His Poisoned Love, My Escape

ed admirer, was the artist of my pain. He had punishe

photo of her perfectly manicured hand holding champagne, captio

? I' ve asked the doctor to come. I' m sorry it had to be this w

understood the mechanism. I thought it was just Aust

should be enough to appease Joyce this time. But my debt must be paid. Fifteen years ago, Joyce saved my life. She pulled me from

rrified, crying boy from the back seat just before it exploded. His name was Austen. He had called me his "little s

ce on a lie. Joyce had stolen my life-saving act, and I was pay

pte

endured ninety-

the nin

es. She lay on the cold marble floor of the master b

an the world saw as her devoted ad

for her step

ipped over a rug at a family dinner, sp

ointing a tremblin

there on purpose. She's a

ome home, his face a mas

e kitchen and forced her

know that. You need to learn t

at, it was the nine

cellar for two days with no food

hat Alana had received more complim

aid through the thick wooden door.

punishment was

rwater in the bathtub unt

a pot of orchids Joyce had gifted

ol of her kindness. Your care

e ninet

hand was

peatedly with a heav

l design, a sketch she was proud of, and h

obbing, saying Alana was ignori

e-hot scream. She tried to move, to crawl away from the c

red under a vanity during t

ge. Fro

ng a glass of champagne. The caption read: "Celebra

ger, but she never understood the mechanism. She thought it was

sage buzzed. This

o come. I' m sorry it had to be this way, but you m

e but his brilliant architect wife, Alana Mcneil. He bought her islands, named compani

ever believ

d the man who kissed her scars with such

s, a storm of adoration and grand gestures. He ha

tious with love. Her pa

er father, a man obsessed with soci

ife into a quiet hell. She became the unpaid servant, t

nections, allowed it. He saw Alana not

at a party her father threw, and he saw Joyce "accidentally" t

, he walked to her father and

y stocks plummeted. Austen had sys

s left of her father' s company, effectively giving her back t

icly apologize to her. He made Joyce

his eyes burning with an inte

yone hurt you again,

had believed him. She had fallen into his arms a

t was al

came the only one allowed to hurt

s a cold, hard sto

e needed to understand the

sing the vanity for support. She had to get to his offi

down the grand, silent hallway. Th

g. The door was locked with a biometric

same. Her birthday. The irony

r click

s expensive cologne. It was a plac

r, a voice recording app was still o

he most recent f

the silent room,

o appease Joyce this time. It has to be enough. I cannot be

d Alana felt the floor

car after the kidnapping. She was just a child, so brave. I vowed that da

sound of genu

e punishments... they are a way to correct her, to balance the scales. To keep

mind we

rning car. Fif

the on

the black van crash. She was the one who pulled a terrifi

a detail she' d never forgotten. He had called her his "li

turned with the police, another girl was

as J

ipped the desk, a wave o

system of justice on a lie. Joyce had stolen her

A pain that had become more frequent over the la

just last week, holding

'll hire every specialist in the wor

s protection was a cag

her body scr

ca

sten's power was absolute. He

his. Someone powerful e

n Und

d. A man who, according to the tab

had looked at her with a quiet kindness sh

d resolve flooded her veins. She

d Stanford alumni network. Her fin

. I can give you my shares in Ballard Industries. All of

resse