Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Asking
In that moment, rage and shame crashed over her like a tidal
wave.
All the voices that once warned her echoed back, clearer than
ever.
Back when she had her whole life ahead of her, she gave it all up
-for him.
Carried his baby, thinking it would bind them.
Dreamed of a future. A family.
God, how could she have been so stupid?
She was so angry she almost felt calm.
Rebecca knew better than to meet brute force with brute force.
That never ended well. And she’d already lost more than she
could afford.
Without a word, she pushed herself off the floor, retrieved her
cracked phone, and walked into the bedroom.
The door clicked shut behind her, the lock sliding into place with a
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski…
quiet finality. Only then did the tears begin to fall.
Outside, Richard mistook her silence for shame. He stormed up to the door and pounded on it, his voice shaking with rage.
“Rebecca! Open the damn door! Just tell me the truth–what’s going on between you and Alistair? Have you been lying to me
this whole time?
“I gave up everything to come back to you. And this is what I get? Don’t you even feel a shred of guilt?!”
His fists battered the wood like thunder.
Inside, Rebecca’s hands trembled as she tapped the emergency
call button on the fractured screen.
“911, what’s your emergency?”
“Yes,” she said, voice tight with fear.
“Someone broke in and tried to hurt me. I’m locked in the bedroom, but he’s right outside. Please–he’s going to kill me.”
She ended the call, then opened her camera and hit record.
The footage showed the door rattling under Richard’s assault, his threats crystal clear through the grainy audio.
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski… *) Lucky Draw
He didn’t stop.
Didn’t apologize.
Didn’t back down.
And the door never opened.
Instead, minutes later, the sound that answered him wasn’t her voice–but the rising wail of sirens.
The moment the sirens reached her ears, Rebecca flung open the bedroom door and ran out, her body shaking, eyes red with tears.
She didn’t hesitate.
Throwing herself into the arms of the nearest officer, she cried out, voice cracking with panic, “That’s him! He broke in–he tried to assault me! When I said no, he lost it! He said he’d kill me!”
Every word hit like a match to gasoline.
The officers moved fast–no questions, no hesitation.
Two of them surged forward, closing in on Richard with swift, practiced efficiency.
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski…
Lucky Draw
“Hands where we can see them!”
Before he could get a word out, Richard was slammed face–first onto the hardwood, his wrists yanked behind him.
He didn’t fight back. The so–called playboy, the pampered heir, didn’t stand a chance against seasoned officers.
Now he lay there, frozen–eyes wide, breath shallow, chest rising in shock, not resistance.
What the hell?!
She’s the one who lied. She’s the one who cheated.
So why does it look like I’m the criminal?
That slap wiped out every last illusion Rebecca had about
Richard.
She was done with him–completely. At the police station, she firmly insisted that Richard had tried to harm her, refusing to let the officers write it off as just some domestic dispute between an engaged couple.
Between the bruises on her face and her unwavering testimony,
the evidence spoke for itself. Richard was placed under administrative detention for fourteen days.
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski… Lucky Draw
Alistair, of course, knew none of this.
On Saturday morning, the three of them sat together at the
breakfast table, a picture of calm.
Afterward, they set off for a family outing to fly kites.
There were plenty of kite–friendly spots in New York, but the
grassy area by the river near Ashbourne Manor was a particularly popular one.
Alistair assumed Caroline would take them there–maybe even stop by Mabel’s for a quick visit. Two birds, one stone.
But as the car drove farther and farther away from the city center, that assumption began to crumble.
Even Eloise, watching the view blur past the windows, started to frown. “Mommy, where are we going to fly kites?”
If Eloise could sense something was off, Alistair certainly could.
Caroline replied, “Somewhere we haven’t been before.”
“But that means we won’t get to visit Great–grandma today? Won’t she be sad?”
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski… Lucky Draw
“Don’t worry, sweetie. I already called her. We’ll visit her later.”
“Oh, okay.”
Alistair sat silently, watching the scenery shift.
He had zoned out somewhere around the halfway point. When he looked up again, the skyline was gone–replaced by stretches of low buildings, cracked sidewalks, and streets that looked too familiar to be coincidence. His eyes narrowed.
When a weathered sign came into view reading “Welcome to Chicago,” the realization hit him.
Caroline had driven them all the way to his hometown.
They drove all night… That was… not exactly a casual kite–flying distance.
He glanced sideways at Caroline.
This isn’t a coincidence.
But then he second–guessed himself.
If she wanted to do something for me, wouldn’t she have brought me to Liam’s place in New York, not all the way out to my old neighborhood? Don’t overthink it. It’s just a trip. Nothing more.
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski… Lucky Draw
They ended up at a park not far from where he used to live–a hill–shouldered lake with a wide, grassy field at the base. It had long been turned into a tourist–friendly spot, perfect for flying
kites.
Chicago might not have the shine and scale of New York, but it had its own charm–and plenty of space to play.
But of all the places they could’ve gone, this was far too close to home. Literally. Alistair had a hard time convincing himself this was just a happy accident.
The lake carried a breeze that smelled of wild grass and flowers.
As a kid, he used to come here with his bike, fishing and catching shrimp by the water.
Summers were filled with swimming and laughter, all with a few close friends.
There were a lot of good memories here–warm, simple, untouched.
Now, those memories felt distant. The place was the same, but he wasn’t.
He glanced at Caroline, uncertain.
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Chapter 63 A Move Made Without Aski… Lucky Draw
She looked completely unbothered, as if this really was nothing
but a scenic spot she’d stumbled across.
Maybe I’m reading into it. Maybe she doesn’t know. Maybe it really is just a coincidence.
He pushed the thoughts aside and focused on Eloise, who was already dashing around with a bright red kite.
They flew kites all morning. Caught tadpoles. Found a bird’s nest.
Afterward, Eloise insisted they let everything go.
Tadpoles belonged in the wild. Eggs needed their mama bird.
Of course she said that–she was an angel.
By noon, stomachs were growling.
Time to find lunch.
As they drove through the town, Alistair grew quiet. The streets, the buildings, the shapes of the signs–so much of it hadn’t changed.
Finally, he broke the silence. “My father’s house used to be just a few blocks from here.”
