All Chapters of Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak: Chapter 201 - Chapter 210

Arielle stirred against me, her eyelids fluttering. The sedative was wearing off. My heart raced with both relief and terror. Relief that she was waking, terror at what she would soon face."Mama?" she murmured, her voice thick with sleep."I'm here, baby," I whispered, leaning as close as my restraints would allow. "Mama's here."Her eyes opened fully, confusion evident as she took in our surroundings—the interior of the helicopter, the strange men, the restraints binding her parents."Where are we? What's happening?" Fear crept into her voice.Before I could answer, Claudia leaned forward from her seat across from us. "Well, well. Sleeping Beauty awakens."Arielle shrank back against me, her eyes wide with terror."Don't talk to her," I said shielding her as much as I could. "So protective. It's really quite touching."The helicopter banked sharply, heading east—away from the city. Where were they taking us? A remote location where no one would hear our screams?"Papa?" Arielle's

"You realize you're insane, right?" I said, trying to stay calm for Arielle's sake. "You just murdered your own accomplice."Marco laughed. "Accomplice implies equal footing. She was a just tool." He paused by the small bar cabinet, setting down the knife to pour himself another drink. "And when tools outlive their usefulness, you discard them."Marco's men had emerged from the cockpit now taking in Claudia’s absence– a tall, muscular man with a scar across his left cheek – shifted uncomfortably in the corner. He exchanged a glance with the other guard, a younger man whose hand now rested nervously on his weapon.Marco caught the look. "Something on your mind, Carlos?"The scarred guard straightened. "No, sir.""Good." Marco tossed back his drink in one swallow. Alejandro had managed to loosen his restraints significantly during the struggle, but not enough to break free. We both knew our window of opportunity was narrowing by the second."What exactly is your endgame here, Marco?" A

My head throbbed with every heartbeat as smoke filled my lungs."We need to get out," he rasped, his voice barely audible over the crackling flames that had started to lick at the body. "This thing could blow any minute."I nodded, trying to stand before a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I bit back a scream, not wanting to frighten Arielle more than she already was.Alejandro was at my side in an instant, one arm supporting my waist while the other reached for our daughter. "Give her to me. Can you walk?""I'll manage," I said, though my ankle screamed in protest as I put weight on it.The emergency exit was jammed, the frame warped from impact. Alejandro handed Arielle back to me, then threw his shoulder against the door with a grunt. It didn't budge. He tried again, muscles straining beneath his torn shirt, and this time the metal groaned in protest."One more," he muttered, before ramming into it with everything he had.The door burst open with a screech of protesting metal, lett

I increased my pace, ignoring the protests of my injured body. The trees finally gave way to a clearing, and I found myself on the edge of a of dark muddy water. The light from the moon revealed patches of reeds and floating vegetation. In the distance, I could make out what looked like an old plantation house.A twig snapped behind me. I spun, gun raised, only to find myself face to face with my husband."Jesus Christ," he hissed, pushing my arm down. "I could have killed you. What the hell are you doing here?""Stopping you from getting yourself killed," I shot back, my relief at finding him alive quickly giving way to anger. "You were just going to leave me with Arielle while you hunted down Marco alone?""What the hell are you doing here. She needs you right now," he said, his voice hard."And you don't? Is that it?" I stepped closer, jabbing a finger into his chest. "After everything we've been through, you still think you have to do this alone?""This isn't about what I think I

He yanked the makeshift blade free and shoved Alejandro toward me with such force that we both crashed onto the wooden planks of the dock. I barely registered the pain through my ankle as I caught Alejandro's limp body."No, no, no," I sobbed, cradling him against me. His eyes fluttered, struggling to focus on my face as blood bubbled from his lips."Est...ella," he managed, each syllable a battle."Don't talk," I begged, pressing one hand against the stomach wound while frantically trying to stem the bleeding from his chest with the other. It was too much—too much blood, too many wounds.Marco staggered to the boat, his own strength clearly waning. He tossed the bloodied metal shard into the water and began fumbling with the ropes that secured the craft to the dock. His movements were clumsy, his injuries making the simple task laborious."Pressure," Alejandro whispered, his voice so faint I barely heard it. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his ashen lips crimso