Six days left.

The countdown burned in my mind like a brand. Every sunrise brought me closer to the lawyer’s promised help — and closer to the terrifying possibility that Alexander would discover everything before I could escape with our children.

I spent the morning on the beach with Alex and Sofia, forcing laughter as they built sandcastles and chased waves. My hand never left my pregnant belly, as if I could shield the new life inside me from the storm brewing around us. The rose-gold collar felt heavier than ever, a constant reminder of the man who had killed my mother to own me.

Alexander watched us from the...