Chapter 7

The Maybach sped dangerously along the pitch-black mountain road. The air pressure inside the cabin was so low it was hard to breathe.

Herminia rubbed her bruised, red wrists. She glared at the man sitting next to her. "You are a lunatic."

Bradley ripped his tie completely off and threw it on the floor. He turned to her, his eyes blazing. "You threw away your dignity for that pathetic actor?"

Herminia let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Ignacio is a thousand times better than a cheating piece of garbage like you."

Those words hit a tripwire in Bradley's brain. He lunged across the seat, grabbing her shoulders and pinning her hard against the cold glass of the window.

He squeezed her jaw, his face inches from hers. "As long as I don't sign that paper, you will die as Mrs. Elliott."

Herminia lifted her chin, refusing to show a single ounce of fear. "I will see you in court tomorrow."

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the phone in Bradley's pocket began to ring loudly.

He pulled it out in annoyance. The name 'Kristal' flashed brightly on the screen.

He was about to hit decline, but he caught the look of absolute disgust in Herminia's eyes. Driven by a dark, spiteful impulse, he hit accept.

Instantly, Kristal's hysterical crying blasted through the car's Bluetooth speakers.

"Bradley! The power went out in the apartment! Someone is banging on the door! I'm so scared!"

The muscles in Bradley's arms tensed immediately. His furious tone vanished, replaced by urgent panic. "Are you hurt? Did they get inside?"

Herminia listened to his gentle, worried voice. Her stomach churned violently. The nausea was unbearable.

"Please come back and save me," Kristal sobbed loudly. "I only have you!"

"I'm on my way. Lock the bedroom door," Bradley promised softly.

He hung up the phone and turned to the driver. "Turn the car around. Back to Manhattan. Now."

The driver looked in the rearview mirror, his face pale. "Sir, this mountain pass is incredibly narrow and winding. Reversing the Maybach out of here will take too much time and it's extremely dangerous in the dark. We need to focus entirely on maneuvering," the driver stammered, sweating profusely.

Bradley frowned deeply. Every second counted. He turned his head and looked at Herminia. His eyes were completely cold.

"Get out of the car," he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "I will send another car for you after I make sure Kristal is safe."

Herminia stared at him. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was the middle of the night. The autumn wind was freezing. They were in the middle of a desolate mountain with wild animals.

"You are leaving me in the middle of nowhere for a phone call from that woman?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Bradley looked annoyed. "Kristal is in actual danger. Every second counts. I don't have time to argue with you right now. Just step out so the driver can maneuver safely. Stop being unreasonable."

That single sentence severed the very last, microscopic thread tying her to this man.

Herminia suddenly laughed out loud.

She didn't say another word. She reached over, pulled the handle, and kicked the heavy door open. The freezing wind instantly filled the car.

She stepped out into the pitch-black darkness. She didn't look back once.

Bradley watched her back disappear into the shadows. A strange, sharp pain pierced his chest, but he forced it down.

"Turn the damn car around!" he yelled at the driver.

The Maybach struggled to reverse into the narrow dirt path, tires spinning, before finally turning around and speeding away.

The red taillights disappeared around the bend. The mountain fell into a dead, terrifying silence.

Herminia stood alone on the freezing asphalt. She pulled her thin jacket tighter around herself. Her body was freezing, but her heart was colder than ice.