The Wife He Left To Drown

oyal shield, it was my duty, but his only concern a

n a yacht rigged with a bomb. The captors gave C

n't he

rst!" he screamed

y to order me, the wife he'd just

the bomb! Di

sing our child while protecting his interests, this wa

way. This time, I wouldn't save him. I would let the worl

pte

ra Mann

t swallowed the charity gala, thick and suffocating. My body felt like a torn rag doll, warm blood soaking through the

t me; he hefted me, my arm slung over his broad shoulder. His movements were too sharp, too quick. It was less a rescue and more an extraction, as if I w

now!" he barked, hi

of the socialites. Just before Christian completely obscured my view, my gaze snagged on a familiar figure being ushered away by another

me from blacking out completely. Christian' s grip tightened, his focus entirely on moving me, gett

estled my phone from my clutch. My fingers, surprisingly steady despite the tremors racking my body, flew across the

w." My voice was a harsh whispe

voice that had always been my anchor, respon

emor ran through me. Relief, pu

sharp and calculating, swept over me with a detached assessment. He didn't notice the phone I'd just slippe

a note of alarm in her voice. "

hristian' s gaze on me now, a flicker of something unreadable.

y on hand," another medic piped up, her vo

scaping from a punctured lung. Christian kept a supply. For me. The thought, a tiny,

mably to safety. Christian' s eyes, I noticed, weren't on me. They were scanning

rk contrast to the clipped commands he usually

me. It was never for me. My body stiffened, a full-body rigor mortis of emotion. I strained my neck, excruciating pain lancing through my shoulder, to cat

eed to be stronger. More resilient. Gisselle, she's delicate. You understand." And I always

d its way into my veins, a chilling echo of the coldness that had just

ence, a concession. He even held my hand, though his touch was distant

gentle but firm. "Complete bed rest for at least a week. T

ear. "Gisselle is... distressed. She needs to feel secure. Your presence, at

slowly drifted to his face. "Solidarity?" My

"Her reputation is paramount. More impor

just took a bullet for you. And for her." The words were acid on m

. "You know your

llion icy fragments. "I want a divorce." The words,

This isn' t the time for dramatics." His voice was low, laced with a d

the same Christian. Just as ruthless, just as

and a pill. "Just something to help with th

s. "It' s fine," I rasped, my voice sounding impossibly

el of his impeccably tailored tuxedo. My touch lingered for a moment, a silent promise. "But Christian," I said, my

t didn' t fall. I would not fall. Not in front of him. I turned my back to Christian, my silk gown sticking uncomfortably to my wound, and walked out of the room, leaving him stand