Chapter 5

The morning light was a gray, lifeless thing. It filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across the bedroom floor. Arlene stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. The woman looking back at her was a stranger. Pale, hollow-eyed, with a bruise blooming on her wrist where his grip had been too tight.

She reached for the concealer, dabbing it over the purple marks. She blended it in until her skin looked flawless, a mask of perfection hiding the decay underneath.

She pulled on the black suit Harrison had demanded. The fabric was stiff, unfamiliar. It felt like a shroud. She buttoned the jacket all the way up, the collar brushing against her throat.

When she walked downstairs, Harrison was already waiting in the foyer. He was also dressed in black, his suit sharp and expensive. He looked like he was attending a funeral.

He didn't speak. He just held out his arm. It wasn't a gesture of chivalry; it was a command.

Arlene ignored his arm and walked past him, out the front door. The Bentley was idling in the driveway, the chauffeur standing at attention.

The drive was long and silent. The city gave way to suburbs, then to the sprawling estates of Long Island's gold coast. Arlene stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past. The glass felt cool against her forehead. Her stomach was a tight knot of anxiety.

She couldn't take the silence anymore. "Harrison," she said, her voice cutting through the quiet hum of the engine. "Let's talk about the divorce."

He didn't turn his head. He was looking out his own window, his profile carved from stone. "I haven't agreed to anything," he said, his tone flat. "You are still Mrs. Boyle."

Arlene took a deep breath. This was her play. Her only card. "The prenuptial agreement clearly states that after three years, I have the right to file for dissolution."

Harrison finally moved. He turned his head, a slow, deliberate motion. A cruel smile touched his lips. "The agreement?" he repeated, savoring the word. "Arlene, did you forget? Your family's entire trust fund is under my control."

The words hit her like a bucket of ice water. The trust. She had forgotten. In the chaos of the diagnosis, the pregnancy, the escape attempt, she had forgotten the one thing that had kept her chained to him.

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "One word from me, and the Parker family goes right back to where they were three years ago. Only worse. I'll make sure they lose the house. I'll make sure your father goes to prison."

Arlene's breath hitched. The blood drained from her face. She had sacrificed herself to save them. If she pushed him, if she forced the divorce, it would all be for nothing.

"Your rebellion," he continued, his eyes boring into hers, "only hurts the people you love."

Arlene bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. The metallic taste filled her mouth, a familiar sting. She was trapped. Again. The walls were closing in, the air thinning.

The car turned onto a narrow, tree-lined road. A wrought-iron gate appeared, flanked by stone pillars. The driver stopped, punching a code into the keypad. The gates swung open, revealing a rolling lawn dotted with headstones.

Arlene's heart sank. A cemetery. He had brought her to a cemetery.

The car drove down the gravel path, stopping in front of a large, imposing monument. It was an angel, its wings folded, its face turned up to the heavens. At its base, a granite slab bore a name: Jonathan Boyle.

Harrison opened his door and stepped out. He walked around the car and opened hers, standing aside. The wind whipped through the trees, rustling the dead leaves. It was freezing.

Arlene stepped out, her heels sinking into the soft ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering in the thin black suit.

Harrison walked toward the grave. He stopped in front of it, his back to her. He stood there for a long moment, his shoulders rigid.

Then, he turned. His eyes were hard, his jaw set. "Kneel," he said.

Arlene stared at him. The word hung in the air, obscene and degrading. "What?"

"Kneel," he repeated, gesturing to the grave. "My father is lying here because the Parkers betrayed him. You're a Parker. You should atone for your family's sins."

Arlene didn't move. Her knees felt like lead. To kneel here, in the cold, in front of the grave of the man who had started this cycle of hatred-it was too much. It was a violation of everything she had left.

And then there was the baby. The tiny life inside her. Kneeling on the cold, hard ground would put pressure on her abdomen. She couldn't risk it. She wouldn't.

She looked Harrison in the eye. "My father isn't the man you think he is," she said, her voice shaking but firm. "He wouldn't betray a friend. There must have been a mistake, a misunderstanding!"

The words were out before she could stop them. It was the first time she had ever directly challenged his narrative. The first time she had ever defended her family with such raw conviction.

Harrison's expression froze. The cold amusement vanished, replaced by something far more dangerous. Pure, unadulterated rage.

He closed the distance between them in two strides. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. His fingers dug into the bruise he had left the night before. The pain was sharp, blinding.

"Looks like last night's lesson wasn't enough," he snarled, his face inches from hers.

He yanked her forward, dragging her toward the grave. Arlene stumbled, her heels sinking deep into the turf like anchors. The soft ground offered no purchase, and he had to practically lift her off her feet to drag her forward. She cried out, the sound swallowed by the wind.

He was going to force her. He was going to make her kneel, one way or another. The cold granite of the headstone loomed in her vision, a symbol of his unyielding hate.