Part 27
Thomas collapsed to the floor like a sack of wet flour, the crystal shards raining down around his unconscious body.
The silver briefcase clattered out of his hand, rolling uselessly under the bed.
I didn't give him a second look.
I rushed over to the crib, my hands trembling as I lifted Lily and Arthur into my arms.
The moment their small, warm bodies pressed against my chest, the coldness that had frozen my heart for the last week finally melted.
I held them tight, burying my face in their soft blankets, weeping silent tears of pure relief.
"Mommy's here," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Mommy's got you. You're safe."
Marcus entered the room a moment later, his weapon holstered, his expression relieved.
"The bridge is secure, Victoria. I've overridden the yacht's autopilot and turned us back toward the English coast."
"The British Coast Guard and Interpol are already en route to intercept us."
He looked down at Thomas, who was groaning weakly on the floor, blood trickling from his broken jaw.
"What do you want to do with him?" Marcus asked, his tone devoid of mercy.
I looked at the man who had tried to destroy my family, the man who had thrown me out into the snow.
He looked so small now. So pathetic. He wasn't a villain; he was just a parasite that had finally been purged.
"Leave him for the authorities," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes and standing up straight, holding my children close.
"Ensure the federal prosecutors know that he violated his bail and fled the country."
"He will spend the rest of his miserable life in a maximum-security prison cell, dreaming of the wealth he could never hold."
We walked out of the stateroom, leaving Thomas in the dark, bleeding on the floor of a stolen ship.
As I stepped out onto the bridge, the sun began to break through the heavy English fog, casting long, golden rays across the water.
The storm had passed.
May you like
The enemies had been broken.
And my children were in my arms.
