Chapter 2

Genevieve was thrown roughly onto a freezing stone floor.

The harsh, bone-rattling impact jolted her awake. The chemical stupor shattered. She gasped for air, her lungs burning. The damp, mildewed smell of an underground room filled her nose, making her violently nauseous.

She blinked against the dim light. A single, exposed bulb hung from a wire above. It cast long, eerie shadows over the face of the woman standing above her. It was Patsy Conway, one of the thugs Clinton kept on his payroll. Patsy sneered down at her, her arms crossed over her chest.

Genevieve tried to push herself up. Her bare palms scraped against the rough, dirty stone tiles. Before she could lift her shoulders, a blinding wave of agony ripped through her abdomen. It forced her flat onto her back.

"Please," Genevieve begged. Her voice cracked with raw terror. She felt a warm, terrifying dampness spreading across her inner thighs. "Call an ambulance. My baby is coming."

Patsy laughed. It was a harsh, grating sound. She stepped forward and kicked Genevieve's designer purse across the floor. It hit the wall with a dull thud, spilling makeup and keys into the dirt.

"Clinton gave strict orders," Patsy stated coldly. "No medical interference. You're on your own down here."

Genevieve clutched her swollen belly. Her fingernails dug deep into the fabric of her maternity dress. The physical pain of the contractions was unbearable, but the crushing psychological realization of her doom was worse. Clinton wanted her to die here. He wanted the baby to die here.

Patsy turned and walked up the rough wooden steps.

The heavy iron door of the cellar slammed shut. The deafening metallic clang echoed off the stone walls, vibrating in Genevieve's teeth.

The lock turned with a heavy, final click.

Genevieve was completely isolated. The underground chamber was freezing. She could see her own breath pluming in the dim light.

A massive contraction ripped through her body. Her spine arched violently off the freezing floor. She screamed into the empty darkness, the sound tearing her throat raw.

She rolled onto her side and dragged herself toward the wooden wine racks lining the wall. Her bloody fingers left smeared, dark trails on the dusty stone tiles.

She reached the bottom shelf and grabbed it. The old, rotting wood splinters dug deep into her skin. She didn't care. She used the rack to anchor herself as another agonizing wave of labor crashed over her.

The pain was so intense she began to hallucinate. Through the blurry tears, she saw her father's face in the shadows.

"Dad," she cried out, her voice a broken whisper. "Save me. Please."

But reality crashed back in. The freezing temperature of the cellar seeped into her bones. She began to shiver uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered so hard her jaw ached. The cold was rapidly draining her remaining energy.

She bit down hard on her own wrist to muffle her next scream. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She would not let her child die in silence. She had to push.

Hours blurred into an endless, agonizing cycle of torture. The dim lightbulb flickered ominously overhead. It threatened to plunge her into total darkness at any second.

Then, Genevieve felt a sudden, catastrophic shift in her body. A sickening pressure signaled the end of the traumatic labor.

She pushed. She used the absolute last ounce of her strength. Her vision went completely white from the sheer magnitude of the physical trauma.

The child was delivered onto the cold stone.

Genevieve collapsed back onto the floor, panting heavily. She waited. She listened with every fiber of her being.

But the cellar remained hauntingly silent. There was no cry. There was no breathing.

Genevieve weakly reached out. Her trembling fingers brushed against the tiny, still form. Her heart stopped. It shattered into a million jagged pieces inside her chest.

She pulled the lifeless infant to her chest. Her tears flowed freely, mixing with the sweat and dirt coating her face. She rocked back and forth on the freezing stone, trapped in absolute, suffocating despair.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the wooden stairs outside. The vibrations shook loose dust from the cellar ceiling.

The iron door unlocked. It swung open. A sudden influx of harsh flashlight beams blinded Genevieve momentarily. She squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her dead baby tighter.

Clinton stepped into the cellar. His immaculate, tailored suit contrasted sickeningly with the blood and horror covering the floor. He looked perfectly put together.

Genevieve looked up at him. Her eyes were completely hollowed out by grief. She held the stillborn child against her chest like a fragile shield against his cruelty.

Clinton pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket and covered his nose. His face contorted in genuine disgust at the metallic smell of blood and sweat.

He stepped closer. His expensive leather shoes crunched on the gritty stone. He looked down at her, his expression devoid of any human empathy.

"Sign the final documents for the trust transfer," Clinton demanded, holding out the heavy legal folder she had brought to his study earlier, a sleek silver pen resting on top of the thick stack of papers.

Genevieve stared at his shoes. She felt the blood pooling in her mouth from where she had bitten her own wrist. She gathered every ounce of hatred left in her broken body.

She spit a mouthful of bloody saliva directly onto his expensive Italian shoes. It was a final act of utter defiance.

Clinton's eyes flashed with murderous rage. The polite, civilized facade dropped completely. He pulled his leg back and kicked her viciously in the ribs.

Genevieve collapsed sideways. The impact cracked her ribs and knocked the breath entirely from her lungs. But her arms remained locked tight. She refused to let go of her child.