I Told You To Run But You Didn't (Georgia) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Georgia’s POV

Finished

I folded my copy of the contract, the paper a death warrant and a prayer all in one, and tucked it into my bag. I turned, ready to walk out into my new, uncertain life, when his voice stopped me.

“Georgia.”

I paused at the door, my back to him.

“I’ll give you one last chance to change your mind,” he said. I turned slowly, watching him. He hadn’t moved, his expression unreadable. “You can walk out that door. Run. Forget any of this ever happened, and we will consider our business concluded. The contract, void.” He paused, his eyes locking onto mine. “Or… you can stay.”

My heart began to hammer against my ribs.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to decide,” he said, his voice a low, steady metronome. “Ten… nine…”

I gasped, my mind reeling. “Wait! Are you insane?! Ten seconds? That’s not a choice!”

“Eight…” He took a slow, deliberate step forward. The vast foyer suddenly felt like a cell, and he was the one stalking toward me. He was closer now, and he whispered the word, a wicked temptation. “Run.”

Run. The single word screamed through my mind. Just un. Out the door, back to Patricia, back to a life of freedom. My muscles tensed, every instinct in my body screaming to flee.

“I’m giving you a chance to avoid a lifetime of regret, Georgia,” he said, his voice dropping even lower. “Seven…”

If I ran, I would be free, but I would never know. The ghosts of my parents, the shadow of my brother-they would haunt me forever. The truth was here, in this room, locked behind the eyes of the monster who was counting down my life.

“Six… five…” He kept walking, each step a final, crushing footstep on my hope for a simple life. Freedom, or the truth? I couldn’t have both. My feet felt nailed to the floor.

“Four…” He was only a few feet away now. “A life of painful ignorance, or a life of dangerous purpose. Choose.”

“Three…” I could feel the heat radiating from his body, smell the expensive cologne on his suit. The wor narrowed to the space between us.

“Two…” He was right in front of me now, his shadow falling over me. I could see the flecks of gold in his dark, unblinking eyes. My lungs burned.

The final number was a soft, final hiss that brushed against my car.

“One.”

He stopped, inches from my face. The world was utterly silent, the air electric. I hadn’t moved. I hadn’t run. I was still breathing the same air as him, my heart a frantic drum against his calm.

A slow, deeply satisfied smile spread across his face, the mile of a king whose gambit had paid off perfectly.

1/3

11:42 Sat, Mar / A

Chapter 28

“Good choice,” he murmured.

Estevan stepped back, his intense gaze leaving me as he gave a curt nod to his secretary. He spoke to Harvey, but his commands were clearly for me.

Finished

“Take Ms. Sinclair home. Ensure the perimeter is secure for the night.” He then finally looked at me, his expression all business. “Your work begins at 6 am tomorrow. Resign from your position with Patricia Smith. We will discuss your permanent living arrangements then.”

I was still reeling, my mind a numb haze of shock and adrenaline. I found myself simply nodding, allowing Harvey to escort me out to a different car.

The ride to the condo was silent. I walked into the beautiful, empty apartment, the door clicking shut behind me with a sound of finality.

Sinking into the corner of a plush sofa, I let the full weight of the day-the divorce, the truth about Zane, the deal with a monster-crash down on me. I wrapped my arms around myself, a single, whispered question filling the silent room.

“Oh, Zane… where are you? And why are you doing this?

As if the universe had a cruel sense of timing, the intercom on the wall buzzed, startling me. A crisp, professional voice came through.

“Ms. Sinclair? Apologies for the disturbance. There is a Mr. Lucas Sterling in the lobby. He is not on the residents’ list and is causing a scene. He demands to see you.”

A wave of utter exhaustion washed over me. The past, literally at my doorstep. “I’m coming down,” I said, my voice flat.

I found him arguing with two imposing security guards his face flushed, his suit rumpled. He looked pathetic.

“Lucas,” I said, my voice stopping him cold.

He rushed towards me, a practiced look of concern on his face. “Gia! I’ve been so worried. I’ve been calling you. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said, not moving an inch.

His eyes darted around the opulent lobby, then back to me, his fake concern melting away into pure, possessive curiosity. “How… how are you living here? This building… it’s one of the most expensive in the city.” His voice dropped, laced with suspicion. “I though without the settlement, you’d have nothing. How can you afford this? Who’s paying for it?” He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “It’s him, isn’t it? Did Salvatore give this to you?”

I looked at the man I once loved, a man whose first thought wasn’t for my safety, but for my finances and who was controlling them now. And I felt nothing.

“My life, and how I choose to live it, is no longer any of our business, Lucas,” I said, my voice calm and final. I turned to the head of security. “Please make sure Mr. Sterling leaves the premises. He is not to be permitted entry again.”

I turned and walked back to the elevator without a backward glance, leaving him sputtering in the lobby as the guards closed in.

III

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11:42 Sat, Mar 7 AM 0.

Chapter 28

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