FOUR

I returned home a few hours after cooling my head off in a bar and indulging myself in a drink or two. I needed to get a break away from everything. Away from Marco and his betrayal.

He wasn't even sorry about it.

The house felt colder than usual, the air heavy with the weight of everything. I walked into the study and sure enough, Marco was there, a few too much bottles resting on the study table. I stared at him, and returned the look with a cold hard glare. I swallowed and walked closer to the papers I had flung at him earlier. I reached for them and look at the signatures.

He didn't sign.

I stood in the study, the divorce papers clutched in my hands, my heart pounding so loud I was sure Marco could hear it. He sat behind his desk, his expression unreadable, his fingers steepled under his chin.

“Sign them,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He didn’t move. He just stared at me, his dark eyes boring into mine like he was trying to see through me. “You’re serious,” he said finally, his tone flat, almost amused.

“Dead serious,” I shot back, slamming the papers onto his desk. “I’m done, Marco. I’m done with you, with this life, with all of it.”

He leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a smirk that made my skin crawl. “You think it’s that easy? You think you can just walk away from me?”

“I’m not asking for your permission,” I said, my voice rising. “I’m telling you. Sign the papers.”

He stood then, slow and deliberate, like a predator circling its prey. I held my ground, but my hands trembled at my sides.

“You don’t get to leave me, Catrina,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”

“I’m not a possession,” I snapped, my chest tightening. “I’m not something you can own.”

He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “You think you’ll be safe out there? You think anyone will protect you from me?”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “I don’t need your protection.”

“You’re wrong,” he said, his voice like ice. “You’ll never be safe anywhere except with me. You know that.”

I wanted to scream, to lash out, to make him feel even a fraction of the pain he’d caused me. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. Instead, I turned and walked out, my legs shaking with every step. I didn't know what Marco was capable of now that he had a little bit of alcohol inside him and honestly, I wasn't ready to find out.

Aunt Gina’s house was a sanctuary, a small, cozy place tucked away from the chaos of the city. She opened the door before I even knocked, her face softening when she saw me.

“Oh, honey,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug. “Come in. You’re safe here.”

I wanted to believe her. I really did. But as I stepped inside, the fear lingered, a shadow I couldn’t shake.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

She led me to the guest room, where a neatly made bed and a vase of fresh flowers waited. “You can stay as long as you need,” she said, squeezing my hand. “No one’s going to hurt you here.”

I nodded, but the words felt hollow. Marco’s voice echoed in my mind, taunting me.

You’ll never be safe anywhere except with me.

I I tried sleeping but it wouldn't come quick. I couldn't stop picturing my husband in bed with Wesley's sister. I couldn't get Davina's words out of my head in the hospital.

He was right there when I made the order.

Marco wanted me dead. There was no other way to say it than that. My husband wants me dead and the last thing I want to do is give him that satisfaction. I rolled around my bed until I finally succumbed to sleep.

The next day, I was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee cooling in front of me, when there was a knock at the door. Aunt Gina was out running errands, so I answered it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw who it was.

Wesley.

He stood on the porch, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. He was in a grey suit, one that held firmly against his body, outlining his biceps. His inner white shirt is slightly unbuttoned and I could see his chest, even though I tried desperately to look anywhere else.

“Catrina,” he said, his voice calm but firm.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

“I came to check on you,” he said, his gaze steady. . "It’s not safe here.”

A hysterical laugh escaped my lips. "Of course, Davina already told you."

Wesley narrowed his eyes. "You think I had something to do with this?"

"You tell me."

"Catrina, I'm here to help you."

I crossed my arms, my defenses rising. “I’m fine. I don’t need your help.”

He stepped closer. "Marco will kill you and you know that."

“Why?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why do you care?”

He hesitated, just for a moment, before saying, “Because I know what Marco’s capable of. And I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I narrowed my eyes. I wanted to believe him. I really did. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to it, that he had his own reasons for wanting me close.

“I’m safe here,” I said, my voice firm. “I don’t need your protection.”

He studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Alright,” he said. “But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my heart racing and my mind spinning.