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[Hot 2026]
(2026) - FULL ENGSUB | Reelshort Hot HD
Full Chinese Movie EngSub
Chinese Drama English Sub Full HD
#shortdrama #bestdrama #actionmovie #Drama #Film #Show #Anime #Movie #cdrama #Movies #BILLIONAIRE #shortdrama #dramashort #shortfilmdrama #minidrama #shortstorydrama #webdrama #indiedrama #shortfilmseries #shortdramaseries #dramashorts #englishmovie #cdrama #drama #movieshortfull
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I woke up in bed with an Italy's finest male. I gave him 13 million dollars that he was worth
00:05every cent. Suddenly my bedroom door kicked open. Jeffrey de la Cruz, my husband, stood in the
00:10doorway. The man I'd spent seven years dragging out of gutters and building into the king of New
00:15Jersey's underworld. His eyes locked onto the naked man tangled in my sheets. Where did he touch you?
00:21Ice cold, every word a blade. I should have been terrified. Instead, I smiled, lazily,
00:27like a woman with absolutely nothing left to lose. Because in my last life, this same man
00:32watched me bleed out on a warehouse floor. While he held another woman in his arms,
00:36he'd ordered my mother torn apart by wild dogs. And I died hating him.
00:47But I woke up, reborn, memory intact, divorce papers already found. This time, I didn't scream. I
00:57sold everything I owned, booked to tickets out of the country.
01:02After I was reborn, I spent 13 million dollars to secure the services of
01:07Italy's most expensive male estort.
01:13The money was well spent. Jeffrey was flawless.
01:22He allowed me to experience pleasure in ways I had never imagined.
01:26The following morning, while I rode him,
01:33a familiar man suddenly showed up. It was my husband, Jeffrey de la Cruz, a mafia boss.
01:39He ordered his men to drag the escort out of the room.
01:44Then he asked coldly,
01:48Where did he touch you?
01:50My mind was foggy. My voice was langual and mocking.
01:54My lips.
01:56My bosom.
01:59My thighs.
02:02Everywhere you used to like.
02:04Rage flickered in his eyes.
02:07Veins bowled in his neck.
02:08Cut him into 18 pieces,
02:10He said.
02:11And feed him to the dogs.
02:12I stripped off my soaked clothes.
02:18I walked into the bathroom.
02:20Do whatever you want.
02:23In my previous life, I was married to him for seven years.
02:26I was known as the Scarlet Healer.
02:29I struck with deadly precision and merciless intent.
02:34I helped him eliminate countless enemies.
02:36I stood by his side as he rose from an illegitimate nobody to the most powerful figure in the underworld.
02:42But after he inherited the family empire, he became obsessed with Amelia Melendez, a nurse working in the black market.
02:48She was a gift sent to Jeffrey's bed by a rival.
02:53She was sweet and innocent, untainted by the world's cruelty.
02:56Jeffrey took her into his private clinic.
03:00He instructed her himself on medicines and syringe handling.
03:03Then one day, I found a finalized divorce agreement in his private safe.
03:15When I confronted him,
03:19he only sneered.
03:23Amelia's too innocent for this world.
03:25He had said.
03:26Being my wife will keep her safe.
03:28You're already recognized as Mrs. Delacruz.
03:32So why bother with the paperwork?
03:38I burst into the clinic in a fury.
03:40I slapped the syringes and medicine box out of Amelia's hands, right in front of everyone.
03:44That night, my critically ill mother was dragged out of her hospital bed.
03:49Right in front of me.
03:50They shattered her hands.
03:55They threw her into an abandoned factory to be mauled by stray dogs.
04:00Geraldine.
04:01One of them said.
04:02This is what you get for messing with Amelia.
04:04I fell to my knees.
04:06I begged him to stop.
04:07But he was relentless.
04:09Mom passed out from the pain.
04:11She never woke again.
04:14Suddenly, I felt a warm rush between my legs.
04:19Pain tore through my abdomen.
04:21Then, everything went black.
04:24When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day when I found out about my status change.
04:29This time, I didn't make a scene.
04:31I didn't confront him.
04:32I quietly sold all the rare worms I had secretly collected.
04:37I booked two plane tickets.
04:40All I wanted was to take Mom and escape this twisted world that revolved around Jeffrey.
04:47After finding the divorce papers, I went to the courthouse with my ID.
04:53Mrs. Leonard, the system shows you're divorced.
04:57Hearing that, I was finally sure that my past life was real.
05:01The divorce was finalized on my birthday.
05:05That day, Jeffrey was swamped with work, as usual.
05:09So I booked the city's highest revolving restaurant.
05:11I arranged for a fireworks display.
05:14I waited from sunset until way past midnight.
05:17He never showed up.
05:19It turned out he was busy signing some papers, completely wiping me out of my life.
05:25I snapped out of my thoughts.
05:26I returned to the casino.
05:29Jeffrey's black Maybach was parked by the entrance.
05:32In my last life, I had run over in hysteria to confront him.
05:36He had slammed me hard into a corner, ensuring that Amelia in the passenger seat would not witness us together.
05:42This time, I quickly stepped aside.
05:44I hid in the shadows behind a column.
05:48The car door opened.
05:50Jeffrey got out first.
05:51Jeffrey walked around to the passenger side.
05:53He opened the door himself, moving with a kind of patience and care he'd never shown before.
05:59A young woman in a pale blue dress stepped out.
06:03She looked nervous and out of place beside the luxury car.
06:06It was Amelia.
06:07Jeffrey took off his suit jacket.
06:09He draped it over her thin shoulders.
06:10Then he wrapped an arm around her waist.
06:13They headed toward the casino.
06:16Jeff.
06:17Amelia stopped in her tracks.
06:20She looked torn.
06:22You're all I have now, she said.
06:24I can't afford to take any chances.
06:26Jeffrey held her closer.
06:27His voice was full of confidence and tenderness I'd never heard before.
06:31Don't be scared.
06:33From now on, you're the mistress of this place.
06:35No one dares to mess with you.
06:37If you don't like it here,
06:38I'll build you a resort somewhere quiet, just for you.
06:41The casino staff who had offered me their obdecius diversion were now bowing to Amelia.
06:46Nice to see you, Mrs. Delacruz.
06:48They surrounded Amelia.
06:49She looked as skittish as a frightened fawn.
06:52They walked into that flashy, evil den together.
06:55Clutching my belly,
06:56I waited until they were inside.
06:59Then I staggered out from the shadows.
07:02I brushed away my tears.
07:04I was left with nothing but absolute resolve.
07:10I went to the hospital alone.
07:12I scheduled an abortion.
07:19The doctor frowned at the ultrasound screen.
07:25Mrs. Leonard,
07:27your body is quite delicate.
07:34You've been unable to conceive for seven years.
07:38If you terminate this pregnancy,
07:40you might never be able to get pregnant again.
07:42I gave a faint, bitter smile.
07:48I'm divorced.
07:52I don't want my child to be born without a father.
07:56Cold fluid seeped into my veins.
07:59The anesthesia took hold.
08:01It pulled my consciousness away.
08:03In the haze,
08:04I saw flashes of the past.
08:07Jeffrey pressing his ear to my belly.
08:11Smiling as he said our son would grow up to be a master gambler.
08:15He would personally teach him to read cards.
08:19He had said our boy could also learn medicine from me.
08:22Take over the title of the scarlet healer one day.
08:25He had called a fortune teller to pick the luckiest name possible.
08:29He had held me close.
08:32Promising that once he found a successor,
08:34he would take me and our child away from the casino.
08:37We would travel the world as a family.
08:40All those tender memories had turned to dust.
08:42The moment he told Amelia,
08:44Only you deserve to be the mistress of the casino.
08:52When I woke up,
08:53I dragged my hollow body to mom's ward.
08:56Thankfully,
08:57this time her injuries were minor.
09:00Mom would recover soon.
09:03In my past life,
09:05she had been torn apart by dogs right in front of me.
09:08This time,
09:09I wouldn't make the same mistake.
09:11I reached out to my black market contacts.
09:14I paid top dollar for two plane tickets to another country.
09:19Leaving in three days.
09:21If I tried to leave through legal channels,
09:22Jeffrey would find out immediately.
09:25Then I called the only person I could still trust.
09:30Levi Wallace.
09:32I gave him a stack of cash.
09:34I told him to arrange mom's discharge in secret.
09:38After all that,
09:39I finally let out a sigh of relief.
09:43I hailed a taxi.
09:46I gave the driver an address a few blocks away from the villa.
09:51It was a habit of mine.
09:53The casino had too many enemies.
09:55All Mata Contemporary.
09:57Too many enemies.
09:58Keeping my exact location hidden was a matter of survival.
10:03But just as I stepped out of the car,
10:05a man grabbed me from behind.
10:10The man clamped a hand over my mouth.
10:12He dragged me backward.
10:14I fought with everything I had.
10:17I broke free.
10:19Only to feel a sharp blade slash across my back
10:21before I could take more than two steps.
10:24Pain exploded through me.
10:27Warm blood soaked my clothes.
10:29I didn't need to guess to know it was one of Jeffrey's enemies.
10:32The casino had swallowed up too many territories.
10:35Countless people wanted him and everyone close to him dead.
10:39I reached for the knife hidden in my bag.
10:41But someone twisted my arm behind me.
10:45My phone was ripped away.
10:48Smashed to pieces.
10:50Stay still, bitch.
10:53The man snarled.
10:54He dragged me toward a waiting van.
10:57Just when despair was about to consume me,
11:00a familiar black Maybach turned the corner.
11:02It was Jeffrey's car.
11:04I summoned every ounce of strength left in me.
11:06I screamed.
11:07I struggled.
11:08Desperate to make him notice.
11:10The car slowed just slightly.
11:12He saw me.
11:16But in the next instant,
11:18the Maybach accelerated past the intersection without hesitation.
11:23Through the window,
11:25I glimpsed him pulling Amelia into his arms,
11:28shielding her eyes from the scene outside.
11:30It was as if the woman being dragged away wasn't his wife.
11:34But something filthy and unworthy of her gaze.
11:39All the struggle drained out of me at once.
11:42Pain and cold swallowed me whole.
11:44But before the darkness took me,
11:49one thought burned clear.
11:54Good.
11:55Now I don't owe him anything anymore.
11:57Not my body.
11:58Not my loyalty.
12:00Not our child.
12:02Nothing.
12:03He had made that choice for both of us.
12:06And I had never felt lighter.
12:08Everything went dark.
12:12When I woke up,
12:13I was lying in a private ward.
12:15The door wasn't fully closed.
12:17Voices drifted in from the hallway.
12:19Mr. Delacruz.
12:20Someone said,
12:21Mrs. Delacrosse's injuries are serious this time.
12:25If she finds out about Amelia again...
12:27It was Jeffrey's personal physician,
12:30Luciano Nunez.
12:31Before he could finish,
12:33Jeffrey's cold, sharp voice cut through the air.
12:36Watch your mouth.
12:38Your job is to treat her.
12:40Nothing more.
12:41He paused.
12:42His tone was low and detached.
12:45Gerolene has been in this business for years.
12:46She's seen every kind of vicious trick.
12:48She's an expert herself.
12:51Amelia isn't like her.
12:52She's clean like a blank slate.
12:54She would never stand a chance against Gerolene.
12:57Then, his voice dropped even lower.
12:59If she wakes up and starts causing trouble,
13:01bring her mother here.
13:02That's her only weakness left.
13:04She won't sit still if her mother's involved.
13:06I gripped the bed sheet tightly.
13:09I bit my lip until I tasted blood.
13:11That night, years ago,
13:13when I helped him take down the head of New Jersey's largest casino,
13:16he had told me something.
13:18Gary,
13:20from now on,
13:21no one in New Jersey's underworld will ever lay a hand on you.
13:23He had said the same words.
13:26made the same promise of protection.
13:27But the person he wanted to protect had changed.
13:30Once, I had been his most precious possession.
13:33Now, in his eyes,
13:35I was a dangerous, conniving woman
13:36who needed to be controlled.
13:43Footsteps approached.
13:45I shut my eyes.
13:47I pretended to have just woken up.
13:50You're awake.
13:50He said flatly.
13:51We found out that it was that Brazilian gambler
13:53who got his hand broken last time for cheating at the casino.
13:56Sign this settlement agreement.
13:57He tossed a folded onto the bed.
14:00They'll give up control of Trenton.
14:02Trenton by the sea.
14:03New Jersey's last clean Harvin.
14:07Untouched by gambling or crime.
14:08And then I remembered what he had said to Amelia.
14:15I'll build you a quiet place.
14:16He had promised her.
14:18A resort where you can relax.
14:20So all my pain and scars
14:22had just become the price he paid
14:23to build a gilded cage for his new lover.
14:26My throat burned.
14:28Jeffrey, I said.
14:30When did you make this deal?
14:32Was it the moment he saw me being dragged away?
14:35Or long before that?
14:36When he had already decided to pave the road for her with my suffering?
14:41He frowned.
14:42Clearly irritated by my question.
14:45I forced a smile.
14:46I said nothing more.
14:49The answer no longer mattered.
14:52Maybe to ease his guilt,
14:54he spent the next two days staying with me
14:56under the pretense of handling business.
14:58But his phone never left his hand.
15:00Even during meals,
15:01he would take photos to send to someone
15:03on the other end of the chat.
15:05His lips curving into a gentle smile
15:08I had never once seen before.
15:11I stared at his side profile.
15:13For a moment, my mind drifted back eight years.
15:19The first time I met him wasn't at the casino.
15:24It was in a dark alley.
15:26Jeffrey had been caught cheating.
15:29Surrounded by seven or eight men with machetes,
15:32he dislocated his arm right there on the street.
15:34I stepped in.
15:36I helped him fight his way out.
15:41I dragged him back to my apartment to patch him up.
15:47Later, dad fell deep into gambling debt.
15:51He was hunted down by drug traffickers.
15:56They killed him.
15:58They came for me next,
16:00pressing a needle against my vein as collateral for his debt.
16:06It was Jeffrey who burst in with his men,
16:09saving me at the last second.
16:13By then, he had taken over a small casino.
16:18He placed me behind the golden spiron.
16:22There, I became his invisible weapon,
16:25the scarlet healer.
16:28I helped him swallow one casino after another.
16:33I eliminated one rival after another.
16:37I knew my hands were stained with blood that could never be washed clean.
16:44But even if the whole world thought I was filthy,
16:48he shouldn't have.
16:55After I was discharged,
16:57Jeffrey used business matters as an excuse.
17:00Jeffrey never showed up again.
17:04Tomorrow, I would be leaving.
17:09While he was away,
17:10I went back to the top floor of the casino.
17:16I retrieved my passport
17:18and several crucial identity documents from the safe.
17:26But as I stepped out of the elevator,
17:28my knees suddenly gave out.
17:31I stumbled forward.
17:33Before I could fall,
17:34a pair of slender hands caught me.
17:38Are you okay?
17:40The voice was soft and gentle.
17:44I looked up into Amelia's clear eyes.
17:47She wore a nurse's uniform from the casino's VIP clinic.
17:52But she still looked painfully out of place here.
17:56She didn't recognize me.
17:58She probably thought I was just another gambler
18:00who had lost everything.
18:03I'm fine.
18:05I tried to leave.
18:06But she didn't let go.
18:08Instead, she guided me toward the staff lounge.
18:12You don't look well.
18:13You should rest in the back for a while.
18:15She sighed.
18:20For reasons I couldn't explain,
18:22I didn't refuse.
18:24She poured me a cup of warm water.
18:29Then, she pulled a pack of dried fruit and some bread from her locker.
18:35Here, eat something.
18:37Losing money's not the end of the world.
18:39Go home early.
18:41Your family's probably waiting for you.
18:46When I didn't respond,
18:47when I didn't respond,
18:49she hesitated.
18:51Then she reached into her pocket.
18:55I took the money she offered.
19:02She said softly,
19:03this should cover your cab pace.
19:09I wish I could help with your plane ticket,
19:11but I can't.
19:14Something logged in my throat.
19:21I wanted to tell her to stay away from Jeffrey.
19:23Jeffrey had no heart.
19:26His tenderness was poison wrapped in sugar,
19:29but the words died before I could speak them.
19:32If she found out who I really was,
19:34she would turn against him.
19:35And then,
19:36I would be the one responsible for her downfall.
19:40I had only one day left.
19:43I couldn't risk mom's and my own lives
19:46for a moral victory.
19:48So I took the money she offered.
19:50I thanked her.
19:53I walked quickly out the back door.
19:59The moment I stepped outside,
20:01something cold pressed hard against my temple.
20:04It was a gun barrel.
20:05I instinctively turned around.
20:07Amelia was already lying motionless
20:09on the hallway floor.
20:10I moved to react,
20:12but a sudden blow to the back of my neck
20:14sent everything into darkness.
20:17When I came to,
20:19both Amelia and I were tied up
20:20in an abandoned warehouse.
20:23She was sobbing softly.
20:27Who are you people?
20:29She asked.
20:32Why are you doing this to us?
20:36Kiran Dial stepped forward.
20:39He slapped her hard.
20:41To get back at your fiancé, Jeffrey!
20:43He snarled.
20:44He stole my Newark territory!
20:46He cut off my business!
20:48So it was the Newark gang.
20:50That territory was the one
20:52Jeffrey had recently acquired
20:53using the settlement agreement
20:54I had signed.
20:59Fortunately,
21:00they didn't recognize me.
21:02To them,
21:02Amelia,
21:03the woman always seen at Jeffrey's side,
21:05was the target.
21:06I began working my wrists.
21:09I used the microblade
21:10I kept hidden under my nail
21:12to saw through the ropes.
21:16Years of living on the edge
21:17had taught me to always
21:18leave myself a way out.
21:21Kiran thought I was a gambler.
21:23He spit at me.
21:25You're just unlucky, lady.
21:27Wrong place,
21:28wrong time.
21:31Call your family!
21:33Get five million here
21:34and we'll let you go.
21:39Amelia's tears
21:39streaked down her pale face.
21:42Mrs. Leonard,
21:43I'm so sorry
21:44for dragging you into this.
21:45She said.
21:46But don't be scared.
21:47My fiancé is powerful.
21:49He'll come for us.
21:51At the mention of Jeffrey's name,
21:52her eyes shone
21:53with unshakable trust.
21:54I didn't say a word.
21:55I quicked the movement
21:56of the blade
21:57against the ropes.
22:01Kiran cursed at his phone
22:02when his call went unanswered.
22:04Then he kicked over
22:05a fuel drum in frustration.
22:07Damn it!
22:08He shouted.
22:08Jeffrey's not picking up!
22:11Fine.
22:13Let's send him
22:14a little message
22:14to wake him up.
22:18Kiran picked up
22:18a knife from the floor.
22:23His eyes glinting
22:24with a sick grin
22:25as they swept over Amelia.
22:28I heard you two
22:29went to the hospital.
22:31He said.
22:32You're carrying his child,
22:33aren't you?
22:35Perfect.
22:38We'll dig that little brat out
22:40and send it to him!
22:45My blood ran cold,
22:46so she was pregnant
22:48with Jeffrey's child.
22:49Amelia froze in terror.
22:51Her face drained of color.
22:54No!
22:55She whispered.
22:56Please,
22:57don't hurt my baby!
22:58The men around her
22:59laughed crudely.
23:00They reached for her.
23:02In that split second,
23:03I tore through
23:03the last of my ropes.
23:04I sprang to my feet
23:05like a cornered predator.
23:06I drove my elbow
23:07into Kiran's jaw.
23:09I cut through
23:10Amelia's bindings.
23:12I shoved her behind me.
23:14I knew how to fight.
23:17But this time,
23:18I wasn't fighting for Jeffrey.
23:21I wasn't fighting for the
23:22Scarlet Healer's reputation.
23:25I was fighting because
23:26the woman behind me
23:27was pregnant,
23:27and no matter whose child
23:28it was,
23:29nobody deserved to die
23:30like this.
23:35Kiran ballowed.
23:38Damn it!
23:39He was clutching
23:40his bleeding chin.
23:42Kill her!
23:44Five or six thugs
23:45rushed forward,
23:46swinging metal rods.
23:50I was quickly overwhelmed.
23:52The blows landed hard.
23:55Steering pain
23:56spread through my body.
23:58Still,
23:59I grit my teeth.
24:00I used my body
24:01as a shield
24:01to protect Amelia
24:02in the corner.
24:11Kiran lost patience.
24:12With a click,
24:13he chambered a bullet.
24:15He aimed the gun
24:17straight at me.
24:21Die, bitch.
24:22Just as he was about
24:23to pull the trigger,
24:24a deafening explosion
24:25blew open the warehouse doors.
24:32Jeffrey burst into
24:33the warehouse with his men.
24:35Sunfire erupted instantly.
24:37Jeffrey moved
24:37like a raging lion.
24:39He charged straight toward us.
24:43Without a glance at me,
24:44he swept Amelia
24:45into his arms.
24:47It's okay, Amelia.
24:48I'm here.
24:49She gave a faint sigh.
24:52The shock
24:53finally overwhelmed her.
24:57He carried her carefully
24:59to the car outside.
25:01He placed her gently inside.
25:03Then he turned back toward me.
25:07Geraldine!
25:08His voice was cold as steel.
25:10Why are you here?
25:12I forced myself
25:13upright through the pain.
25:15You think I planned this?
25:16Before I could finish,
25:18his hand cracked
25:19across my face.
25:23The blow sent me
25:24crashing to the floor.
25:26Blood filled my mouth.
25:28He snored.
25:29I knew it.
25:33You've been trying
25:34to get rid of Amelia
25:35all along, haven't you?
25:36I spat blood
25:37onto the ground.
25:42I didn't.
25:46Jeffrey grabbed
25:47a wounded man nearby.
25:50Jeffrey pressed a gun
25:51to his head.
25:54Who hired you?
25:55The thug trembled.
25:57He darted
25:57a terrified glance at me.
26:01As if clinging
26:02to his last hope,
26:03I...
26:03It was her!
26:04he cried.
26:05She paid us
26:05to rough up that woman!
26:08My entire body
26:09went cold.
26:11My veins felt
26:12like they had
26:12turned to ice.
26:15Jeffrey's lips
26:16curled into a cruel smile.
26:18Without hesitation,
26:19he pulled the trigger.
26:23Man's body
26:24hit the ground
26:24with a done thunt.
26:28Jeffrey stepped
26:29over him.
26:29He crouched down.
26:33He ground his heel
26:34onto my hand.
26:35Pain shot through me.
26:37His tone
26:37carried a hint
26:38of mockery.
26:39Almost pity.
26:43These hands
26:44used to obey me
26:45so well.
26:46Why are they hurting
26:46the person I love most?
26:50He pulled out
26:51a dagger.
26:53Its blade gleamed
26:55with a cold,
26:56deadly sheen.
27:00I told you
27:01to never touch
27:02what's mine,
27:04Geraldine.
27:06The blade
27:07came down
27:07in a flash
27:08of silver.
27:08My breath
27:09stopped.
27:09The knife
27:10drove straight
27:11through my palm,
27:12pinning my hand
27:13to the concrete floor.
27:15A scream
27:16tore from my throat.
27:17Pain ripped
27:18through every nerve,
27:19blinding and searing.
27:21My body
27:21convulsed
27:22uncontrollably.
27:25Darkness
27:26edged
27:27at my vision.
27:28Through the agony,
27:29I found my voice
27:31again.
27:32Jeffrey!
27:35Eight years ago,
27:36I should have
27:37left you to die
27:38in that alley!
27:42I should have
27:43never helped you
27:43get where you are!
27:46And with that,
27:47he destroyed
27:48whatever humanity
27:49still lingered
27:49between us.
27:50He gave a short,
27:52contemptuous snort.
27:53He turned away.
27:56Without another look,
27:57he left the warehouse.
28:00His men
28:01followed close behind.
28:05When the numbness
28:06finally dulled the pain,
28:07I used my left hand
28:08to reach into my bra.
28:10I pulled out
28:10a small hidden tracker.
28:12My fingers trembled
28:13as I pressed the signal.
28:14Levi arrived quickly.
28:19The moment he saw me,
28:20his eyes filled with horror.
28:23He carefully
28:24pulled the knife
28:24from my hand.
28:26But my right palm
28:27was already mangled
28:27beyond recognition.
28:29Completely numb,
28:30Levi reached for my hand.
28:31I pulled back.
28:32Don't.
28:33My voice didn't shake.
28:35If he wanted me dead,
28:36I'd be dead already.
28:37He chose to leave me here.
28:40That was his mistake.
28:41In my past life,
28:43I had begged him
28:44not to touch other women.
28:45This time,
28:46he could cut that escort
28:48into 18 pieces.
28:49But he couldn't cut away
28:50what I'd already chosen
28:51to become.
28:52And he never would.
28:57My voice was faint,
28:58but steady,
28:59filled with cold resolve.
29:01Set the place on fire,
29:03I told Levi.
29:04Erase every trace of me.
29:07From this day forward,
29:08there is no more
29:09the scarlet healer
29:10of New Jersey.
29:13The flames tie into the night sky.
29:17Somewhere across the city,
29:18Jeffrey de la Cruz
29:19was probably holding
29:20Amelia in his arms.
29:21Telling her she was safe.
29:23He would never know
29:24what happened here tonight.
29:25He would spend weeks,
29:26months,
29:27tearing the city apart,
29:28looking for a ghost.
29:30Let him look.
29:31The scarlet healer
29:32didn't disappear.
29:35She just stopped
29:36being his weapon.
29:37And for the first time
29:38in eight years,
29:39she was free.
29:44Jeffrey stayed by
29:45Amelia's bedside
29:46in the VIP ward
29:47until she finally woke.
29:48Jeff.
29:49Amelia's voice was faint,
29:51trembling with the fear
29:51of someone who had
29:52barely escaped death.
29:55He held her gently.
29:56He brushed the cold sweat
29:57from her forehead
29:58with his thumb.
29:59It's my fault.
30:01He said.
30:03I should have done
30:04a better job protecting you.
30:06I am sorry
30:07for what you've been through.
30:09Amelia shook her head weakly.
30:11Then she seemed
30:12to remember something.
30:15Where is that lady?
30:16How is she?
30:17She asked.
30:19Jeffrey's gaze darkened
30:20for a moment.
30:20Then he looked away.
30:23You're too kind.
30:24He said.
30:25I won't let anything
30:26happen to you again.
30:29He stroked her back
30:30soothingly.
30:31Until she drifted off
30:32to an uneasy sleep.
30:33Then,
30:34his expression hardened.
30:35He gave his next order.
30:38Clean out the villa
30:39on the hillside.
30:41Throw out everything
30:42that shouldn't be there.
30:44Amelia will be moving in
30:45once she's discharged.
30:47One of his men nodded.
30:48He handed Jeffrey a document.
30:50He said.
30:50This is the compensation
30:51agreement for Mrs. Leonard.
30:52As you requested,
30:53two casinos and 20%
30:54of the company's shares
30:55have been transferred
30:55to her name.
30:57It's enough for her
30:58to start her own operation.
30:59Jeffrey gave a short nod.
31:01Send it to her.
31:02Have her sign it.
31:03He said.
31:03To him,
31:04this was already
31:05a grand gesture,
31:05an act of mercy and closure.
31:07After eight years
31:08by his side,
31:09he thought I should have
31:10known my place.
31:11But a day passed.
31:15And I won't reply to him.
31:21Jeffrey dialed
31:22my number himself.
31:23But there was no answer.
31:26He called the butler
31:27at the villa.
31:29Where's Mrs. Delacruz?
31:30Hasn't she come home?
31:33Mrs. Delacruz
31:34never returned.
31:34A flicker of unnies
31:35stirred beneath
31:36Jeffrey's growing irritation.
31:37He must be at a loss.
31:44Aside from staying
31:45by his side,
31:46where else in New Jersey
31:46could someone like me go?
31:48One of his men
31:49cautiously spoke up.
31:51He said.
31:53Mr. Delacruz,
31:54could it be that
31:55Mrs. Leonard
31:55is still in the hospital?
31:59She was pretty badly
32:00hurt last time.
32:02Jeffrey froze
32:02for a moment.
32:04He remembered
32:04that he had driven
32:05the blade through my palm
32:06just two days ago.
32:11He pushed down
32:12the unnies in his chest.
32:13He ordered his men.
32:15Find out
32:16which hospital she's in.
32:18Bring her the papers
32:19and have her sign them.
32:22The subordinate
32:22took the file.
32:23But he was stopped
32:24before leaving.
32:28When you find her,
32:30leave two men
32:30to keep watch.
32:31She's unpredictable.
32:33If she tries
32:34anything against Amelia,
32:36deal with her mother first.
32:37Let her suffer a little
32:38if you have to.
32:40She'll get the message.
32:43That night,
32:44Jeffrey returned
32:45to the top floor
32:45of the casino.
32:46This used to be his
32:47and my private haven.
32:51Beyond the vast
32:52floor-to-ceiling windows
32:53stretched New Jersey's
32:54most dazzling nightscape.
32:56Neon lights flickered
32:57beneath a sky
32:57full of inverted stars.
32:59I used to stand beside him,
33:01point down at the skyline,
33:02laugh.
33:02This is our empire,
33:04I would say.
33:06But now,
33:08he yanked off his tie.
33:10He tossed it aside.
33:14Irritation burned through him.
33:17Until a faint noise
33:18came from the bedroom.
33:21Is Geraldine back already?
33:22That's right,
33:23he thought.
33:24Where else can she go?
33:25In his eyes,
33:26with my temper,
33:27returning quietly
33:28never meant surrender.
33:29It meant I was
33:30plotting something.
33:31Either I was here
33:32to make a scene,
33:33or I had a plan.
33:34And Amelia was my target.
33:36His eyes turned cold,
33:37he strode to the door.
33:38He pushed it open.
33:40Neon lights
33:41spilled in
33:42through the windows,
33:43outlining a slim,
33:44graceful silhouette.
33:46But when she turned,
33:48his voice dropped to ice.
33:50Who told you to come here?
33:54Amelia flinched.
33:56A delicate nail charm,
33:58trembled between her fingers.
34:01Jeff.
34:02Her voice shook.
34:03I just wanted to look around.
34:06The guard said
34:07no one lived here anymore.
34:09Please don't blame them.
34:12Jeffrey's gaze fell
34:13on the nail piece in her hand.
34:16It was one of mine.
34:19Razor thin.
34:21Deceptively beautiful.
34:23Designed to slice through flesh,
34:25or even sheet metal.
34:28Every piece I wore,
34:30the earrings,
34:32the hairpins,
34:34even the lipstick,
34:36could be a hidden weapon.
34:38The scarlet healer
34:40had never been just a name
34:42for the gambling table.
34:45For a moment,
34:47the fury in Jeffrey's chest
34:48softened as he looked
34:49into Amelia's uneasy eyes.
34:52He stepped forward.
34:55He pulled her gently
34:56into his arms.
34:58I'm not angry.
35:01It's just that these things
35:03belong to my late wife.
35:05If you like them,
35:09I'll have new ones
35:10made for you.
35:13Amelia looked up.
35:15Her eyes shimmered
35:17with emotion.
35:21It seemed she hadn't chosen
35:23the wrong man after all.
35:25Someone who could be
35:26so devoted to his late wife
35:28would surely make
35:29a good husband and father.
35:31In the early hours
35:32of the morning,
35:33a shrill phone ring
35:35shattered the silence.
35:36It woke Jeffrey.
35:38The voice on the other end
35:39was tense, panicked.
35:42Mr. De La Cruz!
35:44Mrs. De La Cruz gone!
35:47We checked every hospital
35:48in New Jersey,
35:49but she's nowhere to be found.
35:51You should have a look
35:52at her old medical records.
35:54She knew about the divorce.
35:56She found out a while ago.
35:58She even went to the courthouse
36:00to confirm it.
36:02Amelia woke to the sharp sting
36:04of cigarette smoke.
36:06When she walked
36:07into the living room,
36:08the floor was littered
36:09with cigarettes.
36:11Did something happen
36:12at the casino?
36:13She asked softly
36:14how Jeffrey came to himself.
36:16But unlike usual,
36:18he didn't bother
36:19to put out the cigarette.
36:21It's nothing.
36:22Just a small issue at work.
36:24It's handled.
36:26He didn't realize
36:27how bloodshot his eyes were
36:29or how utterly drained
36:31he looked.
36:33His men had told him
36:34that I had gone to a hospital
36:36for an abortion.
36:37That day was the same day
36:39he had brought Amelia
36:40to the casino,
36:42parading her through the empire
36:43he and I had built together,
36:47as if to announce
36:48its new queen.
36:50And while he was doing that,
36:52I had been lying alone
36:55on an operating table,
36:57killing their child.
36:59Outside,
37:01dawn crept in,
37:02its pale light
37:04illuminating Amelia's
37:06delicate, spotless face.
37:11It was a stark contrast
37:12to the blood-stained woman
37:14who had dared
37:15to erase his bloodline,
37:16he thought.
37:18Perhaps it was for the best.
37:19They were divorced anyway.
37:24Jeffrey comforted himself.
37:28If Geraldine wanted to walk away,
37:31he would let her.
37:32It would only save him
37:34the trouble.
37:36It's fine.
37:38Jeffrey crushed
37:38the last of the cigarettes.
37:40I'll take a shower.
37:42He stepped into the bathroom.
37:44He called one of his men.
37:46Clear out those bastards
37:47from Trenton.
37:48Not one stays alive.
37:51Do it clean.
37:53Feed what's left
37:54to the sharks at the port.
37:56Amelia soon moved
37:57into the villa,
37:59becoming the new mistress
38:00in name.
38:02Jeffrey had tailored gowns
38:03and jewelry made for her.
38:05He even arranged
38:07a comfortable,
38:08respectable position
38:09for her at the casino.
38:10But with each passing day,
38:12an indescribable exogenesty
38:14began to seep
38:15into his bones.
38:18Every time he came back
38:19from the blood
38:20and chaos outside,
38:22facing Amelia's innocent,
38:24unblemished eyes
38:25made him feel
38:26as if he were being
38:27split in half.
38:28Half of him
38:29was the ruthless king
38:31of New Jersey's underworld,
38:33cold,
38:33commanding,
38:35and merciless.
38:36The other half
38:38was just a facade,
38:39a polished mask
38:41of the successful businessman.
38:44just the way
38:45she imagined him to be.
38:49Just then,
38:51he thought of me.
38:53Only with me
38:54could he be himself.
38:55Just I had never feared
38:57the darkness in him.
39:00I had aided him
39:02in plotting,
39:03executing,
39:03and wiping out
39:05their enemies
39:05with ruthless efficiency.
39:09A gold-embrosed invitation
39:11to the Grand Casino
39:12Championship for Jersey
39:13sat on his desk,
39:16addressed to him
39:17and his wife.
39:18Once upon a time,
39:20he wouldn't have
39:20even glanced at it.
39:23With me beside him,
39:25every gambling table
39:26had been just another stage
39:27for their joint conquest.
39:31Another game
39:32they always won.
39:36But now,
39:37he couldn't even remember
39:39the last time
39:39he had sat at a table,
39:41years spent
39:42expanding his territory,
39:44hiding behind power
39:46and blood money.
39:50Had dulled
39:51the edge of his skill.
39:54Even when he humored
39:55Amelia with a few rounds,
39:57it felt like
39:58playing cards
39:58with a child.
40:00He had developed
40:01a habit of returning alone
40:02to the top floor
40:03of the casino
40:04late at night.
40:06There,
40:07he could think
40:08of our past.
40:10He had once
40:11saved me
40:12from drug traffickers,
40:13given me shelter.
40:15But after that,
40:17I had been
40:18the one saving him.
40:21Winning key battles,
40:23eliminating rivals,
40:27staining my hands
40:28with blood
40:29so his wouldn't have to.
40:33What we had shared
40:34had never been charity.
40:36It had been survival.
40:38Two predators
40:40walking side by side
40:42through hell.
40:46Without me,
40:48there would be no Jeffrey.
40:52So why had I turned on her?
40:56Was it because
40:57her hands
40:57were stained
40:58with blood?
41:01Or was it
41:02because of the rare
41:02moments
41:03when she showed
41:04her dependence?
41:05And temper
41:06that started
41:07to make me resent her?
41:08But why did
41:09those same traits
41:10in Amelia
41:11stir tenderness
41:12instead of contempt?
41:16It felt as if
41:17something had clamped
41:18around his heart
41:19and twisted hard.
41:22sending a sharp,
41:24splintering pain
41:25through his chest.
41:26He rose to his feet
41:27in a rush.
41:30No.
41:31I had to find
41:33Geraldine.
41:34The golden sparrow
41:35couldn't exist
41:35without its true queen.
41:37And he couldn't exist
41:38without me.
41:41Turn New Jersey
41:42upside down
41:42if you have to!
41:43He barked
41:44into the phone.
41:44Find Geraldine!
41:48I want her found!
41:50Dead or alive!
41:53Mr. Delacruz,
41:54we've searched everywhere.
41:55His man replied.
41:57Even the hospitals,
41:59docks,
41:59and underground clinics.
42:02But there's no trace of her.
42:05Find her mother there!
42:07Jeffrey roared.
42:08Jeffrey slashed
42:09his fist on the desk.
42:10That sickly woman
42:10was hurt last time.
42:12She must be
42:13in a hospital somewhere.
42:15Grab her!
42:16I don't believe
42:17Geraldine will stay hidden
42:18if her mother's
42:19in danger.
42:23Jeffrey slammed
42:24the phone down.
42:25Jeffrey's chest heaved,
42:26the veins at his temple
42:27pulsing in barely
42:28controlled fury.
42:31Jeff?
42:32What are you looking for?
42:33Amelia's timid voice
42:34came from the doorway.
42:35He turned sharply.
42:36The fury in his eyes
42:37made her flinch.
42:39Taking a deep breath,
42:41he forced his voice low.
42:43It's just
42:44business matters.
42:46You don't need to worry.
42:47Amelia stepped closer.
42:48Her hands clasped
42:49nervously.
42:51I made you some dessert,
42:52she said softly.
42:55It'll help with the stress.
43:02Jeffrey took a bite.
43:04Jeffrey said nothing.
43:05It was sweet.
43:06Codgingly so,
43:08just like her.
43:11But that sugary softness
43:13couldn't come close
43:14to drowning out
43:15the restless storm
43:16churning inside him.
43:18Half a week passed.
43:22He still didn't find
43:23the trace of me
43:24or my mother.
43:29My right hand
43:30still wasn't strong enough
43:31for heavy things.
43:34But after several surgeries
43:36and rounds of rehab,
43:37I could at least manage
43:38the lighter ones.
43:39Levi sat across from me,
43:40watching me peel an orange
43:41with my left hand.
43:44It's progress.
43:45He said.
43:46I didn't answer.
43:48I just placed half
43:49of the orange on a plate.
43:51I slid it toward him.
43:54Show unto things
43:54didn't need words.
44:00Jeffrey's temper
44:01had grown increasingly volatile.
44:05Everyone at the casino
44:06walked on eggshells
44:07around him.
44:09Jeffrey couldn't understand
44:10how a gravely injured woman
44:12and her frail mother
44:13vanished right under his nose.
44:18That night,
44:19he was on the top floor again,
44:21drunk out of his mind.
44:26When Amelia arrived,
44:27one of his men
44:28was still giving a report.
44:31Jeffrey cursed.
44:32Loudly anger!
44:33He grabbed the nearest bottle.
44:35He hurled it across the room.
44:39The man fell silence immediately.
44:41He fled when he saw
44:43Amelia at the door.
44:44She pushed down her unease.
44:48She stepped close
44:49to help him up.
44:50Jeff,
44:51why are you drinking
44:52so much again?
44:56Let me help you
44:57back to bed.
44:59His unfocused eyes
45:01lifted.
45:02Suddenly,
45:02he grabbed her wrist.
45:06Gary.
45:10His voice cracked,
45:12hoary and pleading.
45:12Don't go.
45:14I was wrong.
45:16Come back to me.
45:18Amelia froze.
45:20Jeffrey obviously
45:21told her I was dead.
45:22She looked around the room.
45:24The vanity.
45:25The wardrobe.
45:27The nightstand.
45:29And realized
45:30there wasn't
45:30a single photo
45:31to be found.
45:32What kind of man
45:33who claimed
45:34to have loved his wife
45:35kept not even
45:36a picture of her?
45:39The next day,
45:40Jeffrey took her
45:41to a prenatal checkup.
45:42On the drive back,
45:44Amelia ventured
45:45tentatively.
45:46Jeff,
45:47when will we
45:48have our wedding?
45:50If we wait
45:51much longer,
45:52I won't be able
45:53to hide my pregnancy.
45:54In the past,
45:55Jeffrey would have
45:55been ecstatic.
45:56But now,
45:58irritation prickled
45:59beneath his skin.
46:00I'm too busy
46:01with casino affairs
46:02right now.
46:03He muttered,
46:03We'll talk about it later.
46:06Amelia lowered her head.
46:09If it's too much
46:10trouble for you,
46:11she said quietly,
46:14I can leave.
46:17He was silent
46:18for a few seconds.
46:21Then he sighed.
46:23Don't overthink it.
46:26Once the casino matters
46:27are settled
46:27at the end of the month,
46:28we'll have our wedding.
46:32Back at the casino,
46:33while Jeffrey
46:34was in a meeting,
46:35Amelia slipped
46:36into the records room.
46:36The guards
46:37didn't dare stop her.
46:39She searched
46:40through file after file,
46:43but she found
46:44no document
46:45related to me.
46:47Mrs. Delacruz?
46:48A young man
46:49asked hesitantly,
46:50What exactly
46:51are you looking for?
46:53I want to see
46:54Geraldine's file.
46:55The guy blurted out,
46:57Geraldine's?
46:58Mr. Delacruz
46:59ordered everything
47:00destroyed after she left.
47:01The man next to him
47:02elbowed him hard,
47:03but the damage
47:04was done.
47:05Amelia's face
47:06drained of color.
47:08Her heart gripped
47:09by an icy,
47:10invisible hand.
47:12She stumbled out
47:12of the archives
47:13in a daze
47:13and somehow
47:15wandered all the way
47:16to the basement entrance.
47:18Faint,
47:19inhuman screams
47:20echoed from deep inside.
47:25Inside,
47:25Ciaran was chained
47:26to the ground.
47:29Ciaran's body
47:30pressed against
47:30shards of broken glass.
47:35Mr. Delacruz,
47:36please!
47:38I was wrong!
47:39We'll stay out of Trenton!
47:42Just let me go!
47:49Jeffery's laugh
47:50was low
47:51and cold.
47:52You think
47:53that worthless
47:53piece of land
47:54compares to my wife?
47:56Ciaran knew
47:57there was no way out.
47:58Pain twisted
47:59his features,
48:00mingled
48:01with a strange,
48:02mocking grin.
48:02Your wife?
48:05Ciaran sneered.
48:06Jeffery,
48:07drop the act!
48:08I saw you clearly!
48:10Holding your new woman
48:11in the car!
48:14And now you're
48:15pretending to be
48:16some lovesick saint?
48:20You're absolutely
48:21disgusting!
48:26Jeffery's eyes narrowed.
48:28He said calmly,
48:30Cut his tendrils.
48:34The moment
48:35he finished speaking,
48:37his gaze
48:37caught a flash
48:38of fabric.
48:39a skirt
48:41disappearing
48:41by the doorway.
48:42Amelia froze
48:44in terror.
48:46She turned
48:47to run,
48:48but he caught up
48:49in just a few strides.
48:50He seized
48:52her wrist.
48:54She trembled
48:55violently.
48:57Tears streamed
48:58down her face.
49:06Jeffery
49:07pulled her
49:08into his arms.
49:10His tone
49:10was firm,
49:11yet oddly soothing.
49:17Don't be afraid.
49:21I'm just teaching
49:23them a lesson.
49:27So no one
49:28will ever dare
49:28touch you again.
49:30No!
49:31It's not like that!
49:32It's not like that!
49:37Through blurried vision,
49:39she stared at him.
49:42To the play
49:43wants to
49:43cacted me.
49:45She was badly hurt,
49:46but still shielded me
49:47with her body.
49:50She was kind
49:52and brave.
49:54How could I ever
49:54betray her?
50:01a storm of emotion
50:02flickered in
50:03Jeffrey's eyes.
50:09Amelia knew
50:10everything.
50:10He tried to explain.
50:12His voice
50:13was low
50:14and urgent.
50:14you now
50:15around the past.
50:16There's only you,
50:18man.
50:20Amelia shook
50:21her head
50:21desperately.
50:24She broke
50:25free from
50:26his arms.
50:30But Gary
50:32never hurt me!
50:33She saved
50:34my life!
50:38She was
50:39kind
50:40and brave.
50:41How could you
50:42do this
50:43to her?
50:47How could you
50:48not treasure
50:48a woman
50:49like that?
50:51Amelia was
50:52left pale
50:52and shaking,
50:55her strength
50:56nearly gone.
50:58For the first
50:59time,
51:00a crack
51:01of something
51:01almost desperate
51:02appeared on
51:03Jeffrey's face.
51:05Why didn't
51:06he know
51:06how to cherish
51:07what he had?
51:16Meanwhile,
51:17in a quiet
51:17foreign city,
51:21dusk was
51:22setting when I
51:23stepped out
51:23of the supermarket.
51:30I was
51:31planning to
51:31have fondue
51:32with mom
51:32that evening.
51:37My right
51:38hand still
51:38wasn't strong
51:39enough for
51:39heavy things,
51:40but after
51:41several surgeries
51:42and rounds
51:42of rehab,
51:43I could at
51:44least manage
51:44the lighter
51:45ones.
51:46The scars
51:47on my back
51:48had faded
51:48to thin
51:49white lines.
51:51His
51:51hares were
51:52there ever
51:52to
51:52Dithian Lear.
51:54I barely
51:54noticed them
51:55anymore.
51:59Levi had
52:00found us
52:00a small
52:01apartment
52:01near a
52:01medical
52:02school.
52:05Mom
52:06was taking
52:06cooking
52:07classes.
52:09I was
52:09volunteering
52:10at a
52:10free
52:10clinic
52:10three
52:11days
52:11a
52:11week.
52:15Not as
52:15the
52:15scarlet
52:16healer.
52:17Just as
52:18Geraldine.
52:19Just as
52:19a woman
52:20who wanted
52:20to help.
52:32my
52:33right
52:33hand
52:33still
52:33trembled
52:34when I
52:34held a
52:34scalpel.
52:37But I
52:38was learning
52:38to use
52:39my
52:39left.
52:43Some
52:43things you
52:44don't come
52:44back from
52:44and some
52:45things you
52:46do.
52:47Just not
52:48the same
52:48way.
52:55My phone
52:56rang.
52:57It was
52:57mom
52:57calling.
52:58I lifted
52:59the phone
52:59to answer.
53:05I had
53:06just lifted
53:06my phone
53:07to answer
53:07when an
53:08arm suddenly
53:08clamped
53:09around my
53:09neck from
53:09behind.
53:12Dragging
53:12me backward
53:13into an
53:13alley.
53:14Instinct
53:14took over.
53:15I dropped
53:16my weight.
53:16I slammed
53:17my elbow
53:18hard into
53:18the attacker's
53:19ribs.
53:19I stomped
53:20down on
53:20his foot
53:21with all
53:21my strength.
53:22He grunted
53:22in pain,
53:23his grip
53:23loosening
53:24just enough
53:24for me
53:25to twist
53:25free.
53:25A flash
53:26of cold
53:26steel
53:27glinted
53:27between
53:27the fingers
53:28of my
53:28left hand.
53:29The tiny
53:30blade
53:30in my
53:30knuckles
53:31pressed
53:31precisely
53:32against
53:32his throat.
53:33It was
53:33Jeffrey.
53:34He stared
53:35at me.
53:35Then he
53:36gave a
53:36low laugh.
53:38Honey,
53:39you still
53:40got the
53:40same moves,
53:40huh?
53:44Even
53:45if you
53:45kill me,
53:47I die
53:48willing.
53:49A wave
53:49of nausea
53:50and fury
53:51twisted my
53:51stomach.
53:52My voice
53:52came out
53:53cold and
53:53sharp.
53:54Jeffrey,
53:55we're
53:55divorced.
53:56Get out
53:56of my
53:57life.
53:58I never
53:59want to
53:59see you
53:59again.
54:00He leaned
54:01forward
54:01until the
54:02blade's
54:03edge slight
54:03his skin.
54:04A thin
54:04line of
54:05blood
54:05appeared.
54:07Come
54:08back with
54:08me,
54:08Jerry.
54:09Let's
54:10start
54:10over.
54:14The
54:14casino
54:14can't
54:15run
54:15without
54:15its
54:15queen.
54:16And
54:17I
54:17can't
54:17live
54:17without
54:17you.
54:19I
54:19lowered
54:19the
54:20knife.
54:20Keep
54:21dreaming.
54:22My
54:23answer
54:23like
54:23steel.
54:24I'll
54:25hate
54:25you
54:25until
54:25my
54:25last
54:26breath.
54:26His
54:27eyes
54:27reddened.
54:28Gary,
54:28I know
54:28I was
54:28wrong.
54:29Everything
54:29that
54:30happened
54:30was
54:30all
54:30my
54:30fault.
54:31Please,
54:31let's
54:32try
54:32again.
54:35Footsteps
54:36sounded
54:36behind me.
54:37He
54:37hadn't
54:37come
54:37alone.
54:38I
54:38took
54:38a
54:39step
54:39back.
54:42I
54:43slipped
54:43my
54:43right
54:43hand
54:44into
54:44my
54:44pocket.
54:45My
54:45fingers
54:45found
54:45a
54:46tiny
54:46button.
54:47I
54:47pressed
54:48it.
54:48Mom
54:49had
54:49been
54:49kidnapped.
54:53Jeffrey
54:54shoved
54:54me
54:54into
54:55the
54:55car.
54:58Jeffrey
54:59sped
54:59toward
55:00the
55:00airport.
55:04Then,
55:05his
55:05phone
55:05rang
55:06with
55:06a
55:06video
55:06call.
55:08Amelia
55:09was
55:09tied
55:09to
55:09a
55:10chair.
55:10A
55:11baby
55:11clutched
55:11in
55:11her
55:11arms.
55:12Levi
55:13held
55:13a
55:13knife
55:13to
55:13her
55:14throat.
55:15Let
55:15her
55:16go,
55:16Jeffrey.
55:20Or
55:20you'll
55:21never
55:21see
55:21your
55:21wife
55:21and
55:22child
55:22again.
55:24Jeffrey
55:24didn't
55:25even
55:25flinch.
55:27He
55:28let
55:28out a
55:28short,
55:29mirthless
55:29laugh.
55:31Do
55:31whatever
55:32you
55:32want.
55:36Levi
55:37and Amelia
55:37together
55:38aren't
55:38worth a
55:38single
55:39strand
55:39of
55:40Gary's
55:40hair.
55:42On the
55:43screen,
55:43Amelia's
55:44eyes
55:44widened in
55:44horror.
55:45All hope
55:46drained from
55:46her face.
55:47Jeffrey
55:47ended the
55:47call.
55:50Jeffrey
55:51turned back
55:51to me.
55:52His gaze was
55:53dark and
55:53feverish.
55:54Now no one
55:55can come
55:55between us.
55:58Jeffrey
55:59was completely
56:00insane.
56:01Just as the
56:01car pulled up
56:02at the airport
56:03entrance,
56:03several vehicles
56:04screeched in
56:05from different
56:05directions.
56:06They
56:07surrounded us.
56:08The car
56:08door swung
56:09open.
56:10My mother
56:10burst out.
56:11A group
56:12of people
56:12right behind
56:13her.
56:13Jeffrey,
56:14let go of
56:14my daughter!
56:16Gunfire
56:17erupted
56:17almost instantly.
56:23No one
56:24knew who
56:24fired first,
56:25and in the
56:26next second,
56:27chaos exploded
56:28all around.
56:30Jeffrey
56:31lunged in
56:31front of me,
56:33shielding me
56:34from the
56:34bullets.
56:35A muffled
56:36grunt
56:36escaped him.
56:37A red
56:37stain spread
56:38across his
56:38shoulder,
56:39but he
56:39didn't stop.
56:40Gripping my
56:40wrist,
56:41he tried to
56:41pull me
56:41toward the
56:41terminal.
56:42Gary,
56:42don't be
56:43afraid.
56:44I'll take
56:44you home.
56:49I tore
56:49myself free,
56:50with all the
56:51strength I had
56:52left.
56:53Jeffrey,
56:54there's no
56:54home left
56:55for us.
56:56Not anymore!
56:59His face
57:00went white,
57:02yet he still
57:03reached out
57:04to me.
57:05Desperate.
57:06Gary,
57:06come back.
57:12We can
57:12make it
57:13right again,
57:14just like
57:14before.
57:17I met
57:17his eyes
57:18steadily.
57:18If I had
57:19come back
57:19out of spite
57:20and gone
57:20after
57:20Amelia,
57:23would you
57:23have killed
57:24Mom in
57:24front of me
57:24before finishing
57:25me off,
57:25too?
57:27His pupils
57:28contracted.
57:29His lips
57:30parted as
57:30if to
57:30protest.
57:31I would
57:32never do
57:32that!
57:33As always,
57:34his hypocrisy
57:35never changed.
57:36He lied to
57:36me the same
57:37way he lied
57:37to Amelia.
57:38Mom stepped
57:39forward.
57:41Mom aimed
57:42her gun
57:43straight at
57:43him.
57:44Let me
57:44end this.
57:45I took
57:45the gun
57:45from her
57:46hands.
57:47I raised
57:48it.
57:50I aimed
57:51a shot
57:51without
57:52hesitation.
57:53Jeffrey
57:53jerked,
57:55staring
57:56in disbelief
57:56at his
57:56bleeding,
57:57mangled
57:57hand.
57:58His wide
57:59eyes lifted
58:00to me,
58:00full of
58:01shock and
58:01heartache.
58:02You ruined
58:02one of
58:03my hand.
58:03I've
58:04returned the
58:04favor.
58:05From now
58:06on,
58:06we're even.
58:08Gary!
58:08Don't go!
58:10His shout
58:10was raw,
58:11broken,
58:12almost inhuman.
58:13I didn't
58:14look back.
58:14Two years
58:15later,
58:18on a warm
58:18afternoon in
58:19Paris,
58:23I ran
58:23into Amelia.
58:25She looked
58:25slimmer than
58:26before.
58:27In her hand
58:28was a little
58:29girl,
58:30no more than
58:31two or three.
58:33The child
58:33gazed up at me
58:34with wide,
58:35curious eyes.
58:36I came back
58:36to finish my
58:37degree.
58:37The fear and
58:38fragility were
58:39gone from her
58:39voice,
58:40replaced by
58:40peace.
58:41I smiled
58:42back.
58:42I nodded
58:43to her
58:44and to the
58:44child.
58:45The storms
58:46of blood,
58:47betrayal,
58:47and love
58:48that had once
58:48consumed us
58:49finally faded
58:50without a trace.
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