Chapter 6
The judge gave a nod, and the bailiffs yanked Simon and Nancy out without another word.
After the trial, Clark drove me home–not to that haunted villa, but to his sleek apartment downtown.
My body was wrecked. Blood had soaked through my clothes again.
Clark looked completely shaken. He helped me onto the couch like I might break.
“Doctor’s on the way.”
I saw that crease between his brows and reached up to smooth it out.
“I’m okay. Just surface stuff.”
He caught my hand, voice rough.
“I should’ve found you sooner.”
“It’s not too late.” I leaned into his shoulder. “This time, we found each other.”
In my past life, after they locked me up, it was nothing but pain.
Following Simon’s orders, the inmates used cold tools to destroy my uterus.
When the prison doctor told me I’d never have kids, I didn’t cry–I was already empty.
Then chaos exploded outside.
“Mr. Johnston! You can’t go in!”
The infirmary door slammed open.
Clark stormed in, bloodied, with guards down behind him.
His eyes went red the second he saw me.
“Heidi, I’m so sorry. That bastard blocked everything—I didn’t even know you were in here until this morning!”
His voice cracked. He dropped to his knees, hands shaking, reaching out but too scared to touch me.
That’s when I saw it–his right hand. One finger gone, still bleeding.
“What happened…?”
