Chapter 4

She didn't make it five feet down the hallway.

A hand clamped around her wrist like a vise. The grip was bruising, crushing the delicate bones together. Arlie gasped as she was spun around and slammed back against the wall. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs.

Killian loomed over her. He was tall, broad, and furious. His chest was heaving, his face inches from hers. He planted his hands on the wall on either side of her head, caging her in. The scent of his cologne-sandalwood and something sharp-washed over her, making her stomach turn.

"You think you have a choice?" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "You think you can just say no?"

"I'm not your property," Arlie spat back, her chest heaving against his. "You can't force me to have your child."

Killian laughed. It was a harsh, ugly sound. "In case you haven't noticed, you have nothing. Your passport, your driver's license, your credit cards-they are all in my safe. You don't have a dime to your name. You don't even have the clothes on your back. Without me, you don't exist."

Arlie's defiance faltered. The reality of her situation crashed over her. He was right. She was completely and utterly dependent on him.

The fog in her head was still there, muffling everything. But the pain in her wrist where he gripped her-that was sharp. That was real. She held onto it. Pain meant she was still here. Pain meant her body was still fighting, even when her mind couldn't.

"Let me go," she said, her voice trembling despite her best effort.

Killian leaned in closer, his breath hot on her cheek. "You will agree to this, Arlie. One way or another."

The sound of the front door opening echoed down the hall. Voices drifted in from the foyer-guests arriving for the garden party.

Killian pulled back instantly. He straightened his tie, his face smoothing back into the impassive mask of the CEO. He looked at her, his eyes issuing a final warning. "The party starts in ten minutes. You will wear what I give you. You will smile. You will play the loving wife. And if you even think about making a scene, I will drag you back to Serenity Meadows myself and sign the papers to keep you there for the rest of your life."

He turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the hallway, her wrist throbbing where he had grabbed her.

Thirty minutes later, Arlie stood on the edge of the garden patio. The night was cool, but the gardens were lit with thousands of twinkling lights. The sound of champagne corks popping and polite laughter filled the air. She was wearing the dress Killian's assistant had delivered directly to the powder room off the foyer-a tight, emerald green gown that felt like a straitjacket. She had changed mechanically, not looking at herself in the mirror. The dress was beautiful. It made her feel sick.

She was a ghost at her own party. People looked at her, then quickly looked away. She caught snippets of conversation. Mental breakdown... poor Killian... heard she tried to hurt herself...

She walked toward the bar, desperate for something to numb the pain, when she saw him. Julian was standing near the dessert table, holding a cupcake. Kaelynn was beside him, holding a glass of champagne, chatting with a group of women.

A woman in a pink hat spotted Julian and smiled warmly. "Oh, what a handsome little man! Come here, sweetie, give your mommy a kiss!"

She gestured toward Arlie.

Julian looked up. His eyes met Arlie's. The cupcake slipped from his hand, hitting the ground with a soft thud. His face crumpled.

"No!" he screamed, the sound piercing the party noise. "No! No! No!"

He pointed a shaking finger at Arlie. The entire garden went silent. Every head turned. Every eye was on her.

"She's not my mommy!" Julian shrieked, tears streaming down his face. "She's a crazy lady! She made Kaelynn cry! I hate her! I want my real mommy!"

Kaelynn rushed over, dropping to her knees and pulling Julian into her arms. She looked up at Arlie, her eyes brimming with fake tears. "Julian, please, don't say that. She's your mother. She loves you, even if she's... sick."

It was a masterful performance. The crowd sighed in sympathy. They saw a grieving, loving stepmother protecting a traumatized child from an unstable woman.

Harrison appeared at Arlie's elbow, his face twisted in anger. "Look what you've done. You've ruined everything."

"You need to leave," Meredith hissed, grabbing Arlie's arm. "You're causing a spectacle."

Arlie stood frozen. The judgment of the crowd pressed in on her, a physical weight crushing her chest. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

Then, a hand closed around her upper arm. A grip like iron. Killian.

"I'm so sorry," Killian announced to the crowd, his voice smooth and apologetic. "My wife is having an episode. Please, enjoy the party."

He didn't wait for a response. He leaned close, his fingers digging into her arm as his voice dropped to a venomous whisper only she could hear. "Walk. Now." While his face remained a mask of concerned husband to the onlookers, he steered her through the crowd with unyielding force. Arlie stumbled in her heels, the pressure on her arm a painful reminder of her captivity. He pulled her through the house, out the side door, and shoved her into the back of a black SUV idling in the driveway.

"Drive," he ordered the driver.

The car sped off into the night. Arlie clutched the door handle, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Where are we going?"

Killian didn't look at her. He stared out the window, his jaw clenched tight. "Somewhere you can't hurt anyone. Somewhere you can think about the agreement."

The city lights blurred past. The car descended into a dark underground parking garage, the concrete pillars flashing in the headlights. It stopped in front of a private elevator.

Killian pulled her out of the car and into the elevator. They rode up in silence, the numbers climbing higher and higher. When the doors opened, they stepped into a penthouse apartment. It was huge, minimalist, and completely sterile. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the city skyline, but the glass was thick, soundproof.

Killian walked over to the front door. He placed his thumb on the biometric scanner. The lock clicked shut.

"Until you sign the agreement," he said, his voice echoing in the empty space, "this is where you'll stay."

He turned and left. The door sealed behind him with a final, definitive thud.

Arlie ran to the door. She pressed her palm against the cold metal. She looked around the apartment. The windows didn't open. The door needed his fingerprint. She was fifty stories up in the air, surrounded by millions of people, and she was completely alone.

She sank to the floor, her back against the door, and pressed her palms against her eyes until she saw stars. The fog in her head was so thick now she could barely form a thought. She was trapped. She had nothing. She was no one. Killian was right. She couldn't fight him. She didn't even know how to begin.

Somewhere, buried under the exhaustion and the medication residue, a small voice whispered that the old Arlie would have known. The old Arlie would have had a plan. But the old Arlie felt very far away, and she was so, so tired.