Chapter 2

I stood in front of the ATM, staring at the red "Frozen" flashing on the screen. A bitter laugh escaped me.

Jeffrey worked fast.

Every single one of my cards was dead.

To be with him, I'd dissolved my old crew, cut off all the shady income streams.

I found a run-down motel.

This was exactly what Jeffrey wanted, right?

He wanted to see me broke, struggling, and finally crawling back to be his pretty little caged bird.

Lying on the bed, I clutched the broken pieces of the music box.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated.

It was an encrypted email.

No sender name, just gibberish.

But I knew it was from my brother, Jaxon Smith.

My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly opened it.

"Cynthia, the cargo route has been intercepted. Both the police and our enemies are looking for me. I'm trapped in Border Zone B and urgently need a safe passage to escape. Otherwise, I won't last three days."

The phone slipped from my palm.

My brother was my only family, and I must save him.

If our enemies got to him, it would be a death sentence.

The only person who could move a secure route right now, without raising red flags, was Jeffrey.

The Tucker family controlled the largest port trade in Boland.

I closed my eyes, tears slipping down my cheeks.

You won, Jeffrey.

The next morning, I was back at the Tucker villa, standing at the gate.

The butler took in my disheveled state, his expression a mix of pity and something else, but he let me in.

Jeffrey was on the sofa reading the paper. Maisie, in a silk robe, was curled up beside him, peeling grapes.

When I entered, Jeffrey didn't even lift an eyelid.

"I told you, she wouldn't last 24 hours."

Maisie giggled and said, "Cynthia can't do without you after all."

Swallowing the knot in my throat, I walked up to him. "Jeffrey. I need to borrow a Tucker shipping lane. A spare one."

Jeffrey finally put down the newspaper.

"Borrow a lane? Old habits die hard, huh, Cynthia? What? Can't survive without me, so you're going back to the family business? What are you planning to transport? Drugs or guns? The Tuckers are legitimate now. We don't deal with your filth."

I dug my nails into my palms. "My brother is in trouble at the border. He needs an extraction. Just help me this once. I swear I'll disappear from your life after this."

Jeffrey sneered and said, "Your brother's a wanted man. The world's better off without him."

"I'm begging you."

Jeffrey watched me, this version of me begging.

Then, he pulled a document from under the coffee table and tossed it on the floor.

"You want my help? Fine. Sign it. A statement swearing you'll never harass me again, never claim we had a relationship."

I picked up the document, signed my name without even glancing at it.

"I've signed. Please arrange the ship now. My brother can't wait."

Jeffrey was about to speak when Maisie chimed in sweetly.

"Jeffrey, signing was too easy. I don't see Ms. Smith's sincerity."

She caressed her belly, her gaze malicious, "What if she uses the route to smuggle drugs and ends up implicating the Tucker family? Unless... She serves me for a day as a personal servant. Then we'll know she's truly turned over a new leaf."

I snapped my head up to look at Jeffrey.

I thought he would refuse.

But he merely glanced at me indifferently and nodded coldly.

"Maisie has a point. You've always been too sharp-edged. This could smooth you out. Maisie is carrying my child. She needs looking after. Serve as her personal servant for a day, and I'll arrange the ship."

At that moment, I heard the sound of my heart breaking.

For my brother's slim chance of survival, I agreed.

"Alright, I'll do it."

For the rest of the day, Maisie made me kneel on the floor and wipe up the milk she deliberately spilled.

She was wearing high heels. Her heel slipped onto the back of my hand and gave it a couple of deliberate grinds.

I bit my tongue, silent, and kept cleaning.

I served her tea and water.

"It's too hot! Are you trying to scald me? To kill my baby?"

She threw the scalding liquid in my face.

Jeffrey just sat there watching, completely turning a blind eye to it all.

My eyes stayed fixed on the clock on the wall.

Jaxon, hold on a little longer.

It would be over soon.