Chapter 13%
The news came quietly that moming, like a whisper slipping through the halls of the estate.”
Sofia had jumped.
Skyview Tower–again.
But this time, she hadn’t been bluffing
No camera footage had caught her fall. No body had been found yet. Search teams were out combing the woods and the river below, but all they had was blood on the railing and a pair of shoes left behind.
I didn’t flinch.
I didn’t ask questions.
I simply blinked at the news, nodded once, and turned back to my tea.ll
Because I didn’t care anymore.
Sofia wasn’t my problem.!!
Not now. Not ever again.
Her death–or disappearance–was just another scar fading from a nightmare I had already chosen to survive.
What mattered now… was freedom
And I was ready to take it.
With Cameron away on a business trip–a supposed expansion deal out of the city–I slipped into a dress soft enough to appear modest and casual enough to be forgettable. I didn’t want to draw attention.
But I wanted to be seen
Because that was part of the plan.
I met Jackson at a quiet café tucked between boutiques on the edge of the city. A place simple enough to be overlooked but open enough to attract eyes if someone were watching
If Cameron wanted to know–if he was suspicious–he’d find this meeting.
And that was exactly the point.
Jackson stood as I walked in, a crooked grin stretching across his face. He wore black slacks, a casual button–down, and sunglasses pushed onto his head like he had just stepped off a movie set
He had that kind of charm.
Unpolished. Effortless. Dangerous in the right way.
“Still as pretty as ever” he said, holding out my chair
I sat, ignoring the compliment. “You’re late “8
“You’re early,” he shot back, amused.
I glanced at him, something flickering behind my eyes. “You’re different than I remember.
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “So you do remember.”
“Not much,” I admitted. “Trauma wiped out most of my childhood. Some pieces try to come back sometimes, but they’re faint. Like dreams you forget as soon as you open your eyes.”
He nodded, quiet for a moment. Then smiled softly, “You used to call me Jack Jack Said I looked like a cartoon you liked.”
I smirked despite myself. “Sounds like me.”
“So,” he said, resting his chin on his hand, “you don’t remember being chased by swans at my father’s garden party?”
1 blinked. “Swans?”
“You screamed for ten minutes straight,” he said, laughing. “Then threw a fruit tart at one of them and called it a demon.”
I laughed under my breath. Just a little.
It surprised me how easy it felt–this lightness around him.8
But I caught myself. Straightened my back.
“This is a deal, Jackson. Don’t forget that.”
His smile faded slightly, though not completely.
“I know” he said. “But what if I don’t want it to be a deal?”
I looked him in the eye
“That’s not something I’m ready for Not now.”
He didn’t pushi
Just nodded.
“So what’s the plan?”
I leaned in, lowering my voice!
“First, I file for divorce Quietly. Through private counsel that won’t tip Cameron off. It’s not about the money–I’ll leave it all behind. I just need the legal cut. Once the papers are finalized, fil start making public appearances with you.”
11-27 AM c
FISCH HIG
He raised a brow. “Scandalous.”
“Exactly,” I said. “I want him to see me happy. I want him to feel what it’s like to be replaced. To see someone touch me the way he never should have. To know that everything he thought he fixed–was just me setting him up.”
Jackson watched me for a moment. “Cold.
“Calculated,” I corrected.!!
He hesitated.
Then asked, “And what about after that?”
I looked away, chewing the inside of my cheek. “Honestly? I want a baby”
He blinked. “A baby?”
“Maybe it’s stupid,” I said quickly. “But part of me thinks that’s the perfect revenge. To have what he wanted. But not with him. To give life out of the ruins he created.“8
Jackson didn’t hesitate.X
“For you,” he said, “I’d do anything”
The sincerity in his voice shook me more than I wanted to admit
For a moment, I forgot this was a deal.?
For a moment. I just felt safe.
I glanced at him. “Thank you.”
He smiled. “You don’t have to thank me yet. Just promise you’ll let me slap Cameron if he ever comes crawling back.“}
I laughed, for real this time. “Deal.“”
We stayed there a while longer, finalizing details, timing, strategy. He was sharp. Efficient. And somehow, made everything feel less like a battle plan and more like a shared secret between co–conspirators ||
When I stood to leave, he walked me to the car but didn’t try to kiss me.?
That meant something.8
He respected boundaries!
Even in revenge.
I arrived back at the estate as dusk settled in, washing everything in gold.
I entered through the front doors like I had just gone for a walk. Smiled at the maid. Tucked my hands behind my back. Wore peace like a perfume.
Cameron wasn’t home yet.
Good.
It gave me time to breathe. To think.
To rehearse the role I would keep playing until the day I walked away for good.
Because one day soon, I would
And when I did
There would be nothing left of the man who tried to ruin me.
11:27 AM c d
Cameron thought he had me back.
