Chapter 3 Prologue: Calculated Escape

Anastasia Greene Johnson The night was cold enough to bite. It felt colder still with my frightened three-year-old sobbing in my arms. His cries rose with every crack of thunder, and when lightning struck the nearest power pole, I flinched and pressed myself deeper into the telephone booth. But I couldn't hide there forever. London had apparently decided to throw one spectacular tantrum. When I'd left home, the weather had been pleasant. Now rain hammered the streets, and, naturally, I had no umbrella. Only then did I understand what true helplessness felt like. This was exactly what Ethan had wanted-to make me so dependent on him that, without him, I wouldn't know how to function. So that if I ever tried to leave, I'd discover I had nowhere to go and nothing with which to begin again. And yet here I was, running through a storm-soaked London night with nothing but my son. Because the man I had loved with every piece of myself had broken me so thoroughly that fleeing with nothing felt safer than staying. I had never relied on anyone the way I relied on Ethan. He had pulled me from the darkest corners of my life time and again... Until I forgot that the same hands capable of lifting me could also cast me aside. Still, I could rebuild. I had existed before him. After Dad passed, I had looked after Mom and my little brother without anyone to lean on. I could do it again. Better this time. But that was the adrenaline talking. As the fury ebbed, reality settled over me. A woman alone on the streets this late with a crying child was hardly safe. Anything could happen. Tears slipped down my cheeks as I rocked Ruslan, whispering nonsense into his ear. I was living through hell with a heartbeat in my arms. Then a sleek BMW pulled up beside the booth. A man dressed in black stepped out, umbrella raised, and opened the rear door. I shrank into the corner. Please, God... don't let it be Dorian. Did he follow me? Is Ethan awake already? Has he sent everyone looking for me? Will he kill me and Ruslan to keep me quiet? Then a pair of expensive heels appeared beneath the umbrella. A tall, strikingly beautiful young woman stepped out. The moment I recognised her, relief nearly knocked the air from my lungs. She hurried towards the booth. "Cutie pie? ¿Estás bien? (Are you okay?)" she asked anxiously. Then she saw the blood on my lip and hand. "Jesus! What happened to you?" She stepped inside without hesitation and examined my injuries. "God. . . this looks awful. How did this happen?" That was all it took. Whatever remained of my composure snapped. I collapsed into her arms, sobbing so hard my chest hurt. I hadn't realized how badly I needed someone to hold me until that moment. "It's okay," she murmured, rubbing my back. "Please, calm down. Tell me what happened. Why would you call me from a telephone booth in the middle of the night?" My sobs came too hard for words. Ruslan began crying harder, so she gently took him from my arms. Thankfully, he soon quietened. "That's right. No need to cry." She softened her voice. "Look, Auntie's here." To my surprise, Ruslan giggled and wrapped his little arms around her neck. Eventually, I managed to breathe again. "Come on," she said gently. "Let's get into the car and talk. This weather is dreadful." I nodded. Once we were inside, the questions came tumbling out. "What happened? Why are you here? Where's Mano (brother)? Is everything all right? Did you two have a fight?" I settled Ruslan beside me. He had already fallen asleep again. I said nothing. Her frown deepened. "Ay, Dios (Oh, God)... I know you two haven't exactly been seeing eye to eye lately, but it can't be so bad that you'd leave in the middle of the night." Her gaze shifted towards Ruslan. "And you took him with you? Really, Ana? Does Mano know? He'd never have let you leave like this if he knew." She reached for her phone. "Let me call him-" "No!" I snatched it from her hand. "You will not call him, Natalie! You won't tell him anything!" Natalie stared at me as though I'd lost my mind. Perhaps I had. But one thing remained clear - I was never going back to Ethan. "Ana..." she said carefully. "Why not?" "Because he wouldn't care." Her brows knitted together. "There's no way he, of all people, wouldn't care. Not even if he were furious with you. He'd tear the whole damn city apart if he knew you-" "He came home drunk." The words finally escaped me. "With his childhood betrothed." Natalie fell silent. "He's probably in bed with her right now. Why would he care, Nats?" "Valerie?" My jaw tightened. "Who else? Did he have another woman before her? After her? If he did, tell me. It'll only give me one more reason to leave." Natalie stared at me before scoffing. "Enough with the jokes. Tell me what actually happened-" I threw the photographs into her lap. She picked them up silently. One after another, she looked through them, and the color slowly drained from her face. "Ana... there's no way. He would never do this." I gave a bitter laugh. "He wouldn't? But he did, Nats. Can't you see them?" "They're fake. Photo-shopped. Don't you know how madly he loves you? Why would he-" "This isn't the only thing he did!" The words tore from me. "He killed our children!" Natalie froze. Horror spread across her face as I told her everything. Tears streamed down mine as I gripped her shoulders. "Your brother is a heartless murderer, Natalie! A fucking murderer!" She stared at the photographs again. This time, she didn't argue. "Are you still going to defend him simply because he's your brother?" I whispered. Tears filled her eyes. She pulled me into her arms. "I'm sorry, Ana," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe he did this to you. I thought he would be better than our father." Her voice broke. "But no. It seems he became just like him after all. I hate saying this because he's my brother, but he's an absolute monster for doing this." I sobbed against her until I had nothing left. Eventually, Natalie touched the cut on my lip with anger flashing in her eyes. "Did he hit you?" "No. Valerie did," My hands curled into fists. "She sent me the photographs. She showed me the recording of Ethan talking to Dr. Owen about the miscarriage." My voice shook. "She even showed me the video of them. He told her he loved her, Natalie. Not me. He kept apologizing to her for ignoring her for years." Natalie shut her eyes. "I promise I won't let this go simply because he's my brother. I'll confront him myself-" "Don't." I shook my head. "Don't tell him anything. Not until I'm gone with Ruslan." She stared at me. "What are you talking about?" "I need your help, Nats." I seized her hands. "He's asleep now-or probably fucking that home-wrecking bitch. He won't notice I'm gone yet. This is my only chance." My voice rose with panic. "I have to get Ruslan away before he comes after us. Before he kills us too. He won't let me live if he thinks I'll tell the world what he's done." "Ana, calm down." Natalie caught my shoulders. "Running away like this won't solve anything. You need to face him so that-" "I don't want to!" I broke down again. "I don't care!" My breathing became ragged. "I don't want revenge. I don't want legal battles. None of it will matter. He's rich and powerful-the CEO of Johnson Global Tech. He could buy justice or make evidence disappear. You know that better than anyone!" I wiped my tears. "He'll find me wherever I go. He'll make my life and Ruslan's unbearable. I can't let that happen." I clasped her hands again. "So please... help me disappear. That's all I'm asking. I'll let your brother live happily ever after with Valerie. Just help me get away from him." I looked into her eyes. "Didn't you call me your sister when I first started dating him? Won't you help your sister now?" Natalie stared at me for a long moment. Finally, she sighed. "Fine. Tell me where you want to go. I'll book you a flight abroad." "No. I can't take a flight like this. Ethan will track me down. I couldn't even take my phone because of that!" "Then how are you planning to leave?" I didn't know. I only knew I had to run. Then an idea struck me. "A disguise. I need fake identification. Then I can board a flight." "But that could take ages." "Not if you help me," I squeezed her hands. "I know how much money and influence the Johnsons have. That's why I called you, Nats. Help me and Ruslan get fake IDs and passports before dawn-before Ethan wakes up." She stared at me. "But, Ana, this is incredibly risky." "I'm not afraid of risks anymore," My voice hardened. "I'm afraid of living with a monster." I clasped her hands again. "Please, Nats. I'm begging you." She studied me before finally exhaling. "Fine." She turned towards the driver. "Take us to Newham. And drive fast. We haven't got much time." And just like that, we were gone. True to her word, Natalie somehow secured fake passports for Ruslan and me before dawn and drove us towards Heathrow. A direct flight would have been too easy to trace, so I planned the journey in two stages. Canada first. Then the United States. Before we reached the airport, Natalie pressed cash into my hands. I refused a card. Card transactions were too easy for Ethan to trace, reason why I didn't take Valerie's card either. "Be safe," she whispered, tears shining in her eyes. She kissed Ruslan's head. "I know you don't want to risk getting caught, but please call me somehow when you reach wherever you're going. I won't sleep until I know you're both safe." I nodded and hugged her one last time. Then I turned towards the boarding area. As I walked away, I made myself a promise. I would never face Ethan again. Even if I had to crawl through life to survive, I would never turn back. Because once a love is lost, sometimes all that remains is the courage to walk away.