“Joseph,” I breathed when the call finally connected. My voice sounded broken even to my own ears. “It’s me. Tell me honestly—do you still want to marry me? If you do… then help me pay the ransom for my daughter. I’ll follow every condition you set.”
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence. Then he laughed. Slow. Mocking. Cruel enough to make my chest ache.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Joseph said lazily. “Looks like you finally realized you picked the wrong man. So… regretting choosing that jerk over me now?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to stay calm. “If you called just to ridicule me—and not to help—then we should end this conversation right now.”
“Easy, easy,” he replied, his tone shifting though the arrogance never quite left. “Don’t get so worked up, Amara. I said I’d help, didn’t I? But don’t forget what you just offered. Once I step in, you belong to me. No backing out this time. No running.”
“Yes,” I whispered, my throat tight. “Just make sure my daughter comes back alive.”
“Good,” he said softly. “Send me everything you have on the kidnappers. Five days. Be ready—I’ll come for you myself.”
The call disconnected.
I stared down at my phone, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Every instinct screamed at me to call back, to cancel, to flee from the deal I had just made. But what alternative did I have? Being bound to the man I once called my enemy was still better than trusting the husband who had already chosen another woman over our child.
My thoughts drifted backward, to all the years I had wasted believing in the wrong person.
Back in college, I had been naïve—so sure of my feelings. I loved Aldrin first. With everything I had. When my father proposed the marriage to merge our companies, I didn’t hesitate for even a second. I thought fate was on my side. I believed Aldrin loved me the same way.
For a while, he played the part well. He was attentive, charming, gentle. The ideal partner.
Until he wasn’t.
Late nights became routine. Excuses piled up. Perfume on his clothes that wasn’t mine. Lies stacked on top of lies. And then there was Bianca—my closest friend. The betrayal should have been my breaking point. I should have left then. But I stayed. For Sienna.
Now I knew the cost of that choice. And my daughter was paying for it.
When I returned home, the house felt hollow, like all the warmth had been drained from it. I gripped the edge of the dining table, breathing hard, trying to keep myself upright.
That was when I heard heels approaching.
Bianca appeared, standing confidently in my home, one hand resting on her stomach, satisfaction written all over her face. Moments later, Aldrin followed her in, his hand brushing her arm with a familiarity that made my stomach twist.
“What is she doing here?” I snapped.
“She’ll be living here for now,” Aldrin replied casually. “And you’ll be preparing her meals.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “And why would I do that?”
“Because you’re responsible for putting the baby at risk,” he said coldly. “You should make up for it.”
“I won’t,” I said, my voice shaking with anger.
His gaze turned sharp. “That wasn’t a request, Amara.”
I stepped back, my chest aching. “I’m done. Let’s end this. I want a divorce.”
He blinked, then laughed harshly. “Divorce? That’s your move? Over something this small?”
“You know damn well this isn’t small!” I yelled. “Sienna has been taken! Instead of helping me, you froze my money—you did nothing!”
Aldrin scoffed. “Are you even sure they really have Sienna? What if it’s all a trick? Or worse—what if you’re using her to get money from me?”
I felt like I’d been slapped. “How can you say that?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why not? You’re just like your father. He scammed me and disappeared. Maybe you’re no different—using the child to manipulate me.”
His words sliced through me. I could barely breathe.
Before I could respond, Bianca spoke softly, pretending concern. “Please… if this is because of me, don’t fight.”
Aldrin turned on me instantly. “This is entirely her fault. If she had been a better mother, Sienna wouldn’t be missing.”
My knees nearly gave out.
Then the butler rushed in, his face pale as he held out a small package. “A delivery… for you, sir.”
Aldrin opened it.
Bianca screamed.
I collapsed.
Inside was a severed toe. Small. Wrapped in cloth. Bloody.
“Sienna…” My sob tore out of me as I fell to the floor.
Aldrin’s phone buzzed. He played the video. Sienna’s cries filled the room, broken and terrified. “Mommy… help me…”
Then the kidnapper spoke. “No money. No mercy.”
I looked up at Aldrin, desperation consuming me. But he only shrugged.
“That’s too much money,” he said flatly. “I’m not paying. If we ignore them, they’ll give her back.”
I stared at him in horror. “She’s your daughter!”
He smiled and wrapped his arm around Bianca. “I already have another child.”
They walked away together.
And I stayed there on the cold marble floor, realizing the truth at last—Aldrin had already erased me. Bianca was no longer a secret. She was his future.
And I was nothing at all.
