Emilia waited until the house settled into the kind of silence that only comes after midnight. The security lights outside flicked off on their timer at 12:15 a.m., she knew because she'd begun timing it three nights in a row. Derek's breathing had evened out in the next room, he'd taken to sleeping in the guest suite since she'd been "sick," claiming it was so he wouldn't disturb her, which was totally convenient for her tonight.
Then she moved.
Like a shadow.
She knelt and pulled out the go-bag which she'd hid under her bed. Inside was her burner phone, some clothes, her mother's old pearl earrings which was the only jewelry she refused to leave behind, folded copies of the most damning emails and agreement pages printed from the ones she had gotten from Derek's safe before returning them back that morning and a small first-aid kit with painkillers for the bruises that still ached when she moved wrong.
She zipped it shut, slung it over one shoulder, then crept to the bedroom door.
She listened, but she heard nothing.
Perfect!
The cameras in the hallway were motion-activated. She'd tested that too, as she laid down and began crawling on her belly under the sight line of the one at the top of the stairs. It was humiliating, but effective. She dropped to the floor now, army-crawled past the lens, her heart slamming against her ribs.
At the stairs she paused again. The foyer camera pointed straight down. She'd have to risk getting to the side corridor through the laundry room because Derek had never bothered with that one.
As she slipped through, she eased the back door open whose hinges she had oiled the days before slid through and stepped into the humid night air. The scent of wet lemongrass and jasmine hit her.
Then she ran with all her might, never stopping till she got to the agreed spot.
She saw the silver Toyota which belonged to Carla, idling at the end of the service lane, with its lights off. Alexa who was in the passenger seat was nervously chewing her nails. The second Emilia appeared, Carla leaned across and pushed the back door open.
"Get in, get in, get in," Carla hissed.
Emilia dove inside, her backpack thudding against the seat.
Without waiting for the door to even close, Carla pulled away slowly at first, with no lights or revving engine. It was only when they turned onto the main road that she flicked the headlights on and exhaled like she'd been holding her breath for hours.
"You okay?" Alexa turned around, her eyes scanning Emilia's face.
"Yeah. Yeah. Just… drive."Emilia nodded, but her teeth were chattering
Carla glanced in the rearview. "No one followed?" she asked, her fingers curling the stirring wheel as she hit the gas.
"I don't think so. I stayed low." She replied, as she tried to pull herself together.
"You did it. You actually did it." Alexa said as she reached back and squeezed Emilia's knee reassuringly.
"I feel like I'm going to throw up."Emilia responded as she let her head fall against the window.
"That's normal," Carla said matter-of-factly. "Adrenaline dump. Breathe through your nose. In for four, out for six."
They drove in silence for ten minutes, weaving through quiet streets toward Carla's apartment in the suburbs. No one spoke until they pulled into the underground garage and Carla killed the engine.
Inside the elevator, Alexa finally broke the quiet. "Rachel called me back an hour ago. She's willing to meet you tomorrow, virtual first, then in person if it's safe. She said bring everything you've got. The documents, the photos of your arms and back. She's already drafting a protective order template."
Carla unlocked her apartment door and flicked on the low lamp in the living room. The smell of lemongrass candles and fresh laundry filled the air.
It felt safe. Normal.
"The guest room is already made up. Clean sheets and extra blanket. There's also food in the fridge." Carla said.
Emilia managed a watery smile. "Thanks. Both of you. I don't know what I would've..." as she sat on the sofa as she stared intently.
Carla paced a slow line in front of her, with her arms crossed while Alexa leaned against the wall, scrolling through her phone with a frown that hadn't left her face since they arrived.
"We can't keep doing this forever," Carla said finally, stopping mid-step. "Hiding in my flat, jumping at every noise. Derek's got money, connections, people. He's going to find you eventually."
Emilia didn't look up. "I know."
"And when he does," Carla continued, her voice dropping, "he's not going to knock politely. We need real protection. Not just friends with cars and burner phones. We need someone who can match the Carsons blow for blow."
Alexa pocketed her phone. "Someone with power. Real power."
"Like who?" Emilia asked as she finally lifted her head.
Alexa hesitated, then sat beside her. "Ethan Blackwood."
Carla's eyebrows shot up. "Blackwood? As in Blackwood Enterprises Ethan Blackwood?"
"Yup,The one and only! Billionaire. Tech and Finance kingpin. His company's been eating Carson Global's lunch in the merger space for the last three years. They hate each other although quietly but viciously. Derek's father had even tried to block one of Ethan's last biggest acquisitions. But it failed woefully".
"Why would he want to help me?" Emilia said and she frowned.
"Honestly, he may not," Alexa admitted. "But he also might. Ethan's got a reputation for being ruthless, but he's not dirty. Not like the Carsons. And if he thinks there's dirt he can use against them… he'll bite." she continued.
Carla nodded slowly. "Well... Alexa's right. You need a shield bigger than theirs, Em. And Blackwood could be that shield. He's got private security teams that make government agencies look amateur. I'm talking about safe houses, lawyers on retainer, media contacts, the works, all of them."
Emilia rubbed her temples. "Even if he agreed, why would he listen to me? I'm nobody to him."
"You're Alan Wallace's daughter and Wallace Holdings still has strategic value. With patents, client lists and that twenty-percent stake the Carsons are trying to erase? Ethan would definitely be smart enough to see opportunity."Alexa said quietly.
Carla crouched in front of Emilia, meeting her eyes. "Look, Em. You're not asking for charity. You're offering him leverage against people who've tried to ruin him before. That's business. And right now, business might be the only thing that keeps you alive."
"How do I even get to him?" Emilia replied, as she exhaled slowly.
Alexa pulled out her phone again as she began, "I have a friend, who works in his acquisitions team. Although not close enough to text him directly, but close enough to pass a message through channels. Anonymous at first. Just enough to get a meeting."
Emilia stared at the floor for a long moment. Then she nodded once.
"Okay, let's go ahead with it but please keep my name out until the last second. I don't want him thinking I'm just another scared wife who's come begging."
Carla squeezed her shoulder. "Smart. We'll make it sound like insider intel on Carson fraud. Let curiosity pull him in."
Emilia managed a small, tired smile. " And if he says no?"
"Then we find plan B, although something tells me strongly that Ethan Blackwood doesn't walk away from a chance to bury his enemies." Alexa said firmly.
What if he doesn't??
Emilia's mind flooded with doubting thoughts.