Picking up my purse, I went to shop for a burner cell phone. I needed to estimate how much time I had and to do so, I needed to call the company and ask for Daniel's whereabouts. I had done this a few times, and I doubted Daniel knew I was behind the calls. I had learned to be very careful.
I bought the phone in a small store not far from Wells Corporation, and I placed the call. Daniel was still in New York, but he would be leaving town in a couple of days. Unfortunately, I had no way of knowing if his trip was related to me, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
I had to leave tomorrow before he left New York. He would have a hard time finding where I was, and even if he found Jayden, he wouldn’t be able to tell him much. I planned to give him false information.
I went back to the apartment, feeling as if I had a huge rock weighing me down, and I wished I was strong enough to face Daniel and call the police on him. Unfortunately, I had nothing on him, and even if he beat me again, all I could do was get a restraining order against him… one he would violate as soon as possible. But I wouldn’t have the chance to call the police. This time he would make sure I couldn’t call anyone.
He meant every word he said last time I saw him – that only death would part us.
“You looked troubled. Is everything alright?” Jayden asked me that night, while we were getting dressed to attend a fundraising gala for the organization ‘Food for every child.’
Madeleine was on one of its committees, and she had asked Jayden to attend. Despite their constant arguments, he never said no to her.
“Yes… all is fine,” I lied, not daring to meet his eyes.
I had planned to tell him I was leaving in the morning. I knew it wasn’t fair and that he would hate me for doing it, but I didn’t have much choice. Telling him the truth was useless and a waste of time. There wasn’t much he could do, and I even doubted he would want to do anything, once he discovered all I had kept from him.
“Are you nervous?”
I gave him a faint smile. “Well, this is my first gala… so, yes, we could say that.”
“It’s just another party, with boring people talking about how much they loved helping those poor African children,” he said, exuding all the scorn he felt for those people.
I chuckled. “It doesn’t matter what they say, as long as they pay,” I reminded him.
“I know… and this year, my mother made sure they paid enough. Each ticket costs ten thousand dollars,” he replied, scowling.
I gasped surprised. “That’s a lot of money.”
“Not for the people attending this gala, believe me,” he assured me. “Half that money will go straight to buying provisions for several refugee camps. Four hundred people are expected tonight, so, that’s a good number.”
“Why not help closer to home? There are way too many homeless people in this country, some of them in the most infamous conditions,” I asked, with a slight frown.
“Wells Corporation has several aid programs on the run, but you’re right, we need a lot more,” he agreed.
The gala was taking place in one of the most elegant hotels in the city, and the ballroom was decorated as a sophisticated Christmas party. I had lost track of time and hadn't realized Christmas was just a couple of weeks away.
This only made my decision even harder, but the longer I stayed, the more dangerous it would be for me.
“Jayden… I’m happy you came,” Madeleine greeted her son when they entered the ballroom. “And you brought Anne… isn’t that nice?” she added, but I could tell she was surprised.
Jayden noticed it too and clenched his jaw, not very pleased with his mother’s words. “The more, the merrier, don’t you think, mother?”
“Right! Please, enjoy the evening. I’ll see you at dinner time,” she said, with a polite smile on her face.
We entered the room, and Jayden introduced me to some of his friends, while we drank champagne and ate the most delicious hors d’oeuvres I had eaten in my life. I guess this crowd would demand only the best for their money.
I was looking around the room, while Jayden chatted with a man when I saw him.
He was standing a few feet away from me, his eyes locked on me, with a cruel smirk twisting his lips.
Daniel!
He had found me.
With my heart drumming loud in my chest, I turned to talk to Jayden, trying to decide what to do. I doubted Daniel would make a scene in a place like this, and that could work in my favor. If I was able to get to Jayden’s house, I would be out of Seattle before he could find me.
“Jayden…” I called him, interrupting the old man he was talking with.
