I dug my nails into my palms, fighting to keep from screaming. I have a heart condition. If he abandoned me like this, neither the baby nor I would make it.
Driven by the will to survive, I swallowed my pride and knelt before him.
"Frost, you can't leave me here. I'm pregnant with your child, maybe—"
"Veronica, stop being so selfish! Stop your pathetic lying!"
"Gaia's not like you. She's going to marry a good man someday. If these scum defile her, who will want her?"
He looked down at me, his gaze was cold, like he was looking at a complete stranger, not the woman who'd been his wife for ten years.
"Don't worry, I've seen this kind of thing before. All they want is money or something else. Just cooperate, and you'll be fine."
"The family's soldati will come for you. And no matter what happens... I won't blame you."
He stepped closer, one hand on my shoulder, and leaned in to whisper in my ear, his voice icy. "Besides, you were never 'clean' to begin with, were you?"
"I still married you after you and Tony were all tangled up in bed, didn't I?"
His words were a poisoned dagger, making me tremble.
"It wasn't like that, Tony and I—"
He didn't give me a chance to explain, impatiently thrusting me toward the kidnappers.
I tried to struggle, but the cold barrel of a gun was already pressed against the back of my head. I could only watch as Frost led that woman away.
Frost held Gaia tightly, murmuring reassurances, while a kidnapper grabbed my hair and shoved me violently into their car.
The tearing sensation on my scalp made me scream, and one of them slapped me hard across the face.
"Shut your fucking mouth, or I'll cut your tongue out! Quiet!"
"Your man didn't even spare you a glance. Quit the waterworks."
I watched as Frost helped Gaia into his armored sedan and drove off without a single look in the rearview mirror. The last ember of hope in my heart died.
I clenched my jaw, closed my eyes in despair, and let them throw me into the trunk like a piece of trash. He didn't even think to check if I was dead or alive.
In that moment, it finally dawned on me.
My life and the life of our unborn child weighed nothing against Gaia. I had loved him for ten years, thinking I could melt his icy heart, but he could push me into hell so easily, without even a final glance.
Before I lost consciousness, I managed a broken smile in the direction he had gone. He probably had no idea that this whole kidnapping was a setup, designed to get me killed.
