Chapter 12: The Escape
The heavy doors of the SUV slammed shut, sealing them in a soundproof, bullet-resistant cocoon. Marcus slid into the driver's seat, threw the vehicle into reverse, and tore out of the ruined garage, leaving the crumbling estate in their rearview mirror.
In the backseat, the adrenaline that had been keeping Clara upright suddenly evaporated. She slumped back against the dark leather seats, a sharp hiss escaping her teeth as white-hot pain flared in her shoulder.
"Let me see," Ethan said gently. He unclipped a small first-aid kit from the back of the passenger seat. Carefully, he pulled back the collar of her ruined maid’s uniform. A massive, dark purple bruise was already blooming across her collarbone, but the joint wasn't dislocated.
"I'm fine," Clara breathed, though she was shaking uncontrollably. She looked down at Leo, who was curled in her lap, burying his tear-streaked face into her apron. "Is he... is he safe now?"
"He is. Because of you," Ethan replied, his voice thick with an emotion he had suppressed for years. He took a cold pack from the kit and gently pressed it against her shoulder. "You risked your life for a child that wasn't yours, Clara. I will never be able to repay that debt."
"I couldn't let her hurt him again," she whispered, stroking Leo’s soft hair. "I just couldn't."
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Marcus caught Ethan’s eye in the rearview mirror. "Sir. We've got police cruisers heading toward the estate. Your neighbors must have heard the garage door come down."
"Let them go," Ethan said coldly, pulling out his cell phone. "I'm calling the District Attorney right now. By the time the police find Victoria tied up in that garage, I want warrants issued for her arrest, her parents, and the entire staff of St. Jude’s Asylum."
