Chapter 1
Massimo’s first instinct was to keep Grant on the floor.
His second was better.
“Get Isabella and Noah out of here.”
Isabella looked at him.
“No.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Massimo turned.
“I’m not leaving without my phone.”
Grant laughed from beside the collapsed merchandising cart.
“She’s confused.”
Isabella’s face tightened.
Massimo saw the reaction immediately.
Not anger.
Fear.
Evelyn struggled upright beneath the gift-finishing station.
“My son has done nothing except tolerate her moods for years.”
Noah pressed himself against Massimo’s leg.
“Grandma says Mommy makes Dad mad.”
The showroom changed again.
Nobody needed to explain what that sentence meant.
Massimo crouched beside his grandson.
“What else does Grandma say?”
Isabella immediately interrupted.
“Dad.”
He looked at her.
She shook her head once.
Not here.
Massimo understood.
He told his security chief to clear the showroom and preserve every camera recording from the jewelry preview.
Then he looked at Grant.
“You stay.”
Grant wiped blood from his lip.
“You can’t hold me here.”
“I’m not.”
Massimo turned to one of the bodyguards.
“Open the exit.”
Grant stared at him.
Massimo continued.
“You’re free to walk out.”
Grant did not move.
That interested Massimo.
If Grant truly believed this was only a family argument, leaving should have been easy.
Instead he looked toward Isabella.
Then toward her clutch purse.
Massimo noticed.
“What’s in the bag?”
Isabella’s fingers tightened around it.
Grant stood.
“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
Massimo moved between them.
“I didn’t ask you.”
Isabella opened the purse.
Inside was her phone.
A small prescription bottle.
And a folded business card.
Massimo recognized the logo.
A women’s health clinic in Manhattan.
Grant went pale.
Isabella whispered, “I was trying to leave him tonight.”
Massimo looked at her bruised wrist.
Then at the clinic card.
May you like
The marks had not been hidden merely to survive one jewelry preview.
They had been hidden because Isabella had finally begun preparing to escape.
