The cold waves crashed around my ankles as I waded desperately toward the boat. Sofia clung to my neck, crying into my shoulder. Alex gripped my hand tightly, his small legs struggling in the water. The lawyer’s contact stood on the deck, waving frantically.
“Hurry!” he shouted. “We have minutes before they spot us!”
My pregnant belly made every step agony, but adrenaline and pure maternal terror pushed me forward. The rose-gold collar bounced against my throat with each movement — a mocking reminder of the man I was trying to escape.
Behind me, Alexander’s roar cut through the night like thunder.
“Ava! Stop!”
His voice was raw, broken, terrifying. I glanced back and saw him charging into the water, powerful legs cutting through the waves, eyes locked on me with a mix of fury and desp
