Faint sounds drifted up from downstairs. Fabric rustling against fabric.

Lawrence's breathing seemed to falter for a beat.

I closed my eyes.

My fingers tightened around the distress beacon hidden inside my sleeve.

My brother Duane Swanson had given it to me years ago.

He'd said：

“Pauline, Lawrence James is too ambitious for his own good.”

“You love him. I won't stop you.”

“But remember this. When you've got nowhere left to turn, press it.”

“Ten minutes. I'll be there.”

Back then, I'd laughed and told him he was overreacting.

Turns out my brother had always seen things more clearly than I had.

Lawrence thought he had me trapped.

Too bad he didn't know.

People who grew up in circles like ours

never left themselves only one way out.

I used every last scrap of strength I had and pressed the beacon.

The red light blinked on. Downstairs, Elise was still laughing.

Lawrence kept his voice low, coaxing her.

“Pauline's pregnant. She can't keep this up much longer.”

“Once she comes to her senses, she'll come crawling back to me.”

“The Swansons sheltered her too well her whole life. Without me, she wouldn't know the first thing about holding a marriage together.”

Elise giggled and asked：

“What about the Swansons, though?”

“If her brother finds out, won't he come after you?”

Lawrence was quiet for a second.

Then he scoffed.

“Duane Swanson can be as powerful as he wants. He still can't interfere between a husband and wife.”

“Pauline is carrying my child.”

“As long as the baby exists, she and the Swansons would never actually touch me.”

I leaned against the side of the bed, cold sweat soaking my temples, the pain splitting me in half.

Hearing that, I actually laughed.

Lawrence, you still don't understand the Swansons.

My child would carry the Swanson name and inherit the Swanson legacy.

As for the child's father, alive or dead, who would care?

A deep roar of engines erupted in the distance.

A line of black SUVs screeched to a halt outside the villa gates.

Men in black suits poured out of the vehicles and locked down the entire compound in seconds.

The front door was kicked open from the outside.