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JOEL'S POV

The airport was crowded, a sea of people streaming through security and rushing to their gates. Perfect. I could blend in, disappear into the masses, and slip away unnoticed. I kept Zara close, holding her hand tightly as we moved through the terminal, careful not to look around too much. I couldn’t afford to seem anxious.

All I needed was to make it through security and get her onto the plane. I’d planned every detail, every move. In a matter of hours, we’d be somewhere no one could find us, far from Bethany, Damien, and the life they’d stolen from me.

Zara glanced up at me, her face pale and uncertain. “Where’s Mommy?” she asked quietly.

“We’re meeting her later,” I said, forcing a smile. “We’re just going on a little trip.”

She hesitated, her eyes darting to the crowd around us. For a moment, I thought she might resist, but I tightened my grip on her hand, keeping her close. “Stay with me, Zara,” I murmured, keeping my tone calm but firm. “We’re almost there.”

As we approached the security checkpoint, I could feel my pulse quicken, my mind racing through the plan. I kept my head down, steering her through the line, careful not to draw attention. But as we neared the front, an announcement crackled over the airport speakers, and my heart skipped a beat.

“Attention, all travelers: Security screening may be delayed due to additional measures. We appreciate your patience.”

A delay. The last thing I needed. I scanned the area, looking for another checkpoint, an exit—anything that would get us out faster. But we were boxed in, surrounded by travelers and security guards.

I bent down, whispering to Zara. “This is just a game, okay? Stay quiet, and we’ll be out of here soon.”

She nodded, though I could see the uncertainty in her eyes. But before I could push forward, something caught my eye—a flash of movement, familiar faces in the crowd.

Bethany and Damien. They were here.

Panic surged through me, my heart pounding as I tried to think. I still had options, ways to get out, but my mind was racing, my usual confidence slipping. They’d found me. They were close enough to see Zara, to recognize me.

I yanked her closer, forcing my voice to stay calm. “Change of plans,” I muttered, steering her away from the checkpoint, back into the crowded terminal. If I could get to another exit, find a back way out—

But then I heard his voice, low and dangerous, cutting through the noise of the airport. “Joel! Stop!”

I turned, my grip tightening on Zara’s hand. Damien was pushing through the crowd, his face set in a look of fury I’d never seen before. Bethany was right behind him, her expression pale but resolute. They were closing in, their eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my pulse spike.

In a last-ditch effort, I pulled Zara in front of me, shielding myself with her small body. “Stay back!” I barked, my voice carrying over the murmur of the crowd. “You come any closer, and I’ll—”

But before I could finish, something shifted in Damien’s gaze, a flash of something dark and unyielding. In one swift move, he lunged forward, his hand clamping down on my wrist with a force that sent a jolt of pain shooting up my arm.

“Let her go,” he hissed, his voice low and filled with fury. “Now.”

I struggled, trying to pull away, but his grip was iron, unbreakable. And then, before I could react, Bethany was there, pulling Zara into her arms, holding her close, her relief palpable as she clutched her daughter.

In that instant, I realized it was over. The police were closing in, officers surrounding me, their hands on my arms, pinning me in place as I fought to break free.

“Get off me!” I shouted, my voice filled with a desperation I could barely contain. “This isn’t over! I’ll make you all pay!”

But my words fell on deaf ears. Bethany and Damien were focused solely on Zara, their faces filled with relief, ignoring me as if I were nothing more than an afterthought.

As the officers led me away, the weight of defeat settled over me, cold and suffocating. I’d lost everything. My revenge, my plans—it was all gone, slipping through my fingers like sand.

And as I looked back, catching one last glimpse of them—Bethany, Damien, and Zara standing together as a family—I knew that I was truly alone.

The officers led me through the terminal, their hands gripping my arms, but I barely felt it. My mind was racing, my anger boiling over as I processed the scene I’d just witnessed. Bethany and Damien, standing there with Zara, triumphant, relieved. After everything I’d done, all my careful planning, they’d ripped it all away in a single moment.

I could hear the police reading me my rights, their voices a low drone against the fury in my head. None of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was that I’d lost. Bethany had won. After all the time I’d spent plotting, after every effort to make her suffer, she’d come out on top. And now, there was nothing left for me.

As they walked me through the back corridors of the airport, I caught a glimpse of Bethany and Damien in the distance, still holding Zara. They were speaking to one of the officers, likely giving statements, but they didn’t spare me a second glance. To them, I was already gone, forgotten, erased from their lives.

It should have been me standing there with Zara. I should have been the one with control, with power. But instead, I was nothing more than a prisoner, and all my grand visions of revenge had crumbled to dust.

The officers led me outside, the cool night air a harsh contrast to the heated rage simmering within me. I was pushed into the back of a squad car, the door slamming shut with a finality that sent a chill down my spine. I watched through the window as they completed their paperwork, my mind reeling as I tried to comprehend my new reality.

There was no escaping this. My freedom, my power—it was gone. And the worst part was knowing that Bethany, Damien, and Zara would go on with their lives, probably stronger than ever. They would forget me, move on, while I rotted away in a prison cell, my plans wasted, my life shattered.

As the car pulled away, I felt a strange emptiness settle over me. There was no more rage, no more fight. Only the cold realization that I’d lost everything I’d once held dear. I’d pushed everyone away, manipulated, threatened, and hurt them in my quest for revenge, and now I was left with nothing but the hollow echoes of my failures.

In a way, I had only myself to blame. I’d been so consumed by my anger, by my desire to hurt Bethany, that I’d destroyed any chance of happiness, any hope of a future. I’d turned my own life into a prison long before the police had cuffed me.

As the car sped through the streets, I let my head fall back against the seat, the weight of everything pressing down on me. I’d made my choices, and now, I was paying the price.