7
A message below it read: “As you wished. Fed to the fish.”
“No…” he screamed, a raw, guttural sound of pure agony. As he exited the video, he finally saw the ransom demand from his rival, and Peaches‘
reply.
He didn’t have time for rage. He frantically dialed the number. The man who had never flinched in a firefight was now trembling, his face ashen.
The moment the call connected, he begged, “A billion, no, two billion. I’ll give it to you. All of it. Save my wife. Now!”
A short, derisive laugh came from the other end.
Dante immediately ordered the transfer of two billion dollars.
A subordinate tried to stop him. “Boss, that’s all the liquid cash we have! Their boss is a known trickster! Anya might not even be with him! This could be a trap! We should investigate-”
“Get out,” Dante roared, and sent the money without a second thought.
Less than a minute later, a message came through. “Sorry, Boss Dante. You were the one who said to feed her to the fish. You changed your mind too late. The bones are picked clean. All we found was a shoe. But for two billion, I’ve had it nicely wrapped and sent back to you.”
Dante collapsed, his body numb, his mind blank.
The blood–stained shoe arrived shortly after, along with the divorce papers and the eight–year–old medical report I had left behind.
He clutched them to his chest, lost in a haze of grief, laughing and crying like a madman.
By then, I was long gone. With the help of my old mentor, Dr. Hayes, I was on a plane with the Doctors Without Borders team.
“Anya, you’re awake!” My colleagues gathered around me, their faces full of relief. “How’s your leg? Thank God we have Dr. Hayes, our surgical saint. He’s already removed the nails. You’ll be able to walk again.”
I looked at my bandaged legs and then at the worry in Dr. Hayes‘ eyes, feeling a wave of shame and guilt. I was once the most promising surgeon on this team, with a group of like–minded friends by my side. At the peak of my career, I had chosen a man over my future. My colleagues had been disappointed but had wished me well. I still remembered the look of frustration and helplessness in my mentor’s eyes.
Now, I had hit rock bottom, and they were the only ones who hadn’t abandoned me, the ones who helped me escape my prison.
Every face in the cabin was filled with kindness and understanding.
Tears of joy streamed down my face. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I will never leave the team again. I want to travel the world with all of you, to fulfill my true purpose.”
Dr. Hayes gently wiped my tears with a handkerchief. “Anya, it’s an honor to have you back. Don’t blame yourself. You have always been the best of us.”
Someone nudged him with a grin. “The happiest one to have Anya back is Dr. Hayes. Good thing you waited for her all these years, staying single.”
I looked at my mentor, surprised. A faint blush colored his cheeks. “My feelings for you are my own business. You don’t need to feel burdened. I respect all of your decisions.”
He hesitated, then looked at me. “There’s one more thing. I’m so sorry, Anya. The baby… due to the impact of the fall into the sea… we couldn’t save it.”
I numbly touched my stomach. I sighed for the small life that had briefly been a part of me. It was for the best. From now on, I was completely, utterly done with Dante. No more ties, no more pain.
After that, I devoted myself to our rescue work, traveling between war–torn countries, using my skills to pull people back from the brink of death. The children made me flower crowns, the adults prepared for me the best food they could offer and clothes they had sewn themselves. We gath- ered around bonfires during brief lulls in the fighting, singing and praying for the hope of life.
These simple, heartfelt gestures gave me a profound sense of fulfillment. In just two short years, I finally felt like I was truly alive.
I just never expected to see Dante again.
