I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles white. I was still in my hospital gown, pacing the small room despite the cramps that seized my abdomen every few steps. “What do you mean, a done deal? David didn’t embezzle anything! The evidence is fake!”

“The evidence was found on his personal encrypted drive, Donna,” the family attorney, Mr. Henderson, said wearily. “Five million dollars transferred to the Caymans. The metadata matches his login. The DA isn’t interested in hearing about a setup. They’re fast-tracking this. He’s looking at fifteen years, minimum.”

“Fifteen years?” The room tilted.

“Someone powerful wants him buried,” Henderson lowered his voice. “I’ve tried to pull strings, but every door is slammed in my face. The orders are coming from the top. I can’t stop it.”

I hung up.

I didn’t need a detective to know who the "higher-ups" were. Anton’s grandfather practically owned the city’s judicial system. And Anton… Anton was the one pulling the trigger.

He had checkmated me. If I pursued Beatrice for the murder of my child, my brother would rot in a cell for a crime he didn’t commit.

I ripped the IV out of my arm. Blood welled up, dripping onto the floor, but I didn’t feel it.

The house was quiet when I arrived. I found Anton in his study. He was sitting behind his mahogany desk, a glass of amber liquid in his hand, looking at a file. He didn’t look surprised to see me. He didn’t even look up.

“You should be resting,” he said calmly. “You discharged yourself against medical advice.”

“Let him go,” I said. My voice was raspy, but it didn’t waver.

Anton took a slow sip of his drink. “I assume you’re talking about your brother. Terrible business, that. Embezzlement is a nasty stain on a reputation.”

“Cut the crap, Anton,” I slammed my hands onto his desk, leaning over him. “You planted that evidence. You paid someone to hack his drive. You’re holding him hostage.”

Anton finally looked up. His eyes were devoid of warmth. They were the eyes of a shark.

“And you,” he said softly, “are holding a gun to the head of the woman I love. You’re threatening to drag my family name through the mud with this ridiculous lawsuit.”

“She killed our baby!”

“And you are trying to kill my future!” Anton stood up, towering over me. “So let’s make a deal, Donna. Since you’re so fond of legal action.”

He slid a folder across the desk.

“What is this?”

“A withdrawal of charges,” he said. “And a binding non-disclosure agreement. You will drop the lawsuit against Beatrice. You will state publicly that it was a misunderstanding caused by grief. And you will sign a contract promising never to pursue legal action against her regarding the miscarriage ever again.”

I stared at the papers. They were asking me to absolve my son’s murderer. They were asking me to sell my soul.

“And if I don’t?”

“Then David goes to prison,” Anton shrugged, sitting back down. “He’s soft, Donna. He won’t last a month in maximum security. Do you really want his blood on your hands too?”

I felt bile rise in my throat. I hated him. I hated him with a violence that frightened me. I wanted to grab the letter opener on his desk and drive it into his chest.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t sacrifice David. He was the only family I had left.

“Fine,” I whispered.

Three hours later, I sat in David’s living room.

“I’m sorry,” David said, his voice thick with guilt. “I know what you did, Donna. The charges were dropped ten minutes after you left the hospital. He traded me, didn’t he?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, staring into my own black coffee.

“It does matter!” David slammed the cup down. “He set me up to protect that bitch! We can’t let him get away with this. We have to refile. We have to—”

“We can’t,” I cut him off. “I signed an NDA. If I speak about the poisoning, if I sue her, the evidence against you reappears. He has us in a chokehold, David.”

David slumped back into the sofa, defeated. “So he wins? After everything he did to you? He just… wins?”

“No,” I said.

I set my cup down and looked at my brother. The tears were gone. The grief was gone. In their place was a cold, hard resolve.

“What are you going to do?” David asked warily.

“First,” I said, “I need you to process the divorce papers. Immediately. I want out of that marriage, and I don’t want a single penny from him. I want a clean break.”

“Done,” David nodded. “I’ll have them ready by morning. But Donna… how are you going to fight him? The Jones family is untouchable in this city.”

“I’m going to ruin him,” I said softly. “Piece by piece. I’m going to take his company. I’m going to take his reputation. And I’m going to make him watch as I burn everything he loves to the ground.”

I waited until David went to shower before I made the call. My hands trembled slightly as I scrolled through my contacts, down to a number I hadn’t dialed in six years. A number I had sworn never to use.

Uncle Jackson. He wasn’t really my uncle. He was a distant relative, the black sheep of the family. The man who operated in the shadows, who arranged deals that never appeared on paper. The man my father had forbidden me from speaking to.

The phone rang twice.

“Well, well,” a gravelly voice answered. “Little Donna. To what do I owe the pleasure? Run out of charity galas to attend?”

“I need a favor,” I said, skipping the pleasantries.

“I don’t do favors, darling. I do transactions.”

“I know,” I took a deep breath. “Do you remember the offer you made me? Before I married Anton? You said you had a match for me. Someone who could merge our logistics lines with a global empire.”

Jackson chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. “I remember. You turned your nose up at it. Said you wanted to marry for love. How did that work out for you?”

“It didn’t,” I said coldly. “I’m ready to accept.”

“If you do this, there’s no turning back,” Jackson warned.

“Good,” I said. “When can I leave?”

“I can have the jet ready in five days.”

“Sure. Make sure to prepare yourself to marry your ex-husband’s greatest rival.”

“This,” Anton announced, raising his glass, “is what a family should look like. Forgiveness. Unity. Moving forward.”

He smiled at me, a dazzling, practiced smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m so glad we could put that ugly business behind us, Donna. David, the wine is excellent, isn’t it?”

“Superb,” David said, his voice flat. He took a sip, probably wishing it was arsenic so he could slip it into Anton’s glass.

“And Beatrice,” Anton turned to his mistress, his voice softening. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”

“I’m just so happy we’re all friends,” Beatrice chirped, reaching out to squeeze my hand where it rested on the tablecloth. Her skin was warm. It made my flesh crawl. “Thank you for forgiving me, Donna. I know it’s been hard, but… we’re going to be so close now. Like sisters.”

I didn’t pull away. I forced the corners of my mouth up into a smile that felt like it was cracking my face.

“Of course, Beatrice,” I said sweetly. “Sisters.”

Anton beamed, cutting into his duck. “See? I told you she’d come around. Donna is reasonable. She understands the big picture.”

“Speaking of the big picture,” I said, picking up my fork. “I was thinking about what your grandfather said.”

Anton paused, knife hovering. “Oh? Which part?”

“The heir,” I said casually. “He was so disappointed about the… accident. He’s been calling me every day, asking when we’re going to try again. He says the Jones need a legacy.”

Beatrice stiffened. Her eyes darted to Anton, wide with alarm.

Anton cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “Well, yes. Grandfather is impatient. But you’re still recovering, honey. The doctor said—”

“The doctor said I’m physically fine,” I lied smoothly. “And I was thinking… our fifth anniversary is in five days. Isn’t that lovely?”

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand, looking at him with wide, adoring eyes.

“Should I schedule a honeymoon? Maybe the Maldives? We could… try again. For the baby.”

Anton blinked. He looked at Beatrice, then back at me. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He didn’t want me. He wanted Beatrice. But he needed his grandfather’s approval, and he needed to keep me happy until he got what he really wanted—my shares.

“That sounds… wonderful,” Anton said, forcing a smile. “A honeymoon. Just the two of us?”

“Just us,” I promised. “A fresh start.”

“But,” Anton added quickly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Before we go jet-setting off… there is the matter of the merger. The final transfer papers for your father’s logistics company. We need to get that settled before we leave. You know how nervous the board gets.”

“Oh, the merger,” I waved a hand dismissively. “I have the papers right here.”

I reached under the table and pulled out a thick manila envelope. I placed it next to the roast duck.

Anton’s eyes lit up. It was the look of a predator spotting a wounded gazelle. He reached for it, but I placed my hand on top of the folder.

“Ah-ah,” I chided playfully. “Not at the table, darling. It’s rude.”

“Right,” Anton laughed, a nervous, greedy sound. “Of course. After dinner.”

“Actually,” I said, withdrawing my hand. “I’ve already signed them.”

“You have?”

“Yes. I signed them this afternoon. I sent the digital copies to the legal department already. These are just the hard copies for your records.” I pushed the envelope toward him.

Anton grabbed it, tearing it open. He flipped to the last page, his eyes scanning for my signature.

He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for weeks. He looked at me, and for the first time in a long time, he looked genuinely happy. Not because he loved me, but because he thought he had finally won. He thought he had stripped me of everything—my child, my pride, and now, my inheritance.

“You’re amazing, Donna,” he said, closing the folder. “Truly. This… this changes everything.”

“It certainly does,” David murmured into his wine glass.

“So,” I said, raising my own glass. “To the merger? And to our anniversary?”

“To us,” Anton said, clinking his glass against mine. Beatrice clinked hers too, her smile triumphant. She thought she had won too. She thought she would be the one going to the Maldives eventually.

Later that night, the house was silent. Anton was in the shower, humming to himself. He was in a good mood.

I sat at my vanity, removing my earrings.

He didn’t know that the signature on those papers was worthless. He didn’t know that three hours before dinner, David and I had executed a different transfer.

My father’s company wasn’t a singular entity. It was a holding company. And as the majority shareholder, I had the right to restructure the assets.

I hadn’t transferred the company to Anton. I had transferred the shell of the company. The brand name. The logo. The office leases.

But the assets? The trucks, the shipping routes, the warehouses, the contracts? I had transferred those into a new trust. A trust solely controlled by David that Anton couldn’t touch..

When Anton’s lawyers filed those papers tomorrow morning, they would realize they had just acquired a hollowed-out carcass. A ghost company worth nothing but debt.

And by the time they realized it, I would be gone.

“Honey?” Anton called from the bathroom. “Are you coming to bed?”

“In a minute,” I called back. “Just finishing my skincare.”

My phone buzzed on the marble countertop. A single message from an unknown number.

I picked it up.

Unknown: Hello, my bride.

My heart skipped a beat.

Unknown: The jet is fueled. The contract is ready. Are you ready to marry me and ruin your ex-husband? If yes, see you, then.

“Eat, Donna, eat,” Grandfather Vince urged, gesturing with a trembling hand at the spread of roasted lamb and root vegetables. “You look too thin. Pale. Has this grandson of mine been starving you?”

He glared at Anton, his bushy white eyebrows knitting together.

“I’ve been taking excellent care of her, Grandfather,” Anton said, cutting his meat with precise, irritated strokes. “She’s just recovering. It takes time.”

“Recovering,” the old man scoffed. “A miscarriage is a tragedy, not a flu. It requires tenderness. Compassion.” He turned his watery blue eyes to me, and the genuine affection in them made my chest ache. “I am so sorry, my dear. I was so looking forward to meeting him. A little boy, you said?”

“Yes,” I whispered, my throat tight. “A little boy.”

Grandfather Vince reached out and patted my hand. “We will have others. You are young. Strong. You are the best thing that ever happened to this family, Donna. When your parents passed, I promised I would look after you like my own daughter. And I meant it.”

I looked down at my plate, blinking back tears. This was the hardest part. Leaving Anton was easy. Leaving the fortune was easy. But leaving this old man, who had been the only father figure I had known for a decade… that felt like a betrayal.

He didn’t know his grandson was a monster. He didn’t know the rot at the core of his legacy.

“It’s hard to recover,” I said softly, “when the cause is still… around.”

The table went silent.

“What do you mean?” Grandfather asked sharply.

“Donna,” Anton warned, his voice low.

I looked up, feigning innocence, then widened my eyes as if I realized I had spoken out of turn. “Oh! I… nothing. I just meant… the stress. And Beatrice.”

“Beatrice?” Grandfather’s frown deepened. “What does that girl have to do with this?”

“She made the soup,” I blurted out, then clamped a hand over my mouth. “Oh god. I shouldn’t have said that. I mean… she didn’t mean to! It was an accident! We’ve already forgiven her, haven’t we, Anton?”

“The soup?” he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet. “The soup that made you sick? Beatrice made it?”

“It was a mistake!” I stammered, looking frantically at Anton. “She put in the wrong herbs! She didn’t know I was pregnant! Please, Grandfather, don’t be mad. She’s practically family!”

“She is not family!” the old man roared, slamming his fist on the table. The silverware jumped. “She is a leech! A hanger-on who has been sniffing around my grandson since they were children! And now her incompetence has cost me a great-grandson?”

“Grandfather, please,” Anton stood up, his face pale. “It’s not like that. Beatrice is devastated.”

“I don’t care if she’s devastated!” Grandfather pointed a shaking finger at Anton. “I want her gone, Anton. Do you hear me? I don’t want her in your house. I don’t want her near my company. And if I find out you’re still entertaining that… that woman while your wife is grieving, I will write you out of the will so fast your head will spin!”

Anton’s jaw clenched. He looked at me, his eyes burning with fury, but he couldn’t say a word. He was trapped.

“Yes, Grandfather,” he gritted out.

The ride home was silent and suffocating. As soon as we walked through the front door, Anton exploded.

“What the hell was that?” he shouted, throwing his keys onto the console table. “You slipped your tongue? Bullshit! You did that on purpose!”

“I didn’t!” I cried, backing away. “He kept pressing me! I got nervous!”

“You just painted a target on Beatrice’s back!” Anton paced the foyer, running his hands through his hair. “He wants her gone, Donna! Do you know what that means? He controls my trust fund! If he cuts me off…”

“I’m sorry,” I said, looking at the floor. “I’ll fix it. I’ll talk to him when we get back from the honeymoon.”

“The honeymoon,” Anton scoffed. He looked at his phone, which had been buzzing incessantly in his pocket. Beatrice.

He read the message, and his face softened into that sickening look of concern he never showed me.

“She’s having a panic attack,” he muttered. “She heard about what happened. My grandfather called her father and screamed at him. I have to go to her.”

“Now?” I asked. “But… we have a flight tomorrow morning. To the Maldives. For our anniversary.”

“I can’t leave her like this, Donna!” he snapped. “I’ll go calm her down. I’ll be back in the morning before the car comes.”

He didn’t even say goodbye. He just walked out the door, choosing her again. Always her.

The next morning, the sun was bright and mocking. I stood in the foyer, my small carry-on bag at my feet. The house was quiet. Anton hadn’t come home.

My phone rang.

“Donna?” Anton’s voice was rushed, breathless. “Look, I’m so sorry. I can’t make the flight.”

I didn’t blink. “What?”

“It’s Beatrice,” he said, the lie coming easily to him now. “She’s… she’s sick. Really sick. A fever. She’s delirious. I can’t leave her alone right now. There’s no one else to take care of her.”

“Oh,” I said. “I see.”

“Don’t be mad, baby,” he cajoled. “You go ahead. Take David with you so you’re not alone on the flight. I’ll take the next flight out tomorrow morning. I promise. I’ll be there before dinner. We’ll still have our anniversary.”

“It’s okay, Anton,” I said. “I understand.”

“You’re the best,” he sighed with relief. “Hey, by the way… the lawyers just called. They filed the transfer papers this morning. The logistics company will soon be officially under Jones Corp after confirmation. Thank you, Donna. Really. This means the world to me.”

“I’m glad,” I said. “I left a gift for you. In our room. On the bed.”

“A gift? You didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” I said, looking at the empty space on my ring finger. “It’s… for our anniversary. You deserve it.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” he said.

“I hope you’ll be happy,” I said, my voice steady. “Without me.”

There was a pause on the other end. A flicker of confusion.

“What do you mean, without you—”

I hung up before he could say a word. Then, I throw my phone in the trash bin before heading to the airport.