At three in the morning, half-asleep and dazed, Breanna suddenly felt someone approach and jab a syringe into her.
She barely had time to struggle before everything went black.
When she woke again, she was stuffed inside a burlap sack, completely weak, unable to move or even speak.
She was at a dock by the sea. Through the tiny gaps in the sack, she saw Todd holding Darlean tightly in his arms, his voice cold and heavy.
“Hit her. Don’t stop until Darlean’s satisfied.”
The moment he finished speaking, clubs rained down on Breanna like a torrential storm.
She struggled desperately, wanting to call out his name, but only faint whimpers escaped her throat.
It felt like every bone in her body was being shattered. She didn’t know how long the beating lasted before it finally stopped.
Using every ounce of her strength, she forced out one word. “Todd…”
The next second, someone kicked her straight into the sea.
Ice-cold water flooded her lungs; she had no chance to brace for it.
Right as she was about to black out, someone hauled the sack back up, only to hurl her into the ocean again.
Once.
Twice.
Three times…
The suffocating pressure tightened around her neck like a noose. Her consciousness faded in and out.
Before losing awareness, she heard Todd’s voice, cold and emotionless.
“Let her experience what it feels like to live wishing she were dead.”
“Todd, that’s enough, okay? I suddenly feel a bit cold. Can you get me my jacket from the car?”
After he walked off, Darlean crouched down beside the sack, her voice dripping with smugness.
“Bitch, did you see that? He only has room for me in his heart.”
Breanna trembled violently from the cold. The sack was ripped open, and Darlean yanked off the safety charm around her neck. Her voice turned vicious.
“Your dad’s ashes are here, too, right? I’ll send you both to hell together!”
Right in front of her, she tossed the charm into the sea.
Before Todd returned, she tied the sack back up and kicked Breanna into the water again.
Just before sinking into the depths, she heard Darlean put on a pitiful, overly sweet tone.
“Todd, she cursed at me… I got scared and pushed her...”
“Don’t worry,” Todd said. “I’ll take care of it.”
The drug finally started wearing off. Breanna screamed his name, her voice raw, “Todd!”
Up on the dock, Todd suddenly clutched his chest, about to turn around.
But Darlean collapsed into his arms, and he panicked instantly.
“Hurry up! Take her to the hospital!”
When Breanna woke again, she was on a fishing boat.
The fishermen who were out at sea had accidentally rescued her. She grabbed her phone; thankfully, it still worked.
There were three messages.
The first was from the private investigator.
[Ma’am, I’ve sent the evidence of Todd’s affair to your email. I also added a little bonus for you.]
She opened the email and saw Todd’s medical report along with details about Darlean’s past. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
She scheduled the files to be sent to major media outlets the next day. She couldn’t wait to see his reaction.
The second message was from her organization.
[Breanna, send us your location. We’ll dispatch someone to retrieve you.]
After confirming where the fishing boat would dock, she shared her location.
She could finally leave.
The third message was from Todd.
[Babe, tomorrow’s my birthday and our anniversary. How do you want to celebrate it?]
At that moment, she understood—everything was probably orchestrated by Darlean.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before typing.
[I prepared a surprise for you. It’s in the master bedroom closet.]
After getting off the boat, she removed the button from her clothes—where her recording device was—and transferred all the evidence onto a flash drive.
When she was done, she booked a courier to deliver it to the Lannisters’ estate at noon the next day.
Then, she called the police.
“Hello, I want to report a crime. Darlean Hewey intentionally assaulted someone. The evidence is solid.”
Just then, a black car pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing an unbelievably handsome man behind the wheel.
“Get in. Your old identity has been erased.”
After she got in, the man handed her a passport and new identification.
“This is your new identity—Dixie Adler, the youngest daughter of the biggest company in America. I’m your partner… and your fiancé. Nice to meet you, Breanna.”
