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“You faked your death and ran right into the arms of my enemy.” He presses his palm to his chest. “How do you think that made me feel?”

I stay silent.

“Answer me!”

Clara’s cries grow louder.

“Mad,” I respond like I’m on autopilot.

“Precisely.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wedding band, my wedding band. He rolls it between his fingers, staring at the piece of metal. “And on top of all that, you lost me quite a bit of money.”

My brows furrow, a sliver of anger unfurling within me. “You sold me—”

“You are my wife!” His eyes go wide, his skin reddening. “I can do whatever the hell I want with you! And if that means selling you for a pretty penny after I’ve had my fill of you, then so be it!”

I sneak a peek at Clara; her bottom lip trembles, her whole body shaking with fear, and it’s breaking my heart.

Especially because she would never be wrapped up in this mess if it weren’t for me.

Trying to calm Garrett, I look at the floor and curl in on myself. There’s nothing he loves more than obedience. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

He scoffs. “It’s a little too late for an apology.” I glance up, and what I see in his eyes frightens me. “Alessandro took everything from me. My house. My money. You. And he will pay…” His beady eyes drift to Clara. “Starting with her.”

“No!” I abruptly stand, clutching the arm of the couch for support. “Take me, not her!”

His gaze swivels to me.

“Beat me, sell me, kill me… Do whatever you want to me. But please, I’m begging you, just return her to Alex. She has no part in this.” Helplessness descends upon me, my heart pounding violently in my chest. “It’s me you want!”

A vicious smile twists his lips. “You really have grown an attachment to this child.”

My lips part, but I don’t say anything.

Because I screwed up by showing him my cards.

And this man will do anything to break me.

He looks at the guard and jerks his head toward the other free chair across the room. The guard walks over and places Clara on the cushion. Relief flows through me as Clara presses herself into the corner of the chair, her wide eyes moving between us.

That is, until Garrett retrieves a gun from inside his jacket and points the barrel straight at her.

“It brings me no joy to do this,” he says calmly, his grin growing across his ugly face. His head tilts to the side. “On second thought, yes it does.”

His finger barely slides against the trigger, and before I even think about what I’m doing, I throw myself across the room in front of Clara. The sound of gunshots echoes around us as I use my body as a shield, praying the bullets hit me and not her, while not moving an inch until silence falls around us.

I’m certain I’ve been shot.

How could I not have been?

Garrett fired several rounds directly at us.

But I feel nothing.

No searing pain or excruciating aches.

I look down at Clara and see no blood or visible injuries on her body. Next, I check myself… Nothing.

My brows furrow as I glance behind me and see Garrett slumped against the chair, a crimson stain spreading over the collar of his white shirt. I look behind him, finding both of his guards on the ground with blood oozing across the polished hardwood floors around them.