Chapter 6 - The Sanctuary
Oakridge was a sleepy mountain town four hours northwest of Westbridge, tucked away beneath dense pine forests and winding river valleys. It was the place Mara had spent her summers as a young girl, long before the glittering, suffocating world of Dominic Vale had swept her off her feet.
The wooden cabin sat at the end of a gravel lane, surrounded by golden autumn maples. Smoke curled lazily from the stone chimney into the crisp evening air.
Inside, the cabin was warm, lit by the yellow glow of an old floor lamp and the crackling hearth. But the rustic peace did nothing to soothe the ache in Mara’s chest.
She sat at the small kitchen table, staring down at a mug of black tea that had long gone cold. Her phone sat turned off inside her purse in the corner. She knew Dominic would look for her; a man with his resources didn't lose track of people unless he chose to. But she had needed space to breathe, space to pull the scattered pieces of her self-worth back together.
Leaving Ellie had torn out a piece of her soul. She hadn't slept a wink the night before. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard Ellie asking if she had made Grandma mad because she was bad.
I shouldn't have left her, Mara thought, pressing her palms against her burning eyes. I should have stayed and fought Dominic tooth and nail. But how do you stay in a house where you are treated like an impostor?
Outside, the crunch of gravel beneath heavy tires broke the silence of the woods.
Mara’s head snapped up.
Headlights swept across the cabin’s front windows, casting long, moving shadows against the wooden walls. The engine purred to a stop, followed by the heavy thud of a car door closing.
Mara stood up slowly, her heart pounding against her ribs. She didn't bother hiding. She walked to the window and pulled back the lace curtain.
A sleek black Mercedes sat in the gravel drive. And walking toward the front porch, illuminated by the porch light, was Dominic.
He wasn't wearing his suit jacket. His white shirt was rumpled, his hair disheveled by the wind, his tie stuffed haphazardly into his trouser pocket. The terrifying, polished billionaire of Westbridge looked completely shattered.
He didn't knock aggressively. He stepped onto the wooden porch and knocked three times—softly, almost hesitating.
Mara took a deep breath, steeling herself against the wave of emotion threatening to overwhelm her. She walked to the front door, unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled it open.
Dominic stood on the porch, the cold mountain breeze rustling the leaves behind him. When he saw her, his breath hitched, as if he had just resurfaced from deep water.
“Mara,” he whispered.
“How did you find me?” she asked coldly, keeping the wooden screen door closed between them.
“Your grandmother’s property records,” he admitted, his voice rough and stripped of all pride. “I had Marcus run a deep search. I drove four hours straight.”
“You shouldn't have come,” Mara said, crossing her arms defensively. “There’s nothing to negotiate, Dominic. I left my rings. I signed the prenuptial agreement before we married; you can have your lawyers file the paperwork. I won't contest a single dollar.”
Dominic flinched as if she had struck him across the face. “Do you honestly believe I drove through the night across state lines to talk about money?”
“Then what do you want?” she demanded, her voice rising with anger. “Did Ruth need another apology? Did you come to make sure I don't give interviews to the local papers about how the great Dominic Vale treats his wife?”
“Ellie is falling apart, Mara,” he said.
The mention of the child’s name hit Mara like an electric shock. Her protective instincts flared instantly. “What happened? Is she hurt? Is she sick?”
“She won't eat,” Dominic said, his voice cracking with raw pain. “She won't speak to me. She dropped her art project yesterday and let it shatter on the floor because she said it didn't matter anymore. She spent the entire night curled up on the floor of your empty closet, holding Mr. Fluff and crying until she passed out.”
Mara closed her eyes as tears spilled over her lashes. The agony of hearing about Ellie’s pain was unbearable.
“She thinks you left because she was bad,” Dominic whispered, taking a step closer to the screen door, pressing his palm flat against the mesh. “She thinks that calling you Mommy drove you away. And she looked me in the eye yesterday and told me I was a liar, and that she hates me.”
Mara opened her eyes, glaring at him through her tears. “And what did you expect, Dominic? You broke her heart at that table! You sided with a dead woman’s shadow instead of your living daughter!”
“I know,” he said.
Mara paused.
May you like
In the four years she had known Dominic Vale, she had never heard him say those two words with genuine remorse. He was a man who rationalized, who dominated, who forced the world to bend to his will.
“I know,” Dominic repeated, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. “I was a coward. I was a selfish, arrogant coward. And I destroyed the only good thing that ever happened to this family.”
