Danae gripped the handrail, her knees buckling with every step as she descended the concrete stairwell of the linen chute. Fresh blood soaked through the thick gauze between her legs, sending blinding waves of agony up her spine.
She hit the ground floor and shoved her shoulder against the rusted exit door. It gave way, spilling her out into the freezing, torrential rain of the Manhattan alleyway. She collapsed onto her hands and knees, vomiting bile into the puddles.
The icy downpour soaked through her thin uniform instantly. Evelyn had promised a medical transport at the corner, but the street was empty. She stumbled toward the avenue, her vision swimming with black spots, and threw her hand up. A yellow taxi screeched to a halt. She crawled into the backseat, leaving a dark smear of blood on the vinyl.
Thirty minutes later, the cab pulled up to the towering glass facade of the penthouse she used to call home.
Danae pushed through the revolving doors. The blinding crystal chandeliers of the lobby burned her eyes. She dripped rainwater onto the polished marble floor.
Sitting on the center leather sofa was Marlene, her sister-in-law.
Marlene took a slow sip from a crystal champagne flute. She sneered, tossing a thick legal document onto the glass coffee table.
"Asset freeze," Marlene said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
Danae ignored her. She walked straight toward the hallway leading to the master bedroom. She just needed the silver locket her mother had left her.
Two private security guards stepped into her path. The larger one shoved his hands against Danae's chest, throwing her backward.
She hit the marble floor hard, her hip bone cracking against the stone.
"You're done here," Marlene said, standing up and towering over her. "The family has erased you."
Danae curled her body into a tight ball, instinctively protecting her empty womb from the impact. She planted her hand on the floor and forced herself to stand.
Marlene's eyes dropped to the blood seeping through Danae's pants. A cruel smile twisted her lips. She stepped forward and kicked her stiletto out, aiming directly for Danae's stomach.
Danae twisted her torso violently. The stiletto grazed her hip bone.
Danae's head snapped up. Her eyes were dead, feral.
"Don't you dare touch me," Danae whispered, her voice a raspy, terrifying scrape, "or I will tear your throat out."
Marlene physically recoiled. The champagne sloshed in her glass. She waved her hand frantically at the guards. "Get this trash out of my building!"
The guards grabbed Danae by the arms. They dragged her backward and threw her out the front entrance.
The massive oak doors slammed shut behind her, the lock engaging with a heavy thud.
Danae stood alone in the rain. She walked. She didn't know how long, but her feet carried her to the Port Authority, and then onto a Greyhound bus heading east.
Hours later, her boots sank into the freezing, wet sand of the Long Island coastline.
The Atlantic Ocean roared in front of her, a black, violent expanse of churning water. The wind whipped her wet hair across her face.
Her fingers were numb, completely blue, as she clutched the silver locket she had managed to snatch from the foyer table before being thrown out. It was empty.
A massive gust of wind hit her. The howling storm swirled around her, the freezing rain instantly swallowed by the darkness and the sea spray.
Danae stared out into the endless black water. Her baby was gone. Unnamed. Unheld. Discarded by a man who didn't care.
Her chest caved in. There was no air left in the world.
She dropped the locket. It hit the wet sand with a dull thud.
She walked forward.
The freezing saltwater washed over her ankles. Then her knees. The cold was a physical blade slicing into her skin, but it was nothing compared to the agony in her head.
A massive wave crashed over her shoulders, dragging her under.
Saltwater flooded her mouth and nose. Her lungs burned, screaming for oxygen. The current spun her around, disorienting her completely.
She stopped fighting. She let her limbs go limp, closing her eyes as the dark water pulled her down.
Suddenly, the water shifted.
A massive shadow broke through the darkness. Thick, muscular arms wrapped violently around her waist from behind.
The force yanked her upward.
Danae panicked. Survival instinct kicked in. She thrashed, her elbows striking out, trying to push the attacker away.
The man's grip tightened like a steel vice, pinning her arms to her sides. He kicked his legs, propelling them both toward the surface.
They broke the water.
Danae gasped, choking and vomiting seawater down her chin.
The moonlight caught the side of the man's face. She saw a deep, jagged scar running along his sharp jawline.
Before she could speak, he hoisted her over his broad shoulder like a ragdoll. He waded through the crashing surf, his heavy boots stomping onto the rocky breakwater.
The freezing wind hit her soaked clothes. Her core temperature plummeted. The edges of her vision turned black.
Danae's arm dropped limply against the man's wet back, and the world went entirely dark.
