Chapter 1 - The Wife Who Was Supposed to Die
The first thing I heard after opening my eyes was a man’s voice.
“Get the doctor. Now.”
The second thing I felt was a hand resting near mine—not gripping me, not forcing me to stay, but waiting until I was conscious enough to decide whether I wanted help.
I tried to sit up.
Pain exploded through my ribs.
“Don’t move,” the man ordered.
My eyes opened fully.
I was lying in a luxurious private helicopter, wrapped in a thermal blanket. A medical bag sat beside my boots. Through the window, snow-covered mountains disappeared beneath a darkening sky.
And beside me sat the stranger who had descended onto that narrow ledge.
Up close, he looked even more dangerous.
He wore a black coat over a charcoal shirt. His tattooed fingers were marked with old scars, and his gray eyes seemed to notice everything.
“Where am I?” I whispered.
“Somewhere your husband cannot reach you.”
My stomach tightened.
“Michael?”
The man’s expression hardened.
“Your husband believes you're dead.”
I tried to move again, but the pain forced me back.
“My baby.”
For the first time, his ruthless expression cracked.
“Dr. Bennett is waiting for you. We’re going straight to a private hospital. Nobody touches you without explaining what they're doing first.”
“Who are you?”
He hesitated.
“Adrian Blackwood.”
The name meant nothing to me.
Then he added, “And I’ve been looking for you for eleven years, Emily Carter.”
My blood turned cold.
Eleven years.
Before Michael. Before my marriage. Before I became the quiet wife of a successful investment executive.
Before the night my younger brother disappeared.
“Why?” I demanded.
Adrian looked toward the helicopter window.
“Because your father died protecting a secret. Your brother vanished because he discovered it. And you were the only person who could lead me to the truth.”
I stared at him.
“My father died in a car accident.”
“That’s what the police report said.”
His voice dropped.
“It was a lie.”
Before I could ask another question, the helicopter descended toward a private landing pad.
Adrian leaned closer.
“But your family’s history can wait. Right now, you have one job.”
“What?”
“Survive.”
For the first time since Michael had shoved me over that cliff, I allowed myself to believe I might.
I placed both hands over my stomach.
May you like
And silently promised my unborn child that I would never let Michael Carter hurt us again.
Not even if it cost me everything.
