Chapter 1

The plane jerked violently, throwing me against my seatbelt. Oxygen masks dropped with a hiss, and my heart hammered against my ribs as the cabin filled with panicked voices. I reached for Lily's small hand, squeezing it tightly as her eyes widened with terror.

"Mommy?" Her voice trembled. "What's happening?"

Before I could answer, I watched Pierce lunge across the aisle toward Eloise. His movements were fluid, practiced—as though he'd rehearsed this moment a thousand times. He secured her oxygen mask with gentle precision, his hands lingering on her cheeks as he made sure she was breathing properly.

"Eloise, stay calm," he murmured, his voice carrying that tender quality I hadn't heard directed at me in years. "I've got you."

I fumbled with Lily's mask, my fingers shaking as I struggled to fasten it correctly. The plane pitched again, sending drinks cartons rolling down the aisle. A flight attendant shouted something over the intercom, but her voice was drowned out by the mechanical whine of failing engines.

"Sir!" A crew member appeared at Pierce's side, his face ashen. "We're experiencing catastrophic mechanical failure. We'll attempt an emergency landing, but..." He hesitated, glancing at the three of us. "There's only one parachute on board."

Pierce's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "Give it to Eloise."

"I'm sorry, sir, but regulations—"

"I don't care about your regulations," Pierce cut him off, his voice dropping to that dangerous register I knew too well. "Give the parachute to Eloise. She's far more important than you two." He gestured dismissively toward Lily and me.

The crew member looked stricken, his gaze darting between us. I felt something inside me harden, crystallizing into a resolve I didn't know I possessed.

"No." I reached for the parachute pack, ignoring Pierce's shocked expression. "Lily is taking this."

"Savannah!" Pierce's voice cracked like a whip. "Don't be ridiculous. Eloise needs—"

"Your daughter needs this," I said quietly, securing the straps around Lily's small frame. She was trembling, her eyes wide and trusting despite her fear. "And I'm not giving it up."

Pierce's face contorted with rage, but before he could respond, the pilot's voice crackled over the speakers, announcing we would be landing immediately. The plane shuddered as we descended rapidly, windows rattling and passengers screaming.

I pulled Lily close, whispering promises in her ear. "Mommy will protect you. Mommy will always protect you."

Somehow, impossibly, we landed safely. The plane skidded along the runway, sparks flying as the landing gear scraped against tarmac. When we finally came to a stop, I realized I'd been holding my breath.

That night, back at our hotel suite, Lily clung to me, refusing to let go even as I tried to tuck her into bed.

"I had a bad dream on the plane, Mommy," she whispered. "I dreamed Daddy pushed me out without a parachute."

I swallowed hard, stroking her hair. "It was just a dream, sweetheart."

Across the hall, I could hear Pierce's soothing murmurs as he comforted Eloise. Her sobs carried through the thin walls, theatrical in their intensity.

"I can't sleep," she whimpered. "Every time I close my eyes, I see us falling."

"It's alright," Pierce assured her. "I'm here. I'll stay all night if you need me."

I closed my eyes, blocking out the sound of my husband comforting another woman while his own daughter trembled in my arms. Lily eventually fell asleep, exhausted from fear and adrenaline.

The next morning, Pierce knocked on our door, his expression grim with determination.

"Eloise can't stop having nightmares," he announced without preamble. "I've come up with a solution."

I stared at him, disbelieving. "What kind of solution?"

"Lily will demonstrate courage for her," he said, as though it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "She'll show Eloise what real bravery looks like."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're going to strap Lily to an unmanned aircraft," Pierce explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "To build her courage. To show Eloise what real strength is."

My blood turned to ice. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious," he replied coldly. "My staff is preparing everything now."

I followed him downstairs to find two of his security personnel waiting in the garden. Between them stood a small, unmanned aircraft—the kind used for aerial photography—with a child-sized harness attached.

"Pierce, please," I begged as they approached Lily, who shrank back against me. "She's terrified of heights. She's only five years old."

"Don't be dramatic," he snapped. "This will be good for her."

One of the men reached for Lily, who screamed and clung to my legs. "No! Daddy, please! I'm scared!"

Pierce's face hardened. "Don't be a coward, Lily. Eloise needs to see real courage."

I stepped between them and my daughter. "I won't let you do this."

Pierce grabbed my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. "You don't have a choice," he hissed. "If you try to stop this, I'll take custody of Lily. Do you understand? One call to my lawyers, and you'll never see her again."

I sank to my knees, desperation clawing at my throat. "Please, Pierce. Don't do this."

"Then convince her to do it willingly," he said coldly. "Or watch as I take her away from you forever."

I bowed my head, tears streaming down my face as I began to knock my forehead against the ground—a gesture of ultimate submission I'd been forced to perform countless times before.

"Please," I whispered, my voice breaking as my forehead split open, warm blood trickling down my face. "Please promise me you'll bring her back safely."

Pierce looked down at me, his expression unreadable. "Fine," he said finally. "I promise I'll rescue her immediately if anything goes wrong."

As they led my screaming daughter away, I remained kneeling on the ground, blood staining my dress, wondering how much more of this I could endure before something inside me finally broke beyond repair.