I Told You To Run But You Didn't (Georgia) novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Georgia’s POV

༥ ཛཱ,69%

Finished

“I’m not running, Mr. Salvatore. I’m leaving. There’s a difference. And you and I have nothing to discuss, now or ever. Please, stay out of my way.”

I didn’t wait for a reply. I turned, slid into the waiting cab, and shut the door with a definitive thud. As the car pulled away from the curb, I chanced a look back.

He hadn’t moved. He simply stood there, a shadow against the city lights, and a slow, unnerving smile spread across his lips.

It wasn’t a smile of defeat. It was the smile of a predator who was thoroughly enjoying the chase, confident in the outcome. He was letting me go, for now.

The moment the cab pulled up to the villa, I knew the battle wasn’t over. Fatima and Jasmine were standing on the grand porch, bathed in the golden light-a welcoming committee from hell.

They were in the middle of a hushed conversation, but stopped the second they saw me. Their synchronized gaze pinned me the moment I stepped out of the car, making it clear I was an intruder in my own home.

Inspecting her perfectly manicured nails with an

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Jasmine drawled, air of supreme boredom. “Finally decided to grace us with your presence? It’s nine o’clock at night. I guess the unemployed don’t have to worry about waking up on time. What’s the free, enjoying the fruits of my brother’s labor?”

plan, Georgia? Just live here for

“You resigned?” Fatima asked, her voice laced with perfect, feigned shock. Her eyes widened as if hearing the news for the very first time.

She knew. This was the first step of the plan we’d never spoken aloud: my getaway.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice even and calm. Without giving either of them a backward glance, I turned and ascended the sweeping staircase, each step a steady, conscious beat of defiance.

Their voices followed me, pitched just loud enough for me to hear.

“She won’t be a freeloader for long,” Jasmine sneered, her voice dripping with nastiness. “I will make sure Lucas files for divorce as soon as possible. She’ll be out on the street where she belongs.”

“It’s for the best,” Fatima added, her tone one of smooth simple agreement.

I reached my room and closed the door, the latch clicking shut with a soft finality. Leaning my back against the cool wood, I let out a slow breath.

Three years. For three long years, I had walked on eggshells in this house, shrinking myself to fit into their world, playing the part of an unwelcome guest who should be grateful for the scraps they threw her way.

But hearing them now, so casually plotting my eviction from a life I had helped build. I didn’t feel the sting of betrayal.

Just thirty more days, I thought, the words a silent manga. Thirty days in this house, and then I’m free.

The next day, I found myself pushing through the reinforced door of “Smith Armories. The air inside was t familiar, comforting mix of gun oil, polished wood, and steel. My friend, Patricia, was leaning against a glass

Chapter 7

counter, looking every bit the boss she was.

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Finished

She grinned as I walked in, gesturing to the gleaming hardware around us. “Dad sunk his whole military pension into this place, and voilà, now it’s my problem,” she said with a laugh. She watched as I instinctively ran a hand over the cool, machined stock of a custom rifle. “See? You haven’t lost the touch. All that time you spent playing wife to that bastard didn’t make you forget how to handle a real weapon.”

She pushed off the counter and came closer. “Seriously, G. Why don’t you come work with me? Help me run this place. It’s a hell of a lot more interesting than planning charity galas.”

Her offer was kind, a lifeline. But my mind was snagged on something else entirely. I let out a heavy sigh, my gaze lost somewhere among the rows of handguns.

Tricia’s cheerful expression softened. “Okay, what is it? Penny for your thoughts.”

I met her eyes, my voice low and urgent. “Estevan Salvatore. What do you know about him?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Salvatore? Sure, his security detail buys from us. Big account.”

memo

“No, not just that,” I pressed, unable to keep the intensity out of my

voice. The

of his predatory smile haunted me. “I know they’re your clients. But there’s more isn’t there? I need to know everything you know about him, Tricia. Everything.”

Tricia leaned forward, her expression turning serious. “Wait, okay, slow down. What happened yesterday that has you this rattled?”

I bit my lower lip, the memory of his cold smile making my skin crawl. “He found me. He said I made a

mistake.”

“A mistake how?”

“By challenging him,” I said, the words feeling heavy and stupid in my own mouth. “Tricia, there’s something about him. It’s not just arrogance. It’s… preying. I’ve been around dangerous men. He’s different. I pulled a gun on him to stop a deal, and he barely even blinked.”

“Oh, Georgia.” Patricia let out a long, heavy sigh and ran a hand through her hair. “Okay. You need to listen to me, and you need to understand that I am not exaggerating. Estevan Salvatore is not someone you can afford to have as an enemy.”

She lowered her voice. “He’s the only son of the late General Salvatore, but he’s nothing like his fathe General was a national hero, a man of honor. Estevan was supposed to follow in his footsteps-gradu top of his class in international defense-but he refused a military career. He went off-grid for a few y and came back with his own power base, completely independent.”

She paused, making sure I was absorbing the weight of her words. “His company, the Neuro-Dominion System? It’s not just a rival to the Helios Project; it makes Helios look like a child’s science fair project. Th of your work, then imagine it with no government oversight, no ethical board, and ten times the funding. He operates in the shadows, and people who challenge him have a tendency to disappear. He is ruthlessly brilliant, and you, my friend, have gotten his full attention.”

A short, humorless laugh escaped my lips, sharp with disbelief. “His attention?” I echoed, my voice rising “Tricia, I don’t want his attention! I just blew up my entire life to get away from one monster. I have no intention of catching the eye of another, especially not ene you’re describing as the damn boogeyman”

“You already did….”

Told You To Run, But You Didn’t

Chapter 8

Georgia’s POV

Finished

The shrill sound surprised me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen: Jasmine. With a deep sigh, I answered, bracing myself for a completely different kind of monster.

“Georgia! Where the hell are you?” her voice, high-pitched and grating, screeched through the speaker. “Stop playing dead and get over here. Or did you completely forget that Mom has her appointment with Dr. Foster today?”

I held the phone slightly away from my ear, my own voice emerging calm and cold as ice. “That sounds like a problem for her children. You and Lucas can handle it

An indignant squawk of disbelief was her only reply. “What-!”

and

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