Friday morning.
Hayes left for work early. He grabbed the briefcase from the console table, his mind consumed with worry. He didn't check the side pocket. He never did. He just shoved his laptop into the main compartment, shouting into his phone at a specialist he was trying to hire for Felicity's "gastritis," a condition the previous doctor had dismissed as mild indigestion.
Eliana was in the kitchen when her phone rang.
It was the Matriarch's assistant.
"Mrs. Vargas. The Matriarch expects Hayes to attend tonight. He has not RSVP'd."
Eliana gripped the phone. "He has to come?"
"It is a family showing. If he is not there, the Matriarch will assume the alliance is broken. And you know the punishment for breaking the alliance."
Eliana felt sick. The punishment. The "Correction."
"I'll bring him," Eliana whispered.
She hung up and called Hayes.
"Hayes," she said. "Please. Tonight. The Santos Gala. You have to come."
Hayes sighed on the other end. "Eliana, I'm busy. I have a board meeting to try and unfreeze my assets."
"It's life or death, Hayes. Please. Just for an hour."
Hayes heard the desperation in her voice. He paused.
"Fine. I'll meet you here at 7. But we leave by 9."
"Thank you," Eliana breathed.
She spent the afternoon getting ready. She wore a dark blue velvet gown, high-necked, long-sleeved. Armor.
At 6:30, she was waiting in the foyer.
Upstairs, Felicity was watching. She saw Eliana looking beautiful. She felt a surge of jealousy.
She picked up her phone. She called her friend, loud enough for Hayes to hear as he walked down the hall.
"Yeah, so I think I'll go on that date tonight. He's a doctor. Very handsome. I need to move on, right?"
Hayes stopped outside the door. A date?
He burst into the room. "You're going on a date?"
Felicity looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Well, Hayes... you're married. You're going out with your wife tonight. I can't just sit here waiting for you forever. I need a man who puts me first."
Hayes felt a surge of possessive panic. The thought of another man touching Felicity-touching his brother's widow-drove him mad.
"No," he said. "You're not going."
"But you're leaving!" Felicity cried.
Hayes looked at his watch. It was 6:50. Eliana was waiting downstairs.
He looked at Felicity's tear-streaked face.
He made a choice.
He took out his phone and texted Eliana.
Emergency board meeting. Can't make it. Go alone.
Downstairs, Eliana's phone buzzed.
She read the text.
She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She just felt her soul turn into ice.
He lied. She knew he lied. There was no board meeting at 7 PM on a Friday.
He chose her. Again.
Eliana looked at the door. Outside, the snow was falling heavily. A blizzard was starting.
She could run. But the Santos guards would find her. If she didn't show up, they would hunt her down.
She had to go. Alone. To the slaughter.
She opened the heavy front door. The wind hit her like a physical blow.
"Goodbye, Hayes," she whispered.
She walked out into the snow, got into her Audi, and drove toward the darkness.
