think this is a game? The trust I control will have consequences for you.” My voice dropped, low and sharp. “I hold the shares of Westbrook Industries. I could dismantle everything you’ve built in an instant.”
His eyes widened. For a moment, the facade cracked. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me.”
In that moment, his calm demeanor evaporated, replaced by rage. “You think you can threaten me?” He lunged forward, and I barely dodged, my heart pounding as I shoved Emily behind me.
“Adrian, stop!” she cried, but it was too late.
He swung wildly, catching the edge of the table. A sharp crack echoed as he stumbled back, losing his balance. I could only watch as he collided with a nearby chair, the sharp corner digging into his side, and he collapsed on the floor.
Section 6
The room erupted in chaos. “Call an ambulance!” someone shouted. But my focus was solely on Adrian, crumpled and gasping for breath.
I knelt beside him, a swirl of emotions flooding my mind. “This is what you’ve done to my daughter?”
“I… I didn’t mean…” he stammered, his bravado melting in an instant.
Footsteps thundered through the kitchen as officers arrived, their presence suddenly magnifying the tension. They approached, assessing the scene with practiced efficiency.
As they handcuffed Adrian, disbelief washed over me. He had manipulated every moment of Emily’s life, ensnaring her in his quest for power. He thought he was invincible, but he never realized that I controlled the very shares he sought so desperately.
“You should’ve known better than to mess with me,” I whispered, watching his face fall into a mask of shock and despair.
“It’s not over,” he hissed, eyes narrowing. But I could see the truth dawning upon him.
As he was led away, I turned to Emily, who stood frozen in the kitchen doorway. Her eyes mirrored my own disbelief.
“It’s over, Emily,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. The weight of our reality settled heavily upon us. “You’re free now.”
But freedom came with a steep price. The gravity of the situation was crushing, as the edges of my happiness blurred with the scars of our ordeal.