Chapter 6
The road twisted endlessly until they reached a lonely mountaintop.
The sky was pitch‑black. So was everything else.
In a place like this, Bella might as well have been blind all over again.
She tried to figure out where they were, and that's when Kevin yanked her out of the car.
He pushed her roughly, and the moment she stumbled out, he slammed back into the driver's seat.
The doors locked. The window slid halfway down.
Then she heard Kevin's voice, cold, merciless, almost unrecognizable.
"Whether you admit you pushed Alina or not, her baby died because of you. So you're getting punished," he said.
"Punished?" Bella clawed at the door handle, panic rising. "Kevin, she's just your secretary. Why are you this mad over her miscarriage? Don't tell me… was the kid even yours?"
"Don't be stupid, Bella. She's worked for me for three years. Of course I owe her something. I didn't send you to prison. I brought you here instead. That's me being generous."
A freezing wind rushed past her bare arms, and in her thin dress, her whole body trembled. His words felt even colder than the night air.
"Kevin, are you out of your mind? What is this place? Take me home!" Bella cried. "Don't leave me out here. I swear I didn't push her.
"There are security cameras at home. You can check them. Kevin, I can't see. If you leave me alone here all night, I'll die."
Her voice cracked. She was terrified.
But Kevin only grew colder. "It's just one night. You won't die. I'll send someone to pick you up in the morning."
The window rolled shut. He suddenly reversed. Bella lost her footing and hit the ground hard.
Her palms scraped across the rocks, skin tearing open. The sting shot straight through her.
"No! Kevin! Don't leave me here! Kevin!" Bella screamed, panic thick in her voice.
No matter how she screamed, he didn't look back.
The engine faded. Then silence. Nothing but the wind howling through the treetops.
Bella choked on a sob. "Why, Kevin? You said you'd protect me for life. Why?"
The valley threw her cry back at her in twisted echoes, mixed with strange rustling sounds she couldn't place.
Her terror ballooned until she couldn't breathe. She reached her hands out, stumbling in the dark.
She tried to make her way down the mountain, but her foot slipped. Her body went weightless. She plunged straight off the cliff.
When Bella opened her eyes again, she saw Kevin.
She had tumbled all the way down the cliffside. Her whole body pulsed with pain, moving even an inch felt like knives.
"Oh good, you're awake. Why didn't you just stay put like you were supposed to? You know you can't see. You should've waited. I told you I'd come for you in the morning," Kevin said coldly.
His eyes held the faintest trace of concern, but mostly irritation.
"I was exhausted taking care of Alina last night, and now I have to worry about you too," he grumbled, frustration clear in his voice.
Bella stared at him, cold and sharp. "So tell me, Kevin. Am I your wife, or is Alina? Doesn't she have any family? Why is her boss the one babysitting her?"
"You made her lose the baby. Of course I have to take care of her. Bella, I don't want to argue. Just rest. I'll get you something to eat."
He walked out. Bella closed her eyes, saving what little strength she had. After she got that divorce certificate, she was gone.
The door swung open again, and Alina walked in.
Bella's face darkened instantly. "What are you doing here? Get out."
"Came to check if you broke more bones," Alina sneered.
Her eyes gleamed with hate. "If it weren't for you, my baby would still be alive. You fell off a cliff and didn't die. Incredible."
"I said get out." Bella tried to push herself up, but Alina yanked her off the bed with vicious force.
Bella wanted to fight back, but her body felt crushed, useless. Pain shot everywhere.
Alina lifted her hand and slapped her twice, sharp and loud.
"Bitch! You killed my child!" she shouted. I should've killed you first. You loved slapping me that day, right? I'm giving it all back. And guess what? Kevin doesn't love you anymore.
"He says you're a burden. Says you're no fun. Says you can't even satisfy him in bed. Oh, and he signed the divorce papers already. You two are done. He promised he'd marry me next.
"You killed my son. I'd love nothing more than to watch you die. If Kevin can't bring himself to do it, I will."