Chapter 2 - THE BLOOD AND THE BLUFF
The stinging in her hand was a reminder of her reality.
Evelyn stood up,
her legs shaky,
her heart racing with a newfound adrenaline.
She walked to the bathroom,
the marble floor slick with a mixture of alcohol and her own blood.
She turned on the faucet,
letting the cold water wash away the crimson stain.
The cut was deep,
gaping,
demanding stitches.
She didn't care about the scar.
She cared about the survival strategy.
She bandaged her hand tightly with white gauze,
careful to hide the bulk under her long sleeves.
Tonight,
she needed to look weak.
Julian needed to believe she was defeated.
She walked back into the living room.
She picked up the shattered Baccarat vase pieces.
She swept them into a dustpan.
She dumped them into the trash bin,
hiding the evidence of his physical abuse beneath layers of useless paperwork.
She took a deep breath,
calming her racing heart.
She needed to find the backup hard drive.
Julian kept it in the safe behind the library painting.
She knew the code.
It was her own birthday.
He was arrogant enough to think she would never look.
She approached the painting,
her fingers trembling.
She entered the code.
Click.
The wall safe swung open,
revealing stacks of cash,
passports,
and the drive.
This was the black book of Vance Enterprises.
Every bribe,
every insider trade,
every offshore account was on this drive.
She grabbed it,
heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She replaced it with a decoy flash drive she had prepared weeks ago.
If he checked,
he would find nothing but empty spreadsheets.
She closed the safe.
She smoothed out the painting.
She heard the heavy tread of his footsteps in the hallway.
She quickly shoved the drive into her inner jacket pocket.
She walked to the kitchen,
pouring herself a glass of water,
pretending to be the fragile,
scared wife he demanded.
Julian entered,
his expression cold,
devoid of any remorse.
He glanced at her hand.
"You still here?"
he asked,
his voice bored.
"I was cleaning up,"
Evelyn said,
lowering her head to hide her eyes.
"I'll be out by morning,
Julian."
"Good,"
he muttered,
pouring himself a fresh drink.
"Don't try to take anything.
The security team knows what to look for."
"I don't want your money,"
she lied smoothly.
"I just want to be free of you."
Julian laughed,
a harsh,
unpleasant sound.
"Free?
You’ll be starving within a week."
She didn't argue.
She went to the bedroom,
packing a single bag.
She left the jewelry,
the designer clothes,
and the luxury handbags.
She took only the essentials.
She took the memories of his cruelty.
She took the drive.
She took her freedom.
She checked her reflection in the mirror one last time.
The woman staring back was not the one who had entered this house five years ago.
The old Evelyn was gone.
The new Evelyn was forged in the fire of his betrayal.
She opened the window slightly.
The rain was still pouring.
She slipped out the service entrance,
avoiding the cameras.
She had a car waiting in the alley.
She had a life waiting in the shadows.
Julian was still in the living room,
drinking his scotch,
oblivious.
May you like
He thought he had won.
He had no idea he had just handed her the keys to his destruction.
