Chapter 5

The afternoon sun hit the surface of the Hamptons estate's heated pool, scattering blinding reflections across the water. Adriene lay on a lounge chair, her eyes closed.

The signed divorce agreement was already locked safely inside a bank vault in Manhattan. For the first time in years, the crushing weight in her chest was gone. She felt light.

The sharp, aggressive click-clack of high heels against the marble deck broke the silence. Adriene didn't move. She knew the sound. Elaina walked over, wearing a bright red bikini, and waved away the two pool attendants.

Elaina stopped right next to Adriene's chair. She looked down, her eyes filled with toxic malice.

"Stay away from me," Adriene said, keeping her eyes shut. "I'm tired of your cheap tricks."

Elaina leaned down. The fragile, victim persona vanished entirely. "He was in my room again last night," Elaina whispered, her voice thick with vulgar pride. "He held me for hours. He told me how much he hates touching you."

Adriene's eyes snapped open. They were sharp and cold. "You really are pathetic," Adriene sneered. "Picking up trash from the gutter and calling it a prize."

The insult hit Elaina's deepest insecurity-her low-class background. Her face twisted into an ugly snarl, the skin around her eyes pulling tight with rage.

Just then, Elaina's eyes flicked to the glass doors leading into the house. Dallin was walking quickly toward the pool, holding his phone to his ear.

A flash of absolute madness crossed Elaina's face. She lunged forward and grabbed Adriene's wrist with a painful grip.

Adriene reacted purely on instinct. She yanked her arm back to break the hold. The force wasn't strong, but Elaina used the momentum. She threw her arms up into the air and violently threw herself backward.

Elaina let out a bloodcurdling scream as she tipped over the edge and crashed into the deep end of the heated pool.

Water exploded into the air. Elaina thrashed wildly, swallowing water and screaming for help, playing the role of a drowning victim perfectly.

The glass doors slammed open. Dallin dropped his phone. His eyes went wide with panic as he saw Elaina sinking. He didn't see the setup; he only saw Adriene pulling her arm back.

A guttural roar ripped from Dallin's throat. He sprinted across the marble deck like a wild animal. Adriene was standing between him and the edge of the pool.

Adriene started to step back to let him pass, but Dallin didn't wait. He didn't even slow down. To save a fraction of a second, he threw his hands out and shoved Adriene with every ounce of his strength.

The force lifted Adriene off her feet. She was thrown backward like a broken doll.

She flew through the air and crashed down hard. Her shoulder and the side of her head slammed heavily against the flat, unyielding surface of the marble deck. Stars exploded violently behind her eyes.

White-hot agony exploded in Adriene's skull. The pain was so intense it paralyzed her lungs. Her vision instantly went black for a terrifying second before swimming back into focus. Warm, thick blood rushed from the gash on her forehead where the skin had split against the stone, pouring down her face and completely blinding her left eye.

At the exact same moment, a massive splash sounded as Dallin dove into the water, fully clothed.

Adriene curled into a tight ball on the hard stone. She clutched her bleeding head, a weak, breathless moan escaping her lips.

In the pool, Dallin grabbed Elaina, who was pretending to be unconscious. He held her tight against his chest, kicking furiously toward the shallow end. His face was a portrait of absolute terror and heartbreak.

He dragged Elaina out of the water. He scooped her into his arms and marched toward the house. He stepped right over Adriene's legs. The cold water dripping from his expensive leather shoes splashed directly onto Adriene's pale, blood-smeared cheek.

Adriene forced her right eye open. Through the red haze of her own blood, she stared at his broad back.

"Dallin..." she gasped, her voice trembling, begging for help.

He didn't stop walking. He didn't even turn his head. "If she dies, I will bury you," he snarled, his voice devoid of any human warmth.

He disappeared down the hallway.

Adriene lay alone on the marble deck. The throbbing in her head matched the frantic beating of her heart. The blood dripped steadily onto the pristine white stone, forming a dark, terrifying puddle. The cold from the marble seeped deep into her bones.

She stared at the blood. And then, she smiled.

Her chest shook as a broken, hysterical laugh bubbled up her throat. A tear mixed with the blood running down her face.

She stopped fighting the pain. She let her body go limp against the cold stone. In that exact moment, the last microscopic shred of hope she had for her marriage burned to ash.