CHAPTER 5

      I stood there, my wrist still tingling from Sebastian’s grip, my pulse hammering in my ears. The station buzzed around me, officers moving back and forth, their voices blending into a meaningless hum.

      I had taken my phone and called Cole's number immediately to come take me away from here. For Jane to trust him, he was the only person I could trust at this moment.

    I should have felt relief. I was free. But instead, my stomach churned with fury.  

      Sebastian wanted me to sit through that meeting like nothing had happened? Like he hadn’t just thrown our marriage away and humiliated me? Like his family hadn’t tried to bury me? Who the fuck does that? And he even had the effrontery to threaten me?

    I clenched my fists, "No. He doesn’t get to decide how I walk away from this."

     I turned toward the exit, and made my way out. The moment I stepped outside, the evening air hit my soul and it felt like I'd been in that cell for decades. 

     A black car was parked at the curb. As I approached, the back door swung open, and Cole Daniels stepped out.  

      “Davina,” he greeted, his eyes scanning my face carefully. “I was really surprised when I got your call, are you alright?”  

     A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Oh, just wonderful. Arrested, framed, divorced, and now being blackmailed into a business meeting. What more could a girl want?”  

     Cole’s jaw tightened. He gestured toward the car. “Come on. Let me get you home.”  

      I hesitated for half a second before slipping inside. "Just take me straight to Jane's," I said as I sank into my seat.

   "Sure," he followed, shutting the door, and he pulled away from the curb.  

    I sat in the backseat of the car, staring blankly out the window as the city lights blurred past. My hands trembled in my lap, still feeling Sebastian’s grip on my wrist.  

      “You okay?” Cole’s asked, looking into the rearview mirror.

    I looked up, forcing a tight smile. “I don’t know.”  

      He sighed, keeping his eyes on the road. “You don’t have to go to that meeting, Davina, you know that right? He can’t force you to do anything." 

      A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “You don’t know Sebastian, do you? If he wants something, he’ll make sure he gets it—one way or another.”  

       Cole drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “If he threatens you again, I need to know. That’s not something we take lightly. If you do not wish to go, don't and if he tried anything at all, just let me know."

     I nodded, but my mind was elsewhere. Sebastian was always calculated, always in control. But this evening, for the briefest moment, I’d seen something in his eyes—desperation. And that terrified me more than anything. 

      The Carpel Myles was one of the companies Sebastian had always wished to associate with and I myself, on the company's behalf have had to attend a couple of interviews just for us to secure this collaboration.

     By the time I reached Jane's apartment, exhaustion had settled deep in my bones. Jane was already waiting for me, her arms crossed, worry etched across her face.  

     “God, Davina.” She pulled me into a tight hug, then stepped back to study me. “Are you okay?”  

     “I’m free, aren’t I?” I tried to joke, but it fell flat. I walked past her into the living room, shrugging off my coat. “Cole told me what you did. Thank you. I really don't know what I'd have done without you."

     Jane helped me inside, guiding me to a worn but comfortable sofa in the living room, and insisted on preparing a cup of tea. The warmth of the beverage, along with the soft lamplight and the familiar surroundings of Jane’s home, began to soothe my frayed nerves.

     I sat down, cradling the mug in my hands as Jane busied herself in the kitchen. Every so often, my mind drifted back to Sebastian’s cold words, I could not stop hearing his voice in my head. I tried to push the thought aside, focusing instead on the tick of the wall clock.

     The silence was interrupted only by the occasional exchange between Jane and me. For a while, the world outside seemed to pause, and I allowed myself to simply exist, if only for these few precious moments of peace.

     Just as I began to relax, my phone started to buzz on the coffee table, jolting me back to consciousness. I glanced at the screen and saw the caller ID: Love Bug. My heart lurched, and I froze, my breath catching in my throat.

    "Who is that?" Jane asked from inside the kitchen and I could sense the suspicion in her voice.

     "Sebastian?" I uttered, staring at the phone in my hand as it continued buzzing.

   “What the fuck!? Don’t answer it, Davina,” Jane hissed urgently from the doorway as she emerged from the kitchen, her eyes wide with alarm. “It can’t be good. What else does he want?"

      I hesitated, my instincts screaming to ignore the call. But the urge to know why exactly he was calling again—perhaps he wanted to apologize for what he had done — maybe he's back to his right senses, who knows? With a shaky hand, I swiped to answer the call.

    “Hello?” My voice was cautious, every word measured.

     There was a pause on the other end, and then Sebastian’s measured tone came through, cold and unyielding. “Davina, what took you so long to answer my call? Are you ignoring me? Hold on, where are you?”

    I swallowed hard, looking up at Jane who stood in front of me, fuming. “I’m at Jane’s house. I—I needed a place to rest.”

     There was a brief silence, as if he were weighing his next words carefully. Then his voice, cut through the quiet. “Well, something came up, so you need to come back to the estate immediately.”

     “Sebastian, what? No, I’m not coming there,” I said, my voice shaking and I could hear my heart beating faster against my ribs. “I believe whatever it is that just came up, you can handle it on your own and if you can't - Well, Courtney will."

    His reply was icy. “Davina, this is not up for negotiation. If you want Jane to still have her job and her apartment by tomorrow morning, you should leave her house right now.”

      The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at the phone in disbelief, my mind racing to comprehend the threat.

     Jane’s eyes were wide with shock as she stepped closer, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the phone.

     "I don't care about the job, Davina. You shouldn't go, that man is a bastard! You can't let him use me to threaten you, I can always get another job," Jane snapped, sinking onto the sofa beside me, her voice trembling with anger and worry.

    I took a deep breath, weighing my decision. I could never let Jane lose her job, she had parents and siblings to take care of. 

    "I'll be on my way." I finally said and disconnected the call.