Daniel ' POV
I stood frozen at the window, watching Kate stumble down the driveway. Blood was dripping from her arm, staining the concrete path. She couldn't really be leaving—not like this. Not with those burns on her chest and that deep cut on her arm. She was bluffing. Had to be.
The cab pulled up. I pressed my palm against the glass, waiting for her to look back at the house, to change her mind. The darkness would chase her back. It always did. Kate never stayed mad for long.
But this time, something was different. Even from here, I could see how straight her back was, how determined each painful step looked. The cabbie jumped out, alarmed at her condition. I should run down there, I thought. I should stop her.
"Daniel." My mother's voice cut through my thoughts. "Stop watching her. She's made her choice."
I turned to face her. Mom stood with her arms crossed, head high, looking like a general who'd just won a battle.
"She was bleeding pretty bad, Mom."
"And whose fault is that? She attacked Ethan. Be grateful she's gone before she could do worse." She walked over and placed her hands on my shoulders. "You've always deserved better than that woman. You're worth so much more, Daniel. I've been telling you for years."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it.
Jessica sauntered into the living room from the kitchen, carrying a tray of fresh muffins like this was just another Sunday morning.
"I made breakfast," she announced, setting the tray down on the coffee table. "Ethan needs something in his stomach after that terrible ordeal."
The ease with which she moved through my house, like she already owned it, made my stomach tighten. But I said nothing as she headed straight for Ethan, who was sitting on the couch, looking smaller than his nine years.
"There's my brave boy," she cooed, wrapping her arms around him. "Your grandmother told me everything. How awful for you to go through that."
To my surprise, Ethan leaned into her embrace. He'd always been standoffish with Jessica before, but now he clung to her like she was a life raft.
"She tried to hurt me," Ethan mumbled into Jessica's shoulder. "Kate's always been mean to me."
Jessica stroked his hair. "Well, she's gone now. And I'm here. I'll take care of you properly."
"Will you stay?" Ethan asked, looking up at her with those big eyes of his. "Forever?"
"If your daddy wants me to," Jessica answered, looking over at me with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
It was strange how quickly Ethan had warmed to Jessica. For years, he'd been cold toward anyone who wasn't Melissa. But here he was, cuddled up to Jessica like they'd been close forever.
My phone buzzed again. This time, I pulled it out.
It was Cheryl, my secretary. I stepped into the hallway to answer.
"Mr. Miller," she said, skipping any greeting, "I just saw Kate being helped into an ambulance outside your building. Her clothes were soaked in blood. Are you aware of this?"
I felt a chill run down my spine. "An ambulance?"
"Yes, sir. The doorman said she collapsed on the sidewalk waiting for a cab. Is she all right? Should I meet her at the hospital?"
I was annoyed at being questioned like this. Who did Cheryl think she was? But I kept my voice even. "That won't be necessary. Kate and I had a... disagreement this morning. She decided to leave."
"In that condition?" Cheryl's voice was sharp with disapproval. "Sir, she brings your favorite lunch to the office three times a week, did you know that? Jessica always tells me you're too busy and sends it back."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kate waits for you after every board meeting, sometimes for hours. You never notice her sitting in the lobby. And she picks Ethan up from school every day, but he always says he's waiting for Jessica or the bus."
I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Cheryl, I don't think this is appropriate—"
"She got you a reservation for that fantasy island resort you've been talking about for months. And some expensive gaming system for Ethan. She was going to surprise you both next week."
My mouth went dry. "How do you know all this?"
"Because she talks to me, sir. Unlike you." There was a pause. "Check your email if you don't believe me."
Cheryl hung up before I could respond.
I walked to my home office in a daze, ignoring Jessica's calls for me to join them for breakfast. At my desk, I opened my personal email. There it was—a confirmation from Fantasy Island Resort, dated three weeks ago. A reservation for the Presidential Suite, seven nights, all expenses paid.
Next to my computer was a small, wrapped package I hadn't noticed before. I tore off the paper to find the latest gaming system—the one Ethan had been begging for, the one that had been sold out everywhere for months.
How had Kate gotten this? It must have cost her a fortune.
I sat back, staring at the resort confirmation on my screen and holding the expensive gaming system in my hands.
With shaking hands, I pulled open my desk drawer, looking for a pen. Instead, I found a small, unfamiliar package wrapped in silver paper.
I opened it slowly, dreading what I might find.
Inside was a silver frame with a photo of Melissa, Ethan, and me from our last vacation before she got sick. A note was attached
