Chapter 3

The fear was eating me alive from the inside out.

Two stomach bleeds in one single week. The emergency room doctors blamed it on severe stress and prescribed heavy sedatives.

They had no idea I was living with a man who was actively calculating the exact day to murder me.

I spent the night curled into a tight, trembling ball on the hardwood floor of my walk-in closet.

I hugged my knees tightly to my chest, shivering violently, absolutely terrified to close my eyes. If I slept, I might never wake up.

The heavy closet door swung open.

"Oh, baby," Marvin whispered, wrapping his strong arms around me. He pulled me against his chest, stroking my tangled hair with terrifying gentleness. "Look at you. You're so scared. Don't be afraid, Denise. I'm right here."

He carried me back to bed.

The next morning, a professional team of technicians arrived at the penthouse. Marvin held my hand tightly as they installed heavy electronic locks on the doors and high-definition cameras in every hallway.

"Military-level security," Marvin told me, kissing my temple with a cold, dry mouth. "No one can get in to hurt you, my love. You are completely safe."

That afternoon, Louise came to visit.

"You look terrible, Denise," Louise said. She reached out and patted my pale, trembling hand. "Marvin tells me you're hiding in closets now. Are you losing your mind, sweetie? You know, there are special hospitals for this kind of thing. You shouldn't be around James when you're this unstable."

I stared at her, my nails digging so hard into my palms they drew blood. I didn't say a word. I couldn't. The cameras were watching us.

But I wasn't entirely broken. Not yet.

Three days ago, during a rare, heavily guarded walk in the park, I had pretended to trip. In the chaos, I managed to slip a crumpled, desperate note into the hand of a passing stranger—a man I recognized as the personal driver for Derek Vance.

Derek Vance was a ruthless British billionaire. He was Marvin’s biggest rival. He hated my husband with a cold, burning passion.

He was the only person powerful enough to crush Marvin completely.

Thursday was James’s pediatrician appointment. Marvin waited in the heavily armored SUV downstairs, trusting his massive bodyguards to stand outside the clinic door.

I sat on the edge of the exam table, holding James tightly against my chest. The doctor had just stepped out to get a lollipop.

The clinic door clicked open.

A man stepped into the sterile white room, locking the door behind him.

"Hello, Denise," Derek said, his British accent a low, velvet rumble that sent a shiver straight down my spine.

"You got my note," I whispered, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs.

Derek stepped closer. The sheer magnetic pull of his presence was overwhelming.

He reached out, his large, warm hand gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His touch sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to my core.

"You are far too beautiful to be locked in a cage," Derek murmured, his gaze dropping briefly to my trembling lips before meeting my eyes again. "I've watched you for a long time, Denise. I always knew Marvin was a fool. But I didn't realize he was a dead man walking."

"He's going to kill me," I choked out, the terrifying truth finally spilling from my lips. "He's calculating my allergy data. He wants to take my son and my fortune."

Derek’s jaw clenched.

"Marvin is completely bankrupt," Derek revealed, his voice hard and unforgiving. "He has hidden it well, but his empire is crumbling. He owes dangerous people a lot of money. The only way he survives is by inheriting your estate."

My blood ran cold. "When?"

"Your wedding anniversary," Derek said softly, stepping so close I could smell the intoxicating scent of cedar and expensive cologne on his warm skin. "Next week. That is his deadline. He needs you dead by next Friday."

A choked sob escaped my throat. I pulled James closer, tears spilling down my cheeks. Next week. I had seven days left to live.

"Help me," I begged, looking up into Derek’s icy blue eyes. "Please. I'll give you whatever you want. Just get my son and me out of here."

Derek didn't step back. Instead, he closed the remaining distance between us. He cupped my face in both of his large hands, his thumbs gently wiping away my tears. His touch was fierce, possessive, and undeniably intimate.

"I will tear Marvin’s world apart piece by piece," Derek promised, his voice a dark, seductive whisper against my skin. "I will save you, Denise. I will give you a new life where no one can ever hurt you again."

He leaned in, his lips brushing agonizingly close to mine. My heart hammered wildly, a dangerous, undeniable chemistry igniting between us in the small, sterile room.

"But my protection comes with a price," Derek murmured, his eyes blazing with a dark, territorial claim. "When this is over, you belong to me."