CHAPTER 28

 Beatrice’s POV

The office was quite silent today, everyone was facing their business, today was really a bad day to start with,only for me to enter the company and find out, my days of working was wasted?

I gathered my things and prepared to leave  immediately it was 6:45. 

My eyes was glued to the clock so tightly that every seconds was noticed.

The time on the wall clock says 6:45pm. My shift had ended but my mind had been shifted onto something else. Frustration and exhaustion. Xander had pushed me to my limit today. I always thought the way he used to act to me was the way he knew best but now it was clearly evident that he was punishing me. 

After the tense conversation we had  his office, I had spent the rest of the day buried in work, trying—and failing—to drown out the emotions bubbling inside me. But no matter how many reports I skimmed, I still couldn’t shake the angry feeling in me. 

He had dismissed my proposal, forced me to redo it, only to quietly use my original version as if my effort, my exhaustion, my time meant nothing.

It was a game to him. 

A twisted way to remind me who held the power.

I clenched my fist, How much longer could I keep this up?

How much longer could I endure this cycle before I finally snapped? 

I exhaled sharply, pushing the thoughts away as I grabbed my bag and made my way to the elevator.

It was time to go home.

Everything darkened as I stepped out of the office.

My chest felt as if it was loaded with stone, the cold wind bit my skin. 

The parking lot was almost empty. My heels clicked against the pavement as I made my way to my car, the sound echoing in the stillness.

I gripped the steering wheel the moment I got inside, my fingers tightening as I stared at the dashboard.

Breathe, Beatrice.

The day had drained me—he had drained me. Xander Thane, with his cold indifference and his cruel games, had taken everything I had left to give.

I started the engine, the low hum filling the silence.

The drive home felt longer than usual. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe it was the way my thoughts refused to settle. The city lights blurred past me in streaks of gold and white, but I wasn’t really seeing them.

I was thinking about them.

My triplets.

Caleb, Cooper, Charlotte.

Had they missed me?

Had they wondered why their mother wasn’t there to tuck them in?

The guilt gnawed at me, growing heavier with each passing second.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, the house was dark, save for the faint glow of the hallway light.

I sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel like it was the only thing keeping me grounded.

I had left them since morning.

My stomach twisted.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car, my heels sinking slightly into the damp ground. The house smelled like lavender and vanilla—Charlotte’s favorite scented candles. The familiarity should’ve been comforting, but tonight, it just made my chest ache.

I kicked off my shoes and set my bag down by the door, moving carefully through the dimly lit hallway.

When I reached their bedroom, I hesitated.

The door was slightly ajar, just enough for me to peek inside.

My heart clenched at the sight.

Caleb was curled up under his blanket, his small chest rising and falling in steady, even breaths. Cooper was sprawled across his bed, one arm dangling off the edge, his lips slightly parted as if he’d fallen asleep mid-sentence. And Charlotte—my sweet, sensitive Charlotte—was curled into a ball, clutching her stuffed bunny like it was the only thing keeping her safe.

A lump formed in my throat.

I had missed them.

More than I could ever put into words.

I stepped inside, my bare feet making no sound against the wooden floor. Kneeling beside Caleb’s bed, I reached out and gently brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead. His fingers twitched slightly, his lips parting as he let out a soft sigh.

I’m sorry, baby.

I turned to Charlotte next. Pressing a gentle kiss to her temple, I whispered, "I love you." She stirred slightly, her lashes fluttering, but she didn’t wake.

Then Cooper.

I ran my fingers over his tiny hand, my chest tightening. He looked so peaceful, so unbothered by the world’s cruelty. How long would that last? How long until he learned that the world wasn’t always kind? That life didn’t always play fair?

I swallowed hard.

I didn’t want them to know pain. 

Didn’t want them to know hunger, or fear, or the kind of loneliness that ate away at your soul.

I wanted them to be kids. To laugh and dream and believe that the world was full of endless possibilities.

But how could I protect them when I could barely protect myself?

A deep sigh shuddered out of me as I pulled their blankets up, tucking them in just a little tighter.

I stayed there for a moment, just watching them.

Letting their soft breathing calm the storm inside me.

Then, finally, I forced myself to stand.

I made my way back to the living room, rubbing at my tired eyes. The exhaustion I had been pushing down all day finally hit me like a tidal wave.

I sank onto the couch, letting my head fall back against the cushions.

For a few minutes, I just sat there, staring at the ceiling.

Thinking.

About Xander.

About the way he looked at me today, like I was nothing but a chess piece in his game.

About how much I hated that a part of me still reacted to him—still felt something, despite everything.

My eyes burned.

I refused to cry.

I had already given too much of myself to that man. To his coldness, his power plays, his ability to make me feel small even when I fought back.

No more.

No. More.

I was tired.

Tired of pretending.

Tired of living in fear.

Tired of looking over my shoulder, waiting for the day everything crumbled.

I needed to leave. Now.

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of my reality settle on my shoulders.

I couldn’t keep living like this.

Couldn’t keep working under Xander’s constant manipulation.

Couldn’t keep running, terrified that one day, he would look into my children’s eyes and see himself staring back at him.

The Call That Changed Everything again 

Swallowing hard, I stood up and pulled my phone from my bag. My fingers hesitated over Sarah’s contact before I pressed call.

It rang thrice before she picked up.

“Bea?” Her voice was filled with surprise. “Are you okay?”

I closed my eyes. “Sarah… I want to leave. I need to leave.”

Silence.

Then, a deep sigh. “I was expecting this.”

Tears burned behind my eyes. “I can’t stay here anymore,” I whispered, gripping the edge of the counter. “I can’t keep doing this. Every single day, I feel like I’m one step closer to being found out. And after today, I just—I don’t have the strength to keep pretending.”

“I understand,” she said gently. “Where do you want to go?”

I hesitated. “The place we talked about.”

There was another pause before she sighed again. “Beatrice… it’s not that easy. You’re not just leaving alone. You have three kids. You have to be careful.”

“I know,” I said quickly. “That’s why I want to do it the right way. No rushing. No mistakes. I just—I need to get out before it’s too late.”

Sarah was quiet for a moment before she finally said, “I already started working on it.”

I froze. “What?”

“The visas,” she explained. “I knew this day would come, so I started the process early. The documents should be ready within a week.”

My heart stopped. “A week?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “But until then, you have to be careful. You can’t let Xander suspect anything. If he finds out you’re planning to leave, he won’t let you go that easily.”

My grip on the phone tightened.

A week.

Just one more week, and I would finally be free.

I exhaled shakily, trying to process what this meant. We were really doing this.

We were really leaving.

Sarah’s voice softened. “I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. Just hang in there a little longer.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “Thank you, Sarah.”

“Of course,” she said. “You’re like a sister to me, Bea. I’ll always have your back.”

Tears pricked my eyes. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear those words until now.

“Goodnight, Sarah,” I whispered.

“Goodnight, Beatrice.”

I ended the call and stood there in the darkness, my heart pounding loudly in my chest.

One more week.

I could do this.

I had to do this.

For my children.

For myself.

For our freedom.

The Longest Week of My Life

I would have to hold on for the sake of my kids. 

As if I wasn’t counting down the days.

As if my entire life wasn’t about to change.