Elizabeth saw it clearly—Alexander grabbed Esme's wrist and left her blind. He never chose her, not once. “Elizabeth!” Esme called out, fake concern in her voice.

Elizabeth stopped at the bottom of the stairs, pain shooting through her body and heart. She looked up slowly to see Alexander and Esine staring down at her. Embarrassment, despair, and pain didn't even begin to cover it.

Alexander glared at Elizabeth, disgust in his eyes. “You pushed Esme into the water, and now you tried to push her down the stairs. How cruel can you be, Elizabeth?”

“Alexander, she didn’t mean it. She’s just really upset,” Esme said, trying to calm him down.

Elizabeth watched their cozy moment, and it felt like her heart was being ripped apart. She dropped her head, fists clenched so tight that blood seeped from her palms. Slowly, she stood up, using the wall for support, pain radiating from her forehead. When she touched it, her fingers came away stained with bright red blood.

She’d been pretending to be strong for days, bottling up her feelings. But now, she broke down. Elizabeth bit her lip hard, tears silently streaming down her face.

Alexander glanced at her, noticing her whole body trembling. He frowned, a flicker of concern crossing his mind. But remembering how she had just hurt Esme, his hatred flared up.

“Elizabeth, don’t ever show your face here again!” Alexander spat out his final ultimatum.

Elizabeth looked up, clutching her forehead, her eyes empty. “Alexander, I didn’t hit her or push her. Believe it or not, it’s your call.” Her voice was cold and weak.

“The facts are right in front of you, and you’re still lying?” He stepped closer, his eyes cold enough to kill. He grabbed her neck, teeth gritted. “Elizabeth, do you have any conscience at all?”

She had bullied Esme over and over, and Esme had defended her time and again. Elizabeth leaned against the wall, tears streaming down her face, dripping onto her hand. She glared at Alexander, her lashes quivering. No love left in her eyes.

Chapter 12

His brow furrowed, anger flaring up inside him. Elizabeth sniffled, swallowing her tears. “Alexander, don’t you have cameras all over your house? Can’t you check them?”

“How many times have you accused me without checking? Scared your precious Esme—lost as innocent as she seems—or scared of finding…”

Esme’s head shot up, wide-eyed. Esme’s face paled, panic setting in. Alexander was spent.

Elizabeth shook off Alexander and glared at Esine, who was clearly rattled. She spat out, “Whore!”

Time’s quite the actress,” (Elizabeth thought)

Alexander grabbed Elizabeth, shouting, “Elizabeth, how can you talk to Esme like that? Apologize!”

Apology. Elizabeth locked eyes with him. Their gazes met, and the love in Elizabeth’s eyes was now pure hatred and sorrow. She curled her lips and whispered, “Over my dead body.”

She shoved Alexander away and stormed downstairs, gripping the railing. Alexander scowled and yelled, “Elizabeth, you’re impossible!”

Elizabeth shot back, “No, you’re the impossible one, you idiot!” If he was so infatuated with Esme, she hoped they had a long, miserable life together!

Alexander was livid, ripping a painting off the wall and yanking at his…

“Alexander,” Esme called softly.

Alexander was especially annoyed because of Elizabeth. He snapped, “I’ll have Nolan Powell take you to the hospital for a check-up.”

“Are you coming with me?” Esme asked quietly.

“I’m busy,” Alexander replied and walked out. Esme watched him, a lump of pure dread in her chest, her bloody hands clenching. She never used to…

Could he be falling for Elizabeth? Esme glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner, panic rising within…

Chapter 12

In the bustling downtown of Liban, three floors underground, was a fully automated, secret base called Hidden Camp. The leader, “M.,” ran the show. This boss was a legend in the black market, able to pull off anything, and the base’s reputation was rock solid. But the base had been quiet for five years. Even though Hidden Camp hadn’t been seen in ages, its reputation and stories were still legendary in the black market.

When Elizabeth got to the base, Felix had been hanging around for a while. She’d patched up the cut on her forehead and changed clothes, looking a bit icy.

“Boss, did you snag the ring?” Felix asked.

Elizabeth nodded and popped open a black jewelry box. Inside was a silver ring with an M on it, simple and classy. Yep, Elizabeth was the secretive boss of Hidden Camp—M.

Five years back, chasing after Alexander, she shut down Hidden Camp. On her wedding day, she gave Alexander this ring and stepped away from that life. But now, she was back!

Elizabeth stood at the base entrance, triggered the mechanism, and placed the ring on it. A robotic voice chimed, “Welcome home, Glory.”

The news of Glory M’s return spread like wildfire through the black market. Elizabeth sat at her computer, the screen lit up, and the black market page popped open.

“Hello, M. You’ve been away for 1,609 days. Welcome home.”