Chapter 13 - THE ROAD NORTH
Sabina made one mistake.
She kept Gemma’s rabbit.
Maybe she didn’t know about the tracker.
Maybe she didn’t care.
Either way, it led them north.
State police joined the pursuit discreetly.
No sirens.
No dramatic roadblock that might panic Sabina.
The SUV traveled through rural roads toward Vermont.
Chadworth watched the tracker on Marcus’s tablet.
The same direction as the coordinates from the blue room.
The “recovery facility.”
Everything had been prepared long before.
A private cabin.
Remote land.
No neighbors.
A place where a sedated billionaire could disappear for weeks while Sabina controlled his legal affairs.
Now she was using it for Gemma.
Lorelai stayed behind with Rosamund and Nina.
Chadworth hated leaving her.
She insisted.
“Go get Gemma.”
Four hours later, the SUV stopped.
Marcus looked at the satellite image.
“Cabin. Woods on three sides. River on the fourth.”
Police teams moved in.
Chadworth stayed behind the perimeter.
For exactly two minutes.
Then he heard a gunshot.
He ran.
Marcus cursed and followed.
They reached the cabin.
Front door open.
A man lay inside.
Rachel.
No.
Chadworth looked closer.
It was a male driver.
Wounded in the shoulder.
Alive.
“Where’s my daughter?”
The man pointed toward the back.
“River.”
Chadworth ran.
Sabina was dragging Gemma down a muddy path.
Gemma fought hard.
Kicking.
Crying.
“Daddy!”
Sabina turned.
Her face was wild.
Nothing left of the elegant woman who had smiled beside him at charity dinners.
“Stay back!”
She held a handgun.
Chadworth stopped.
Gemma sobbed.
Sabina pressed the weapon against her own side.
Not Gemma.
That surprised him.
“You’re done,” Chadworth said.
Sabina laughed.
“You think prison scares me?”
“No.”
“You took everything.”
“You did that.”
“I spent years building this.”
“You mean destroying my family.”
“I saved you.”
He stared.
“From what?”
“From Elizabeth.”
The name hit like a slap.
“She was going to expose everything. The foundation. Elliot. Me.”
“So you killed her.”
Sabina’s face tightened.
“She was already dying.”
Gemma cried harder.
Chadworth’s voice dropped.
“You murdered a dying woman because she found out you were stealing.”
“She was going to ruin all of us.”
“She was my wife.”
“And she was leaving you.”
Chadworth froze.
“What?”
Sabina smiled.
“You never knew?”
He didn’t answer.
“She had divorce papers.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Ask Rosamund.”
For one second, doubt flickered.
Sabina saw it.
“There he is. The man who never really knows what’s happening in his own house.”
Chadworth took one step forward.
“Give me Gemma.”
“No.”
“Sabina.”
“You choose your children now because you finally got scared.”
She laughed bitterly.
“Where were you four years ago?”
That landed.
But Chadworth no longer let guilt control him.
“I was wrong.”
Sabina blinked.
“I failed them.”
Another step.
“I failed Elizabeth too.”
She raised the gun.
“Stop.”
He did.
“But I’m here now.”
Gemma looked at him.
Chadworth kept his eyes on her.
“Baby, remember what I told you?”
Gemma sniffled.
“What?”
“You never have to believe someone just because they sound certain.”
Sabina tightened her grip.
“Shut up.”
Chadworth continued.
“You know who loves you.”
Gemma looked down.
Then suddenly bit Sabina’s hand.
Sabina screamed.
The gun fired.
Gemma dropped.
Chadworth ran.
So did Marcus.
The shot hit a tree.
Sabina tried to grab Gemma again.
Marcus tackled her.
The gun slid into the mud.
Chadworth scooped up his daughter.
“Daddy!”
“I got you.”
She wrapped around him.
He held her so tightly she squeaked.
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
He buried his face in her hair.
“No more sorry.”
Behind him, police cuffed Sabina.
She screamed.
“This isn’t over!”
Chadworth turned.
For the first time, he felt nothing for her.
No love.
No confusion.
No fear.
“You’re right.”
She stopped.
He held Gemma closer.
“Now you have to answer for all of it.”
Then Marcus’s phone rang.
He listened.
His expression changed.
Chadworth knew immediately.
“What?”
May you like
Marcus looked at him.
“Elliot Crane was found dead in county lockup.”
