Chapter 2

I slammed on the brakes, my Volvo screeching to a halt at the entrance of Palms Vista Luxury Residences. The security gate loomed before me like a prison wall. My hands trembled as I rolled down my window, Madison's labored breathing still echoing in my ears through the phone pressed against my shoulder.

'Ma'am, do you have a resident code?' The intercom voice sounded bored, unhurried.

'Emergency!' I screamed, my composure shattering. 'My daughter is trapped in a car inside your complex!'

The gate began to slide open, agonizingly slow. I gunned the engine, barely waiting for enough clearance before squeezing through, scraping my side mirror in the process. I didn't care. Nothing mattered except reaching Madison.

I followed the GPS dot on my phone, tires squealing as I rounded the corner into a pristine courtyard with a bubbling fountain—just as Madison had described. And there it was: Ryan's sleek black BMW, baking in the merciless July sun with no shade in sight.

My heart stopped. Through the steamed-up windows, I could make out Madison's small face pressed against the glass, her eyes half-closed, glazed with heat and fear. Her little palm weakly pushed against the window.

'Madison!' I abandoned my car in the middle of the driveway, leaving the door open as I sprinted across the scorching pavement. The heat hit me like a furnace as I reached the BMW, feeling the metal burn through my silk blouse as I pressed against it. The interior must have been well over 120 degrees.

I yanked frantically at the door handles—locked. Of course they were locked. Madison's face was flushed an alarming shade of red, her blonde curls plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths.

'Baby, cover your face!' I kicked off my right stiletto, gripping it by the toe. I slammed the sharp heel against the passenger window, putting all my weight behind it. The glass resisted. I struck again, desperation giving me strength I didn't know I possessed.

A vise-like grip suddenly clamped around my arm, yanking me backward with such force that I stumbled and fell hard onto the pavement, scraping my palms and knees.

'Back off, lady—this isn't your car!' A burly security guard towered over me, his face contorted with anger. His name badge read 'Dawson.'

'That's my daughter!' I scrambled to my feet, lunging toward the car again. 'She's dying in there!'

He blocked my path, shoving me backward. 'Yeah, right. We get car thieves like you all the time, targeting nice vehicles.'

'Look at her!' I screamed, pointing frantically at Madison's wilting form. 'She's five years old! She's suffering from heat stroke!'

The guard glanced dismissively at the window. 'Could be anyone's kid. This is Mr. Carter's vehicle, and you're not Mrs. Carter.'

The words hit me like a physical blow. 'I AM Mrs. Carter! Isabella Matthews-Carter! That's MY husband's car, and that's OUR daughter!'

I fumbled with my phone, pulling up my driver's license and our marriage certificate from my cloud storage. My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped it. 'See? Please, she needs help NOW!'

The guard barely glanced at the screen before smirking. 'Nice try. A real Mrs. Carter wouldn't be dressed like that, coming here in a panic.'

I looked down at myself—my designer blouse was sweat-soaked and torn at the shoulder, my skirt was twisted, one foot bare, my hair wild from the frantic drive. I must have looked deranged.

'I don't care what you think of me!' My voice broke as I tried to push past him. 'My daughter is DYING!'

The guard's face hardened. He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me down with stunning force. My head cracked against the pavement, stars exploding behind my eyes.

'Stay down, or I'll have you arrested,' he snarled, planting a foot near my ribcage in warning.

Through my daze, I heard the click of heels on pavement and a woman's voice, dripping with disdain.

'What's going on here, Dawson?'

I lifted my head, vision swimming, and froze in disbelief. Walking toward us was a stunning redhead in a white sundress. Around her neck gleamed my missing Cartier necklace. On her arm hung my limited-edition Hermès Birkin—the one I'd reported stolen three months ago.

The guard straightened respectfully. 'Just some crazy woman trying to break into your car, Mrs. Carter. I've got it under control.'