Chapter 23

FREYA

I exhaled. "You're probably right."

Noa's head snapped up as if I'd electrocuted him. "That's it? You're just agreeing?" His voice was accusatory, leaving me baffled. What was I supposed to do?

"Didn't you just say you wanted to—" His humorless chuckle cut me off.

"You're really desperate to climb into that bastard's bed, aren't you? You didn't even bat an eye before agreeing to break up!" Noah glared, his eyes blazing with anger. He was hurt, and that convinced me to ignore his harsh words. One of us had to act mature.

"Things between us have been strained for quite some time. I feel it's better not to drag it out until it becomes messy," I explained, hoping to pacify him and help him see things clearly. Safe to say, I was wrong.

He jumped to his feet and yelled, "You were waiting for me to say it!"

"Don't shout at me! Gia will hear us!" I hissed, irritated by his tantrum. His disregard for the boundaries I'd set should have sent me away long ago. But that's the thing about me; I always fail to see red flags early in a relationship.

"I don't give a fuck about your precious daughter!" he practically roared. One second he was standing in front of the couch; the next, he was in my face.

"Noah! What's wrong with you?" I shoved him back. I figured he was struggling with his emotions, which might explain his behavior. But that didn't justify his comments about my daughter. Nothing did, or ever would.

He laughed maniacally. "What's wrong with me? Are you asking me after you practically leaped at the prospect of being out of this relationship?"

"You wondered why? Why would I want to give up on this relationship if things were great between us?"

Noah's eyes narrowed before he scoffed. "Money. That's the answer behind every action of girls like you."

Hot indignation surged through me. I raised a challenging eyebrow. "Girls like me?"

"Yes, gold-diggers. You've set your eyes on that rich bastard."

I gritted my teeth. "Or maybe your fragile ego can't handle the fact that I agreed to break up. You expected me to cry and beg, didn't you?"

"How could I expect that? You've caught sight of a bigger fish, haven't you?"

"Leave my hand." I twisted, trying to escape his grip, but he held on too tightly—it would surely leave bruises.

"Tell me how much he pays you to spread your legs for him?" I saw the crazed look in his eyes as he sneered. He looked so different; I hardly recognized him.

"Noah, you're hurting me!"

"Good. You need to feel some of the pain that I do." I gave him a second before slamming my knee into his groin. He immediately released me and doubled over in pain. He deserved it.

"What you think is pain is actually your bruised ego. You'll get over it," I snapped, caressing my arm where he'd been gripping me. I didn't know what to expect when he stood up, but not this—never this.

"Fucking bitch!" he snarled, lunging at me. He locked my arms behind my back and banged my head against the wall.

Intense, agonizing pain shot through my head. My vision blurred as I struggled to remain conscious. Blood trickled down my forehead as I remained pressed against the wall.

"Mommy!" Gia's terrified scream pierced through the pain. My baby! Seconds later, the weight was gone. I blinked, swaying.

"Mummy!" I looked back to see Gia rushing down the stairs. She stopped in front of me, staring at my head wound, horrified. Tears streamed down her face.

[Time Stamp: 2:30 PM]

Chapter 23 (Continued)

"Ssh, sweetie! Don't cry!" I wiped at her tears, but more trickled down.

"You're bleeding!" she whispered, as if speaking louder would be dangerous. My heart clenched, thinking how scared my little girl was, and all because of me. I sighed, soothing the pain for now. Self-loathing could wait. First, I needed to get us both out of here, to safety.

I hugged Gia, rubbing her back. "I'm fine. Okay? Stop crying, sweetie."

She sniffed, her nose bright red. I wiped her face. "Go grab your panda from your room." She nodded and ran off. And it was my turn to take a deep breath. My hands were sweating with anxiety. With every step toward the bedroom, my heart pounded, drowning out the throbbing in my head.

I could hear the shower running. That was my chance. I crept in, trying my best to be quiet. I grabbed my purse from the nightstand. Only when I closed the door behind me did I release my breath.

Gia climbed down the last stair with her plush panda. I stretched out my hand for her to take.

"Come on, we're getting out of here."