Chapter 9

Conor's security personnel, massive men with impassive faces, moved in swiftly. Strong hands grabbed my arms, pinning them behind my back. My claustrophobia, already a relentless beast, roared to life. The walls of the room, once merely a backdrop, now pulsed and shrank around me. The scent of their uniforms, a sterile, chemical smell, filled my lungs, stealing my breath.

Panic clawed at my throat. My mind reeled back, a horrific flash of memory. The dark, cramped space. The stifling air. Alina, tiny and terrified, clinging to me, her breath hitching in ragged sobs. Our childhood kidnapping. The hours, days, we were held captive in that suffocating room. The terror of being trapped, helpless, voiceless.

Conor knew. I had told him everything. Every detail of that nightmare, every lingering fear. He had held me, soothed me, promised me he would never let anything like that happen to me again. He had promised to be my protector, my safe harbor. He had weaponized my deepest trauma, turning it against me.

The betrayal was a fresh, searing wound, deeper than any physical blow. He hadn't just imprisoned my body; he had imprisoned my memory, my trust, my very soul. He had used my vulnerability, the most sacred part of my past, as a tool for his control. The man I had loved, the man I had married, was a monster.

I struggled, but it was useless. The men were unyielding, their grips like iron. They dragged me through the opulent hallways, past silent, terrified staff, and into a small, sterile room in a secluded wing of the mansion. The door clanged shut behind me, the sound echoing ominously. The room was bare, windowless, cold. A cell.

Days blurred into an agonizing eternity. My claustrophobia was a constant companion, gnawing at my sanity. I paced, I screamed, I begged, I pleaded. I fought against the invisible walls that pressed in on me. I refused the food they brought, the water they offered. I would not succumb. I would not break.

Alina's face, ethereal and defiant, floated in my mind. Her art, her legacy. I would not let them win. I would fight for her. I would fight for myself. Even if it meant my own destruction.

One evening, as I lay shivering on the floor, weak from hunger and exhaustion, a voice boomed from unseen speakers embedded in the wall. Conor's voice. Cold, detached, utterly devoid of emotion. "Are you ready to cooperate, Jacey? Are you ready to see reason?"

My blood ran cold. He was watching me. He had been watching me all along. Every scream, every tear, every moment of my terrified struggle. He had witnessed my suffering, my deepest fear, and he had done nothing but observe.

Rage, a pure, incandescent fire, consumed me. He was a sadist. A cruel, calculating manipulator who reveled in my pain. He watched me crumble, and felt nothing.

I screamed, a primal, guttural sound, and slammed my fist against the unyielding wall, again and again, until my knuckles bled. The pain was a dull throb compared to the agony in my heart. He had stripped me bare, used my past, tortured me with my own trauma. He had stolen my sister's legacy. He had broken me.

My vision swam. Darkness crept in at the edges. I collapsed, the last vestiges of my strength draining away.

When I awoke, it was to hushed voices. I was in a hospital bed, the sterile white walls a jarring contrast to the plush confinement of the mansion. My body ached, but the suffocating panic had receded.

"...finally released. Elsworth was furious, but Conor pulled some strings. He's arranging for her to fly out discreetly." It was Hillery's name. They were talking about Hillery. She was free. Released. Because of Conor.

A note lay on my bedside table, in Conor's precise handwriting. "Hillery has been cleared. You are being discharged. My staff will arrange transport home. See to your health." Not "our" home. My health. No concern for my trauma, my imprisonment. Just an impersonal discharge notice. And the chilling confirmation that Hillery was free, thanks to him.

I crumpled the note, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. He truly was unbelievable.

Then I saw it, on the TV in the corner of the room. A news scroll. "Hillery Hudson, the enigmatic artist 'Eclipse,' set to make first public appearance at star-studded engagement party."

My gaze snapped to the date on the hospital calendar. Today. Hillery's engagement party. The last day my divorce was completely finalized, freeing me from Conor. The date I had marked, a silent countdown to my independence. And now, my chance for justice.

I ripped the IV from my arm, ignoring the sharp sting, the nurse's frantic calls. I had to go. I had to be there. I had to crash that party.

I hobbled out of the hospital, ignoring the bewildered staff, and hailed the first taxi I saw. "Take me to Hudson Hall," I demanded, my voice firm despite my weakness.

My phone rang, a familiar, distant chime. Conor.

I answered, my voice calm, collected. "Yes, Conor?"

"Jacey?" His voice was laced with something I couldn't quite place – irritation? Confusion? "Where are you? My staff says you left the hospital without being discharged. Are you alright?" He sounded less concerned and more annoyed by the disruption to his meticulously planned day. He probably expected me to be safely back in his silent, gilded cage, waiting for his return.

"I'm perfectly fine, Conor," I said, a dangerous lilt in my voice. "And I'm on my way."

"On your way where?" he asked, a hint of suspicion entering his tone. "I'm still sorting things out with Hillery. We have a lot of damage control to do. You need to stay out of the public eye. For a while. For the family's sake. We'll present a united front later." He saw me as a pawn, a controllable asset in his PR game.

"Don't worry," I said, a slow, chilling smile spreading across my face. "I'm going to make quite the impression. A united front, you say? Oh, we'll be united, Conor. More united than you could ever imagine." My voice held a promise, a threat, that he was too blind to hear.

"Jacey, what are you talking about? Are you going to Hillery's engagement party? You absolutely cannot! It's a critical event for the family's reputation. I need you to stay home. I need you to behave yourself." His voice was firm, a command.

"Behave myself?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping. "You'll see, Conor. You're about to see exactly how well I behave."

I ended the call, my fingers shaking, not with fear, but with a fierce, burning resolve. I looked at the taxi driver. "Faster, please. I have a very important announcement to make."

My phone rang again, Conor' s face flashing on the screen. But I didn't answer. I switched to the live-stream feed of Hillery' s engagement party. The screen filled with a glittering crowd, a jubilant Hillery on stage, a beaming Elsworth, and Conor, looking stoic and elegant, standing slightly behind Hillery.

Then, the host, a famous media personality, smiled brightly at the camera, addressing me directly. "And now, we have a very special guest joining us remotely tonight! The ever-dutiful and supportive Mrs. Jacey Hamilton-Hudson, who has unfortunately been feeling under the weather lately, but has bravely decided to make an appearance to show her unwavering family loyalty! Jacey, darling, how are you feeling? And what wonderful message do you have for the happy couple and the Hudson family tonight?"

My image, projected onto the enormous screens flanking the stage at the party, was now visible to thousands, potentially millions, of viewers. I looked directly into the camera, my face pale but resolute. "Thank you so much for having me," I said, my voice clear and steady. "I'm feeling much, much better, thank you. And yes, I do have a message for everyone tonight. Especially for Hillery, and for the Hudson family."

I took a deep breath, my eyes still locked on the camera, knowing Conor was watching, knowing Hillery was watching. "Firstly," I began, a small, sad smile playing on my lips, "I want to offer my deepest sympathies to Hillery. Her recent troubles, and the difficult circumstances surrounding her, are truly unfortunate." My tone was laced with a chilling sweetness, a veiled threat. "And now, for the important announcement. I, Jacey Hamilton-Hudson, am officially divorcing Conor Hudson."

A collective gasp rippled through the live feed. The faces on screen, especially Conor's, were frozen in a tableau of shock. Hillery's jaw dropped.

"And secondly," I continued, my voice gaining strength, "I want to ensure that Hillery, and Conor, can finally be together, without any pretense or obstacles." I looked at Hillery, a cold, hard glint in my eyes. "So, Conor, I am publicly giving you to Hillery. She always was your true love, wasn't she? Your precious Hillery, who you would sacrifice anything for. Even your wife." I paused, letting the words sink in, watching the horror bloom on Conor's face. "May you both have all the happiness you deserve." My smile was devoid of warmth, a bitter, righteous triumph.