Chapter 5 No.5

Thirty minutes.

She stood there for thirty minutes. Her legs were trembling, not from cold, but from weakness.

Finally, the iron gates groaned and swung open.

Francesca walked up the long driveway. She didn't look at the manicured lawns or the fountain. She just focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

The front door was unlocked.

She walked into the living room.

It was a tableau of judgment.

Bluford Leonard sat in his leather armchair, a glass of scotch in his hand. Janeen was on the sofa, filing her nails. Dollie was scrolling on her phone, looking bored.

And in the corner, a man in a sharp grey suit. She recognized him. Mr. Smith. The Ortega family lawyer.

"You have the nerve to show your face," Bluford said. He didn't yell. His voice was quiet, trembling with suppressed rage. He threw his glass into the fireplace. It shattered.

"I was drugged," Francesca said. Her voice was steady, surprising herself. "You let them drug me."

"We did what was necessary!" Bluford roared, standing up. "To save this family! And you jumped out of a moving car like a lunatic!"

Mr. Smith cleared his throat. He stood up, smoothing his jacket.

"Miss Leonard," he said. He didn't look at her. He looked at a file in his hand. "Given your... dramatic exit, and the breach of the confidentiality agreement regarding the pre-nuptial arrangements, the Ortega family has officially rescinded the marriage proposal."

Francesca felt a wave of relief so strong her knees almost buckled. "Good."

"It is not good," Smith continued coldly. "They are demanding the immediate repayment of the bridge loan provided to Leonard Industries. The contract contained a specific 'Marriage Clause' linking the loan's extension to the union. Your departure triggered an immediate default."

Bluford's face went gray. "We can't pay that. Not today."

"Then they will initiate foreclosure proceedings on the company assets." Smith closed the file. "Good day."

He walked past Francesca without a glance.

Silence descended on the room. Heavy. Toxic.

"You did this," Janeen whispered. She stood up and walked over to Francesca. "You selfish little brat."

"I saved myself!" Francesca yelled back. "From a monster!"

"The only monster here is you," Dollie piped up. She held up her phone. "Look at this."

She turned the screen toward Francesca.

It was an Instagram post. A photo of two hands intertwined. A diamond ring on the female hand.

Caption: New Chapter. So blessed.

It was Lance's account.

"Lance?" Francesca whispered.

"He's my fiancé now," Dollie said, a cruel smile stretching her lips. "Daddy gave his blessing this morning. Lance needs a wife who can actually help his career. Not damaged goods."

The room spun. Lance. Her Lance. The man she had loved since college. The man she thought was waiting for her to escape.

He had been waiting for Dollie.

"He... he wouldn't," Francesca stammered. "It's been... one day."

"Oh, please," Dollie scoffed. "We've been planning the merger for months. Lance was just waiting for you to be... safely disposed of at the Ortega estate before we went public. You ruined the timing, but not the result."

"He knew?" Francesca whispered. "About the sale?"

"He did," Bluford said. "He knows a sinking ship when he sees one. And you, Francesca, are an anchor."

He pointed a shaking finger at the door.

"Get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. You're cut off. The trust fund is frozen pending the litigation. You have nothing."

"This is my mother's house!" Francesca screamed. Tears were finally spilling over.

"Your mother is dead," Janeen said coldly. "And you signed over Power of Attorney to your father when you were in Switzerland. Remember? You were so... medicated. We have full control."

The trap. It had been set years ago.

"Dad?" Francesca looked at him. "Please."

Bluford turned his back on her. "I have no daughter. Get out before I call the police for trespassing."

Francesca looked at them. The three people who were supposed to be her blood. Her tribe.

They were strangers.

She turned around.

She walked out the door.

As soon as she stepped onto the porch, the sky opened up. Rain. A torrential downpour that soaked her grey sweatpants in seconds.

She walked down the driveway. Past the gates.

She had no money. No phone (except the cracked Android with no credit). No coat.

She walked.

The rain mixed with her tears, masking them.

A black car rolled slowly behind her, keeping pace.

Cooper gripped the steering wheel. His knuckles were white.

He wanted to pull over. He wanted to drag her into the dry warmth of the car. He wanted to go back into that house and burn it to the ground.

Not yet, he told himself. She needs to break completely before she can be rebuilt.

Francesca stopped at a bus shelter. She collapsed onto the metal bench, shivering violently.

Her Android buzzed. Incoming call via data.

She answered. "Hello?"

"Fran?" It was Anna, her best friend. "Oh my god, I heard. Dollie posted... are you okay?"

Francesca let out a sob. A raw, ugly sound. "They threw me out, Anna. Everyone. Lance... he's with Dollie."

"I know," Anna said, her voice furious. "I'm at The Blue Velvet. The bar. Come here. Now."

"I have no money."

"Just get here. I'll pay for the cab."

"I can't get a cab. I'm... I'm walking."

"Just get here. Please."

Francesca hung up.

A bus pulled up. She checked her pocket. She had three dollars in change from the twenty Cooper gave her.

She stepped onto the bus.

Cooper watched the bus pull away. He put the car in gear.

"Benjamen," he said. "She's going to The Blue Velvet. Send a team. But keep them invisible. If anyone touches her, break their fingers."