Chapter 30 False Reprieve
The tires of Sarah’s car screeched against the gravel of the driveway, a sound that mirrored the jagged state of her nerves. She didn't even bother to turn the engine off completely before she was out of the seat and racing toward the front porch. Her lungs burned with every ragged breath.
In Sarah's mind, the world had already ended. She could see the scene perfectly: Mark standing in the foyer, his face twisted in a mixture of grief and fury, holding the glossy, undeniable evidence of her betrayal. Joseph had finally pulled the trigger. The open phone call was out, the photos were public, and her son was lost to her.
She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking so violently that the metal jingled like a frantic warning. When the lock finally clicked, she burst through the door.
"Mark!" she cried out, her voice cracking.
Oh dear lord. This was the end. Her ex husband had made his threats real.
She stopped in the entryway, her chest heaving. The house was quiet. It looked peaceful and normal. That only made the dread deeper.
"In the kitchen, Mom!" Mark’s voice suddenly called back.
Mark's voice was normal. There was no underlying anger or disappointment in his voice.
Or is is just my mind? Sarah thought as she forced her legs to move.
Every step felt like she was wading through deep water. She rounded the corner into the kitchen, her eyes immediately searching for the manila envelope, the loose prints, the digital screen—anything that looked like a weapon Joseph might have sent.
Mark was sitting at the breakfast nook, a half-eaten sandwich on a plate beside him. Spread out on the marble island was a thick, dusty folder overflowing with yellowed papers.
"There you are," Mark said, looking up with a small, weary smile.
"You look like you just ran a marathon. Is the Veridian stuff that bad?"
Sarah gripped the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning a ghostly white. She stared at the papers. They weren't photos. They weren't transcripts of a midnight tryst.
"What... what is that?" she stammered, her heart still hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs.
"I went up to the attic after I got home from the printers," Mark explained, tapping the folder.
"I remembered you saying you were worried about the backup files for the Veridian project—the ones from the early planning stages. I found this in Dad’s old storage trunk. It’s a folder of old tax documents and property deeds. I thought maybe these were the 'backups' you were panicking about."
Sarah stared at the tax forms. The relief was so sudden and almost violent, that she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She had to close her eyes for a moment to keep from fainting. Joseph’s threat. The photos. The ‘open phone call.’ None of it was here.
He was bluffing, she thought, a hysterical bubble of laughter threatening to rise in her throat.
He was just trying to scare me, or maybe the courier hasn't arrived yet.
Oh Lord, no.
"Mom? You okay? Why do you look that way?" Mark asked, standing up and walking toward her. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm fine, honey," Sarah lied, her voice regaining a shred of stability.
"Just... a very long day. The boardroom was a nightmare. Gary MacIntyre was there, and everything felt like it was falling apart."
"Well, you're home now," Mark said gently. He looked at her for a long moment, his brow furrowing with a lingering trace of the suspicion he had shown earlier, but the sight of her exhaustion seemed to soften him.
"Look, I’ve been thinking about what you said. About the prowler and the security stuff. It’s been a lot for both of us."
"It has," Sarah agreed, her eyes darting to the folder again. She couldn't believe her luck.
"I think I’m going to take that hiking trip early," Mark said.
"The one I mentioned. I’ve got my gear packed in the car already. I need to get out of this house, Mom. I need to clear my head. The air in here... it feels heavy lately. You know?"
Sarah nodded fervently.
"I think that’s a wonderful idea, Mark. Go. Get some fresh air. Stay for the whole weekend if you need to. I’ll be fine here. Stacy is only a phone call away."
Mark smiled, looking relieved.
"You sure? I don't want to leave you if you're still worried about the security."
"The security is handled," Sarah said, the irony of the words stinging her tongue.
"Go. Enjoy the mountains."
She walked him to the door, her heart lightening with every second that passed. She watched from the porch as he climbed into his SUV and backed out of the driveway. He waved a final time before the taillights disappeared around the bend of the street.
Sarah stood there for a long time, breathing in the cool evening air. The silence of the neighborhood felt like a gift. She had been given a second life. Joseph hadn't ruined her. Mark didn't know. The Veridian contract was delayed, but Gary was on the defensive. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she could actually breathe.
She stepped back inside and locked the door, leaning her forehead against the wood. She closed her eyes, a silent prayer of profound thanks echoing in her mind. She was safe. Her son was safe.
"Thank God," she whispered into the empty foyer. "Thank God."
She turned, ready to head upstairs and wash the day off her skin, but she didn't get more than two steps.
The lights in the hallway hadn't been turned on yet, and the shadows were deep and long. Out of the darkness near the study, a figure moved. It was silent, a predator gliding through its own territory.
Before she could scream, a pair of strong, familiar arms slid around her waist, pulling her back against a hard, warm chest. Sarah gasped, her hands flying up to grip the forearms that held her. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The heat radiating from him was unmistakable.
"He's gone," a low, raspy voice whispered against her ear.
Alex leaned down, his lips brushing the sensitive skin of her neck. His grip was firm and possessive. He held her unapologetically. Sarah felt a shiver of both fear and desire race down her spine. The relief she had felt moments ago was suddenly replaced by a more dangerous kind of tension.
"Alex," she breathed, her head falling back against his shoulder.
"You shouldn't be here. The scandal brewing... the restraining order Joseph mentioned..."
"I told you I’d handle it, Sarah," Alex murmured. He turned her around in his arms, his eyes dark and glowing with an intensity that made her knees weak. He looked down at her, his bruised face a testament to the violence he had committed in her name.
"Joseph isn't going to the police. And Gary? Gary is currently trying to explain to his lawyers why his bank accounts look like a crime scene."
Sarah looked up at him, her hands resting on his chest.
"How? How can you be so sure?"
"Because I know how to play the game better than they do," Alex said. He reached up, his thumb tracing the line of her lower lip.
"See? I told you I’d handle it. Everything is exactly where it needs to be."
He leaned in, his
forehead resting against hers. The house was empty and safe. For a fleeting moment, Sarah believed him.