The boat engine grew louder in the distance, cutting through the night like a promise of freedom.
I stood frozen on the path to the north cove, the children clinging to my legs, their small bodies trembling with confusion and fear. Alexander stood a few feet away, his powerful frame silhouetted by the moonlight, his gray eyes locked on me with a mix of pain, anger, and that terrifying possessiveness that had defined our entire relationship.
“Ava,” he said, voice low and raw. “Don’t do this.”
Tears streamed down my face. My hand protectively covered my pregnant belly as I backed away slowly, shielding Alex and Sofia behind me.
“I have to,” I choked out. “I can’t stay here knowing what you did to my mother. I can’t raise our children with a man who killed their grandmother to own their m
