Liam staggered back from the railing, his right wrist hanging at hisside, fingers clearly injured. He didn't run. He looked at me, the expression on his face twisting my heart into knots.
"Chloe." Liam's voice was soft.
"Go." I didn't look at him. I couldn't, because if I looked at him even once, I'd break down completely. "Liam, please, just go."
Liam didn't move an inch. He just looked at me, sad and silent.
Enzo bent down and pulled me up from the ground. His movements weren't exactly gentle, but he held my waist and steadied me.
"Get in the car." Enzo's voice returned to that usual cold detachment.
I pushed his hand away. "Don't touch me."
Enzo looked at me but said nothing. He waved at the nearby bodyguard. A black sedan slowly pulled up. The door opened. I walked over with my head down and bent to slide into the back seat.
As the car started, I looked out the window. Liam still stood on the church sidewalk, one hand cradling the other, no one there to help him. He was shaking—I didn't know if it was from pain or cold.
And Enzo stood there rigidly, looking toward the car window. Our eyes met briefly. Enzo gave me a faint smile.
He could actually still smile.
I buried my face in my hands.
The car drove for a long time. I didn't say a word. A bodyguard sat in the passenger seat. The driver's eyes occasionally flicked to me in the rearview mirror. I didn't care. I didn't care about anything anymore.
Outside the window, New York looked gray. The rain that had just stopped left a layer of water shining on the streets. The outlines of skyscrapers blurred in the overcast sky.
The scenery didn't look much different from this morning, but I was worlds away from who I'd been then.
I would leave Enzo, no matter what it cost, no matter what it took.
I wouldn't wait in that gilded cage for him to come home anymore. I wouldn't believe a single word he said ever again.
I would disappear with my child, completely and thoroughly, never giving Enzo Falcone another chance to hurt me.
Chapter Nineteen
Chloe
By the time I got back to the villa, the sky was already turning dark.
The bodyguard dropped me off at the door but didn't leave. He leaned against the outer wall, just standing there. Clearly, Enzo had given him more than one task. I didn't have the energy to care. I shut the door behind me, didn't even bother changing out of that dark coat, and sank onto the living room sofa. My hand rested on my belly, unmoving.
Outside the window, the sky shifted from gray to black, bit by bit. From the kitchen came the faint sounds of Anna prepping dinner, but I couldn't even muster the strength to look up. I had no idea how she saw me. She was Valentina's person—had she been laughing at me this whole time?
Yeah, I knew exactly how ridiculous I was.
"Miss Bennett." Anna set a plate of pasta on the coffee table, steam curling up in the dim light. "Dinner's ready."
I heard her, but I didn't move.
She stood there beside me, not walking away like usual. When I stayed put, she went quiet for a moment, then lowered her voice.
"Your baby needs you to eat."
I glanced down at my belly. Yeah, I couldn't fall apart. I still had a child.
So I reached for the fork.
