Chapter 8

The next afternoon, Cora stood in the grand foyer, her face set in stone. She looked at the head of security.

"Kendrick asked me to select a piece for the charity auction," she lied smoothly. "Take me to the Castille's Auction House. Now."

The guards exchanged a look, but without Kendrick there to explicitly deny it, they escorted her to the car.

Cora walked into the opulent, classical lobby of the Castille's Auction House, flanked by two massive guards. She desperately looked around for a backdoor or a bathroom window she could use to escape and run to the hospital.

Before she could make a move, a woman in an elegant, understated Chanel suit walked up to her with a warm, maternal smile.

It was Dr. Karen Parker, the wife of Bayard Yates. Since Kendrick's late mother was a Yates, that made Karen his aunt by marriage. She was also a senior board member of the auction house.

Karen waved the hovering floor manager away. She reached out and gently linked her arm through Cora's. "Cora, darling. Come up to my private lounge. Let's have some tea."

Cora felt a rush of relief. Everyone in the family knew Karen was a saint. She endured her husband Bayard's violent bipolar outbursts with quiet grace. Cora felt a deep, instinctual sympathy for her.

They sat in the sunlit penthouse lounge. Karen poured a cup of premium Darjeeling tea and slid it across the glass table.

"How are you adjusting to the estate, sweetheart?" Karen asked, her voice dripping with concern. "Is Kendrick treating you well? He can be... difficult."

Cora's eyes burned. She wanted to scream the truth. She wanted to tell Karen about the safe and the medical report. But the survival instinct kicked in, and she swallowed the words.

"I'm fine," Cora lied softly.

Karen smiled, reaching out to pat Cora's hand. As she did, her fingers expertly pressed against the inside of Cora's wrist, feeling her pulse. Her eyes scanned the color of Cora's skin and the whites of her eyes.

"You look a bit tired," Karen noted gently. "Are you eating well? Taking your vitamins?"

Cora, completely disarmed by the maternal affection, nodded. "Kendrick gives me nutritional supplements every night."

A flash of profound sorrow crossed Karen's gentle face. Karen squeezed her hand.

"Kendrick carries a lot of trauma, Cora. His obsession with control... it comes from a place of fear. You just have to be patient with him."

The words perfectly reinforced Cora's delusion that Kendrick was just a sick, traumatized man.

Suddenly, the lounge doors burst open. Bayard Yates stormed in, his eyes wild and manic. He pointed a shaking finger at Karen.

"You stole the offshore accounts file!" Bayard screamed, spit flying from his lips. "You lying bitch!"

Karen immediately shrank back into the sofa, pulling her knees to her chest, her face a mask of pure terror.

Cora's blood boiled. She jumped to her feet, placing her body between the massive man and the cowering woman.

"Back off!" Cora shouted, glaring at Bayard. "Don't you dare touch her!"

The commotion drew the guards from the hallway. They rushed in and physically dragged the screaming Bayard out of the room.

Karen burst into tears. She grabbed Cora's hands, kissing her knuckles. "You are such a brave, sweet girl, Cora. Thank you."

Before Cora left, Karen walked over to her desk and pulled out a beautifully carved rosewood box.

"Take this," Karen said softly. "It's a rare, custom-blended aromatherapy wax. It will help you sleep and ease your anxiety at the estate."

Cora took the box, her heart swelling with gratitude. In this terrifying world, she had finally found an ally.

The moment the lounge doors closed behind Cora, Karen collapsed back onto the sofa. She buried her face in her trembling hands, letting out a long, ragged sob. She reached for her phone with shaking fingers and dialed her therapist's number, her voice breaking as she pleaded for an emergency session to deal with her husband's latest abusive outburst.