All Chapters of The Price Of Us: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

ANNA POV.The clock on the bedside table ticked endlessly, each second stretching into eternity. I lay on my side, staring at the door, waiting for him.And then— he came in.Jace.The scent of his cologne lingered in the air, and for a brief, foolish second, my heart ached with hope.Maybe this time, he’d talk to me. Maybe this time, he’d look at me and see me—not her. But he didn’t.He tossed his jacket onto the chair, loosened his tie, unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and ran a hand through his hair—just like he used to.But he didn’t look at me. Not once. I sat on the edge of the bed, watching, waiting and hoping. Hoping that maybe tonight, he’d say something. That maybe tonight, he’d look at me and see that I was breaking, that I was drowning. That I was still his wife but he didn’t. He grabbed a file from the nightstand, checked his watch, and turned his back to me. Like I wasn’t even there. Like I was nothing.I let out a shaky breath, my hands curling into fists. I wa

ANNA POV.The plane hummed steadily beneath me, a dull vibration that echoed the turmoil in my chest. I stared blankly out the window, watching as Italy faded into the distance. The farther we climbed, the heavier my heart felt, but I shoved the feeling deep down where it couldn't reach me. I chose this. I wanted this. Then why did my fingers tremble as I clutched the thin airplane blanket? Why did my stomach twist—not from the turbulence, but from the weight of everything I was leaving behind? I pressed a hand to my belly, my nails digging into the fabric of my sweater. I was free.No more looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next betrayal. No more walking through those halls, feeling like a stranger in my own home. No more Jace. I squeezed my eyes shut. Jace.Even thinking his name was a knife to my chest. He didn’t even come looking for me. I had left our bed, our home, our life and he hadn’t stopped me. He didn’t fight for me. Didn’t ask where I was going. He

JACE POVThe mansion felt different without her. Cold. Empty. Like something had been ripped out and nothing—not the expensive furniture, not the whiskey burning down my throat, not even the endless files on my desk—could fill the damn void she left behind. But she chose this. She left. I gripped the crystal glass in my hand, staring at the amber liquid swirling inside. I’d told myself I wouldn’t drink today, but here I was again, trying to drown out thoughts of her. The audio played in my head like a damn curse. “I won’t step out of this estate until the money is in my hands.”“If you want me gone, I want more.”“One hundred million dollars.”“Wouldn’t want your precious Jace to be stuck in a loveless marriage, would we?”That last line cut the deepest. Loveless. Had that been her truth all along? That it was all just a transaction to her? I downed the whiskey in one go, the burn in my throat nowhere near the one in my chest. I should hate her. I wanted to hate her.

JACE POVThe walls of my father’s study felt suffocating. The thick scent of mahogany and aged whiskey hung in the air as the lawyer placed a stack of documents on the desk. My mother sat beside me, her hands clenched in her lap, seething. Across from us, my father leaned back in his chair, face unreadable, his fingers drumming against the armrest. “This is ridiculous,” Luciana snapped, her voice sharp with frustration. “We have searched everywhere, and still, no one can find her? She’s doing this on purpose, the little devil. She knows exactly what she’s doing.” I swallowed hard, keeping my expression blank. The moment Anna left, I told myself I would move on. That I had no reason to care. But hearing my mother talk about her like this sent a strange, bitter taste to the back of my throat. “She took our money and vanished without a trace,” my mother continued, her nails digging into her palm. “A woman like that—manipulative, greedy—was never fit to be your wife, Jace.” I cl

ANNA POVThe cramping started early that morning, a dull ache that made me pause as I reached for my phone. I pressed a hand to my stomach, exhaling slowly. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was enough to make me uneasy. I had read that cramps could be normal during pregnancy, but the anxiety still crept in, filling every corner of my mind. I should probably get checked. Just to be safe. With that decision made, I reached for my phone to book an appointment, but before I could dial the clinic, a notification popped up. Anton Clyde: We need to talk, Anna.My stomach twisted—not from the cramps this time, but from the sheer frustration of seeing his name. 5 weeks had passed. A whole month and a week, and he was still doing this. Calling, texting, emailing. No matter how many times I ignored him, he just wouldn’t stop. I still didn’t know how he had gotten my new number, but I had my suspicions. He must have stalked my social media, piecing together clues like a desperate man grasp