Chapter 6 - THE HOUSE WHERE NOBODY WAS SAFE
Lena told me everything.
Her father had controlled her life for years.
Where she lived.
Who she saw.
What she wore.
When she met Marcus, she'd believed he was different.
Charming.
Protective.
Kind.
Then she became pregnant.
Everything changed.
Marcus became controlling.
Victor began treating the babies as valuable pieces in a business arrangement.
Lena overheard conversations about inheritance.
Trust funds.
Ownership shares.
And documents that required the birth of Marcus's children.
When she tried to leave, they locked her inside a house outside Chicago.
She escaped once.
They found her.
The second time, they hurt her.
Then Marcus drove her to my warehouse.
And abandoned her with the twins.
Lena began crying as she spoke.
I sat beside her.
Didn't interrupt.
Didn't ask why she hadn't left sooner.
When she finished, I said quietly:
“You're not going back.”
She looked at me.
“Promise?”
I nodded.
May you like
“Yes.”
And for the first time in years, I meant a promise that had nothing to do with power.
