Chapter 5

The morning of my birthday dawned, crisp and cold, mirroring the chill in my heart. Jensen, surprisingly, found me in the breakfast nook. He looked tired, lines etched around his eyes, a faint shadow of guilt in their depths.

"Harper," he began, his voice softer than it had been in weeks. "I know things have been... difficult. But today is your birthday. I haven't forgotten." He reached across the table, his hand hovering over mine, then thought better of it. "I want to celebrate you. Just us. Tonight. A quiet dinner, anywhere you want."

A flicker of something – pity? – crossed his face. For a fleeting second, I almost believed him. Almost.

Before I could respond, Isabella made her entrance. She glided into the room, her hand resting protectively on her swollen belly, her movements exaggeratedly slow. She wore a flowing silk gown that highlighted her pregnancy, an intentional visual contrast to my own slender frame.

"Oh, darling," she cooed, her voice a little too sweet. "Don't forget me. The baby is so active today." She sat down opposite us, her eyes fixed on Jensen. "He' s been kicking all morning. Do you think he knew it was Harper' s birthday?" She glanced at me, a smirk barely hidden.

Jensen's attention immediately snapped to her. His face, which had been solemn moments before, lit up with unadulterated joy. He leaned forward, his hand automatically reaching for Isabella' s belly. "Really? Let me feel!" His voice was filled with a childish wonder I hadn't heard from him in years.

Isabella giggled, guiding his hand. "Oh, he's so strong, Jensen! He knows his daddy!"

Jensen' s entire being was consumed. His face softened, his eyes shining with adoration as he felt the faint thrum of life beneath his palm. He was a father, completely enthralled, completely lost to her and the child, and utterly oblivious to my presence.

"Jensen," I said, my voice barely a whisper. I wanted to remind him. Remind him of his promise, of our plan.

He looked up, startled, as if he' d forgotten I was there. "Oh, Harper. Yes?" His tone was apologetic, but his eyes were already drifting back to Isabella. "Later, okay? We'll talk later."

The last thread of hope, the faintest whisper of affection I might have held for him, snapped. It wasn't just a betrayal; it was an erasure. I was no longer his wife, no longer even a consideration. I was simply... irrelevant.

A profound calm washed over me. It was a cold peace, but it was peace nonetheless. The decision, long contemplated, was now absolute.

"Alright," I said, rising from the table. My voice was steady, my composure unshakeable. "Enjoy your breakfast."

I walked out, leaving them in their domestic tableau. My driver, already waiting, opened the door to a sleek black car. "The pier, please, Robert," I instructed, my voice clear and firm. "And then, the private jet."

On the drive, I made a call, my voice low and precise. "It's done. Initiate Protocol Echo. Now." I spoke to my father's most trusted lawyer, the one who had drafted the infamous prenup.

"Consider it handled, Ms. Frost," came the crisp reply. "All documents are in order."

I ended the call, a deep breath escaping my lips. The divorce was finalized. Secretly. Swiftly. And now, the final act.

I boarded the small, luxurious yacht, the "Serenity," a birthday gift from my father years ago. The crew, loyal and discreet, greeted me with warm smiles. My father had ensured every detail of this final escape was meticulously planned.

As the yacht pulled away from the bustling marina, gliding into the open sea, I pulled out my phone one last time. I composed a final message to my father, deleting it immediately after it was sent. It simply read: "Free."

The wind whipped around me, carrying away the last vestiges of my past life. This wasn' t an ending. It was a beginning. A violent, necessary rebirth.

That evening, the Logan dining room was abuzz, but not with celebration. My absence was a gaping hole.

Isabella, draped in silk, picked delicately at her food. "Oh, dear. I do hope Harper is alright. It's her birthday, after all. Perhaps she's just feeling a little... sensitive." Her words dripped with mock concern.

Cecily scoffed. "Sensitive? She's being dramatic. Always has been. No sense of duty, that girl. Not like some." She shot an approving glance at Isabella. "At least you understand the importance of family, Isabella. Of legacy." She placed a hand on Isabella' s belly. "Our little Logan heir. That's what truly matters."

Jensen, however, pushed his food around his plate, a knot of unease tightening in his stomach. He had called my phone multiple times, but it went straight to voicemail. "I'm concerned," he muttered, finally. "She never misses her birthday dinner. She always makes a point of it."

"Perhaps she finally understood her place," Cecily remarked, her lips thin.

"Send out a search party," Jensen commanded suddenly, his voice sharp. "Check all her usual haunts. Call her friends."

Isabella sighed dramatically. "Jensen, darling, don't be so melodramatic. She's probably just sulking. She'll be back when she's hungry."

Her words died in her throat. Jensen's eyes had suddenly fixed on her, a strange, dawning horror in their depths. Around her neck, glinting under the chandelier, was the Logan Star. The necklace he had given her, the one that was supposed to be mine.

"Where," Jensen said, his voice dangerously low, "did you get that necklace, Isabella?"

Isabella' s hand flew to her throat, her eyes wide. "Why, you know, darling! You gave it to me! For the baby! As a symbol of our future!" She forced a laugh, but it sounded brittle.

A cold dread seeped into Jensen' s bones. He remembered Harper' s unnervingly calm acceptance that morning. Her quiet exit. The phone calls that didn't go through.

Just then, a frantic maid burst into the dining room, her face as white as a sheet. "Mr. Jensen! Mr. Jensen! There's been... an accident!" Her voice trembled, on the verge of hysteria.

Jensen' s blood ran cold. "What? What is it?"

"The 'Serenity'!" the maid stammered, tears welling in her eyes. "Madam Harper's yacht! It... it exploded! Out at sea! They say... there are no survivors..." Her words dissolved into sobs.

The blood drained from Jensen' s face. The Logan Star around Isabella' s neck suddenly seemed to choke him.

The room erupted into chaos.