Because what Richard didn’t know—what he couldn’t possibly know—was that for the last two months, every room in our house had been equipped with audio recording devices.
Every conversation he’d had with his mistress, planning my death.
Every phone call with the pilot he’d bribed.
Every single word.
All of it was already in the hands of federal investigators.
The boat appeared on the horizon, moving fast.
I kept my head above water, one hand pressed protectively over my stomach.
“We’re okay,” I whispered to my baby. “We’re going to be okay.”
But as the boat drew closer, something cold settled in my chest.
This wasn’t over.
Richard was going to prison, yes.
But there was still one thing I didn’t understand.
One question that had haunted me through all my careful planning.
Why now?
Richard had married me three years ago. He’d had access to wealth, comfort, everything most people dreamed of. Yes, he didn’t control my fortune, but he lived in luxury.
So why had he suddenly decided to kill me? Why take this enormous risk?
The answer, I would learn, was worse than anything I’d imagined.
The security team pulled me from the water with practiced efficiency. Warm blankets. A medical check. Gentle voices asking if I was hurt.
“The baby?” I managed through chattering teeth.
“We’re taking you to Dr. Reeves right now,” the team leader, Marcus, assured me. “She’s waiting.”
Thirty minutes later, I was in a private clinic, lying on an examination table while Dr. Reeves moved the ultrasound wand across my stomach.
The baby’s heartbeat filled the room.
Strong. Steady. Alive.
I closed my eyes and let the tears come.
“Everything looks good,” Dr. Reeves said softly. “You and your daughter are both healthy.”
Daughter.
I’d known for weeks, but hearing it now—after everything—made it real in a way it hadn’t been before.
Richard had tried to kill his own daughter.
“Mrs. Hayes,” Marcus appeared in the doorway. “Katherine Chen is on the line. She says it’s urgent.”
I took the phone with shaking hands.
