“I don’t care if it’s a damn anniversary or a meeting or whatever,” he continued, softer now. “You come first when you’re like this. We’ll go out, get some air. Clear your head.”
“Really?” Shannon gasped, her voice lighting up. “I can leave? I’m not dreaming, right?”
Felix let out a quiet breath, almost amused. “Since when do I lie to you? Get ready. We’re leaving now.”
And then the sound of the helicopter.
Loud. Familiar.
Carrying her away.
Again.
…
Four years ago, when I had just lost my right hand and the pain was so bad I couldn’t even breathe, Felix stayed with me the whole time. He didn’t sleep, didn’t eat properly, just stayed there like if he let go for even a second, I’d break.
One night, he dragged me out of bed and carried me straight to a helicopter. I remember clinging to him, weak, barely holding on, and he just held me tighter like I was something fragile.
When we were high up in the sky, he tilted my face toward the window.
“Look,” he said softly. “See that? All those buildings… they look small as hell from up here, right?”
I nodded, my vision blurry.
He pressed his forehead against mine, his voice rough but gentle. “That’s life, Danica. No matter how big something feels, it’s not bigger than you. You hear me? There’s no problem you can’t get through.”
His hand squeezed mine. “And you’re not doing it alone. You’ve got me. I’ll get you through anything. I swear.”
Back then… I believed him.
I really did but now I knew the truth. That nightmare… that pain… it started because of him.
...
The helicopter sound pulled me back to the present. I looked up, my eyes narrowing slightly. For a second, I thought I was imagining it.
But I wasn’t.
It landed right next door.
Another mansion.
Identical.
My chest tightened.
The ring in my hand buzzed faintly, and his voice came through.
“Shannon,” Felix said, calm, almost soft in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time, “you didn’t get to leave the villa before. But I’ve got something for you now. This place… it’s yours. Your anniversary gift.”
I stopped breathing.
“I’ll stay here with you today,” he added quietly.
Shannon laughed, bright and happy, like she’d just been handed the world.
At the same time, my phone lit up.
[Danica, I’ve got to meet a client about a project. Won’t be back until tomorrow night. Don’t wait up. Go have fun or whatever you want. If you need anything, call your husband. Love you.]
My fingers tightened around the phone.
A tear slipped down and blurred the word husband on the screen.
He could build the same life twice.
Same house. Same love. Same everything. But he could only belong to one woman.
And it wasn’t me.
Just one wall away, he was with his real wife.
And me? I felt like a dirty secret. Like something hidden in the dark. Like a mistress he couldn’t show the world. My chest hurt, but this time… I didn’t cry.
Not anymore.
It was almost over anyway.
I wiped my face and turned away from the mansion. I didn’t stay. I went home.
And I worked.
I picked up my instruments, both hands stiff but steady enough now, and forced myself to focus. I had only passed the preliminary stage. If I wanted to go further, I had to be better. Stronger. Faster.
Better than everyone else.
Maybe it was everything that had just happened… but decisions started coming to me fast. Sharp. Precise. Like pain had carved something open inside my mind, turning hesitation into instinct.
When I finally finished the first procedure plan, I leaned back, staring at it, breathing slowly. My fingers brushed against the ring on the steel tray by accident.
A soft click.
And then—
“I know one day isn’t enough…” Shannon’s voice came through, soft and breaking. “After this, I have to go back and hide again, right?”
My body went still.
“I get it,” she whispered. “I know I can’t let Miss McKellar see me. I know I don’t deserve that. But I really want to be like her. I want to stand beside you openly. Not hide like this. Just once, I want to be your wife in front of everyone.”
Silence.
My breath got stuck in my throat.
My arm started shaking.
God… it felt like that day again. Like the blade coming down, like my hand being torn away. The pain came rushing back, phantom and real all at once.
It hurts.
Why does it still hurt this much?
Felix knew.
He knew exactly what she did to me. That’s why he kept her hidden. Because he knew if she showed her face… I would break.
He would never allow that.
Right?
Right…?
After a long silence, his voice came through.
“Okay.”
Just one word.
But it destroyed everything.
I clutched my chest, gasping like something inside me had been ripped open.
....
A day later, Felix came back like nothing had happened.
Right on time.
Like a perfect husband.
He walked in with gifts like it was just another normal day. A necklace, blue and shining like the ocean itself, worth more than I could even process. And a dress, custom-made, covered in diamonds that caught every bit of light.
“Danica,” he said, his voice softer now, almost warm. “It’s our seventh anniversary. I want everyone to see how happy we are.”
Happy.
I didn’t say anything.
I just changed into the dress.
Let him put the necklace on me.
Let him look at me like I was something precious.
And then I let him take my hand and lead me out.
The banquet was held in one of his hotels. Of course it was. Seven stars, private, untouchable. His territory.
The ballroom was packed. Celebrities, mafias, business elites, people with power and money, all dressed like they belonged in a different world.
Everything sparkled.
Everything looked perfect. But something felt… off. All the waiters wore the same uniform and masks.
Every single one of them.
Felix barely looked at the masked staff and then glanced at me like none of it mattered. “Danica,” he said calmly, “you’re the center of tonight. No one’s stealing your spotlight. Masks keep the background where it belongs.”
My stomach dropped. I think… I already knew.
Before I could say anything, people started crowding in, all smiles and fake admiration.
“Mr. Gallardo’s still crazy in love, huh?”
“Mrs. Gallardo is so lucky.”
“I heard he bought her a five billion dollar mansion for their anniversary.”
“They say every year his gifts get bigger. His love too.”
Love. The word made me feel sick.
Then suddenly—fabric tearing. The sound cut straight through the room.
A waitress had fallen, her dress ripped high up her thigh, exposing way too much. She scrambled up, shaking. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
No one moved. No one even looked at her properly. Because everyone was scared. Felix didn’t tolerate mistakes. Not tonight. Not ever. I saw it in their faces. They thought she was dead.
Felix’s voice came out cold enough to freeze the room. “Come with me.”
Then he turned to me, and just like that, his tone softened. “Danica,” he said gently, brushing my arm, “rules matter. People need to learn them the hard way sometimes. I’ll deal with her and come right back, alright?”
I nodded without thinking.
He grabbed the waitress by the wrist and dragged her away like she weighed nothing. Something felt wrong. Really wrong.
A few minutes later… I followed. I don’t even know why. Maybe I already knew what I’d find.
The conference room door upstairs was slightly open. I pushed it just enough to see.
And my whole world just… shattered again.
The waitress was sitting on the table, legs wrapped around Felix’s waist. The mask was gone. It was Shannon. Of course it was.
