Chapter 9
Seven months pregnant.
Just finished a prenatal check–up when I saw Evan waiting outside the hospital doors.
Sunlight hit him square in the face, but it couldn’t thaw the ice in his expression.
This morning, our housekeeper mentioned a group of strangers had been lurking around the building-
Shady–looking men loitering near the entrance.
I didn’t think much of it.
Not until my lawyer quietly warned me–Evan was back in the country.
I’d already had a feeling.
It’s just funny, really–I got a decent divorce settlement, sure, but even that doesn’t come close to what he’s offering now.
Evan rushed over, eyes bright with something between panic and relief.
His gaze dropped to my baby bump.
Finally–finally–there was some softness in his eyes.
“Are you okay? Is the baby doing alright?”
I gave him a look.
“Mr. Cross, I doubt you came all this way just to talk about the weather and the baby.”
His smile faltered.
Clearly annoyed, but trying to play it cool.
“We may be divorced, but that baby is still a Cross. My family’s blood.”
“Come home. Have the baby. Whatever you want–I’ll give it to you.”
I gave a hollow laugh.
“Are you trying to buy this baby from me?”
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Or are you just hoping to throw in fill enstody as part of the deal too?”
van’s face paled.
Like held just realized how that sounded.
“Pease, can we stop fighting just come home,”
Home
1 shook my head, still smiling.
“There’s no home for me anymore, Mr. Cross.”
“You’ve got a wife waiting for you, remember?”
“I’m sure you two will have kids of your own.”
This baby-just think of them as your final act of decency.”
“Your way of keeping a promise.”
“I don’t want anything from you. Not your money, not your name. Nothing.”
“If it’ll give you peace of mind, we can sign a legal agreement right now–cut all parental rights.”
“Sound good?”
Every term I offered benefited Evan.
And yet he just stood there, cold and speechless.
Then suddenly, he grabbed my wrist, hard,
His voice dropped, intense and forceful:
“What the hell do you want from me?”
“Do I have to give you everything I own just to make you come back? Stop being so greedy!”
Ilaughed.
Laughed until my eyes burned.
“You haven’t changed a bit, Evan.”
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“All this time, and you still think everything comes down to money.”
“In your world, everything has a price tag–feelings, kids… even me.”
“What now? Planning to start a new betting pool with the boys?”
“See how much it takes to buy me again?”
“Money isn’t everything.
“I didn’t leave you because you were broke.
“I left because I stopped loving you.”
Evan stumbled back a step.
He couldn’t believe it.
Back when he was broke, Claire walked out on him.
Everyone told him–money fixes everything.
Get rich, and you can have whoever you want.
So he got rich.
Found a wife who obeyed him as long as he paid.
Even Claire came crawling back.
How could I say money wasn’t everything?
I didn’t wait for him to answer.
I stepped around him, heading for the street.
A semi came barreling down the road, way over the speed limit.
Too fast.
I couldn’t move in time.
But someone shoved me out of the way–hard.
Clutching my stomach, I stumbled to my feet–and saw Evan.
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Dragged almost fifty feet under the truck.
A long, dark trail of blood behind him.
Iran, collapsing beside him.
His mouth moved, trying to speak.
Blood pooled beneath him, unstoppable.
The crushing panic hit me all at once–and everything went black.
