Page 13

A week has passed, and I’ve spent every single day of it planning how to get away from Timur.

I sit in my small dorm apartment, staring blankly at the window, but my mind is a whirl of anxiety and fear. The more I think about it, the more desperate I become. He’s part of a Russian crime family. A Sharov. The man who murdered someone in front of me without a second thought. Every time I think about him, the scene replays in my head—the sound of the gunshot, the way Russel’s body crumpled to the floor, lifeless. The cold, calculated expression on Timur’s face as if it was just another routine day for him.

I shudder, pulling my knees to my chest as I sit on my bed. It’s not just the fact that he’s part of the Mafia; it’s everything he represents. Brutality, violence, control. He’s everything I’ve always despised.

My eyes shift to the small picture frame on my nightstand, and my throat tightens. It’s a photo of my mother, smiling in her police uniform, her eyes bright with pride. She was a hero, a woman who dedicated her life to justice. Now… now I have ties to the very kind of man responsible for destroying so many lives.

I blink back the tears that sting my eyes, but they slip down my cheeks anyway. I press my hand to my stomach, my heart aching. Timur can never find out about this baby. He can never know that I’m pregnant.

He’ll never let me go. Men like him—they don’t let people walk away from them, especially not if it involves their blood.

I take a shaky breath and glance at my packed bag resting by the door. I don’t know where I’ll go yet, but I know I have to leave. I have to disappear before he finds out. Because once he knows, it’s over. I’ll be trapped in his world, just like my mother was trapped in hers, fighting against people like him.

I won’t let that happen to me. Not to my child.

A fresh wave of determination washes over me. I don’t know how long I have before he realizes something is wrong, but I’ll make sure I’m gone by then. Far away, somewhere he can never reach me.

I barely have time to wipe my tears when the door swings open, and Maeve steps in. She’s not alone. A woman walks in behind her, dark-haired, sharp-featured, and with an air of danger around her that instantly puts me on edge.

“Jennifer,” Maeve says, glancing between the two of us, “this is Chiara. She’s the one I told you about. The one who can help.”

I straighten up on the bed, my mind reeling. Maeve told me she had connections, someone who could help me get away from Timur, but I didn’t expect this. There’s something about the woman in front of me that screams danger, and the more I look at her, the more I realize I’ve seen her before.

Not in person, but in news articles, whispered rumors…. She’s the daughter of the late Italian Mafia don. Chiara Vinci.

Chiara steps forward, her eyes cold as they assess me. “Maeve says you need help,” she says, her voice smooth but laced with something darker. “Help escaping Timur Sharov.”

I feel my stomach tighten at the mention of his name. The very idea of running from Timur sends a shiver down my spine, but that’s exactly what I want. I nod cautiously, still trying to figure out whether this woman is friend or foe.

“Why would you help me?” I ask, my voice more uncertain than I’d like.

Chiara smirks, folding her arms. “Because I want something from you in return. You spent time with Timur, didn’t you? You must know something about him. A weakness, a vulnerability.” Her eyes narrow, gleaming with a hunger for revenge. “I need information. Anything that can help me destroy him.”

My breath catches in my throat. I glance at Maeve, hoping for some reassurance, but Maeve looks as uncertain as I feel. Still, I’m desperate, and Chiara is offering me a way out. Even if she’s from another crime family, I need her help right now. I can’t stay here and let Timur find out about the baby.

“I don’t know,” I stammer, “I don’t know if he has any weaknesses.”

Chiara’s smirk fades, replaced by a look of impatience. “You must know something, Jennifer. You’re telling me you were close enough to him for one night, and you didn’t learn anything about his family? About him?”

I swallow hard. My heart is racing. I didn’t spend enough time with Timur to know his deepest secrets, but that night… the way he acted, the things he said. I start to recall his possessiveness, how he told me that I belonged to him, how he seemed more affected by me than I would have expected. Could that be a weakness?

“I’m not sure,” I say slowly, still trying to piece things together in my mind. “He… he’s possessive. He doesn’t let go easily. He wants control.”

Chiara tilts her head, her eyes narrowing. “Control, huh? Interesting.”

“But why do you want to destroy him?” I ask, needing to know what I’m getting myself into. “Why are you doing this?”

Chiara’s expression darkens, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “His family destroyed mine,” she says, her voice seething with barely contained rage. “His older brother, Maxim, killed my father. I won’t stop until I’ve made them pay for it.”

I feel my heart sink at her words. Revenge. This is all about revenge for her. Here I am, caught between two warring crime families, desperate for an escape. If I don’t give Chiara what she wants, I lose my chance to get away from Timur. I’m stuck.

“I… I don’t know how much I can help,” I admit, my voice shaky, “but I’ll try.”

Chiara steps closer, her gaze intense. “You’re going to do more than try, Jennifer. You’re going to help me take him down, or you’ll never get away from him. He’ll find you. Trust me, when the Sharovs want something, they don’t stop until they get it.”

I swallow hard, feeling trapped, yet again. Chiara’s words send a chill down my spine because I know she’s right. Timur will find me if I don’t figure out how to disappear; but working with Chiara? Is that any better?

Maeve, sensing my hesitation, steps forward, her voice soft but insistent. “Jen, this is your chance. You said it yourself—you can’t stay here, and Timur can never find out about the baby. Chiara can help.”

Chiara looks at me with those cold, calculating eyes. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you in, or not?”

My heart pounds in my chest. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of a cliff, about to leap into the unknown. I can’t trust her. I don’t know what I’m getting into. I also know that I’m out of options.

Finally, I nod. “Okay,” I whisper. “I’m in.”

Chiara’s smile returns, but it’s sharp and full of menace. “Good. You won’t regret it.” Chiara leans back in her chair, crossing her legs casually, as if we aren’t discussing something monumental. “Okay,” she says after a moment. “First, I need more information about Timur’s business. Specifically, his real estate ventures.”

My stomach flips. I can’t pretend I know everything about Timur’s business dealings, but I know enough to be dangerous. Enough that I could probably find out more. The thought of betraying him twists something deep inside me, but what choice do I have? He’s part of a family responsible for so much pain in my life.

“I’ll give you what you need,” I say quietly, glancing between Maeve and Chiara. “How do I know you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?”

Chiara smirks, but there’s no humor in it. “I’m not in the business of breaking promises, Jennifer. If I say I’ll get you out, I will. There’s one thing you need to understand.”

I raise an eyebrow, waiting.

“When I give you a new identity,” she continues, “you can never be Jennifer Jewels again. You’ll disappear, and that’s it. You’ll leave everything behind—your life, your past, everyone you know.”

The weight of her words sinks into me like a cold stone. Never be Jennifer Jewels again? A part of me feels a strange sense of relief, but another part of me feels like I’m being smothered. I look at Maeve for reassurance, and she gives me a small, supportive nod.

“What about Maeve?” I ask, my voice almost trembling. “Can she know where I am? Can I at least stay in contact with her?”

Chiara’s eyes flicker toward Maeve for a split second, her expression unreadable. “That depends on whether Maeve knows how to keep a secret,” she says coolly. “You’ll need to be smart about it. The less anyone knows, the safer you are.”

I glance at Maeve again, biting my lip. I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She’s the only family I have left, the only person I trust completely. “Whatever you need to say,” I tell Chiara firmly, “you can say it in front of Maeve.”

Chiara raises an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. “You sure about that?”

Maeve steps forward, her voice steady but her eyes filled with concern. “I’m not going anywhere, Jen. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together.”

Chiara lets out a small sigh, clearly annoyed. “Fine,” she says, folding her arms across her chest. “Understand this—you’re not just running away from Timur. The second you betray him, you’ll be a target. The Sharovs don’t take betrayal lightly.”

“I know,” I whisper, my chest tightening with fear. “I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”

Chiara nods, satisfied that I understand the gravity of the situation. “Good. Now, you get me the information I need, and in return, I’ll get you a new identity, a new life. Once you make that decision, there’s no going back. No more Jennifer Jewels.”

The reality of it all presses down on me like a heavy weight. My mind flashes back to the life I’m trying to escape—the brutal world Timur inhabits, the secrets I’ve kept, the pregnancy I’ve hidden. It feels like I’m walking a tightrope over a pit of flames.

“Tell me what you need to know,” I say finally, my voice firmer now. “I’ll do it.”

Chiara smiles, and there’s something dark in her eyes, a calculating gleam that makes me shiver. “Smart choice.”

She leans forward, her voice dropping to a low murmur as she begins to outline the information she wants about Timur’s businesses. Some of it, I already know—his most successful real estate ventures, his investments in Empire City Estates. The details she’s asking for are more… intricate. She wants dirt. Weaknesses. Anything that could dismantle his empire from the inside.

Maeve listens quietly, her face pale but determined. I can tell she doesn’t like this any more than I do, but she knows I’m trapped. If this is my way out, then she’ll support me.

When Chiara finishes, she stands up, smoothing down the front of her sleek jacket. “You know what to do,” she says simply. “When you’ve got what I need, contact Maeve, and she’ll arrange the rest.”

As she turns to leave, Maeve finally speaks up. “How do we know you won’t turn on us?” she asks, her voice laced with suspicion.

Chiara pauses at the door, glancing over her shoulder with a small, knowing smile. “You don’t,” she says bluntly. “I don’t have time for betrayals. Not right now. I need you both alive and well, if I’m going to crush the Sharovs.”

With that, she slips out of the room, leaving me and Maeve in a tense, suffocating silence.

I slump down on the bed, running my hands through my hair. “What the hell am I doing?” I whisper, more to myself than to Maeve.

Maeve sits beside me, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. “Jen,” she starts softly, “I don’t like this. I’m not saying not to do this, I know this could be the fresh start you need; but be careful, okay? This feels… more dangerous than you realize.”

I shake my head, trying to hold back the panic that’s been rising in my chest since Chiara walked out the door. “I don’t have a choice, Maeve. I have to get away from Timur, and this is the only way I can disappear. You know what he did to Russel. What do you think he’d do if he found out about the baby?”

Maeve’s eyes widen, her hand dropping to her lap. I don’t know.” She sounds more alarmed than before. “I just think you need to prepare, you know, mentally.”

“No,” I whisper, feeling the weight of my decision pressing down on me. “If I let myself think about it, I’ll back out. I don’t have the nerve.”

Maeve bites her lip, clearly torn. “I get it, I do, but you’re playing with fire, Jen. You’re not just running from some random guy. This is Timur Sharov we’re talking about. He has power, resources—hell, he probably has people watching you already.”

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. I’ve considered that, more than once, but hearing Maeve say it out loud makes it feel more real. Like Timur could be lurking in the shadows, just waiting for me to make a mistake.

“I know it’s risky,” I say, my voice trembling slightly, “but I don’t see any other way. He’ll never let me go, not after what I saw. Not after what happened between us.”

Maeve sighs, leaning back against the bed. “It just feels like you’re walking into another trap. You’re trusting Chiara, but what if she’s just using you? What if she’s no better than Timur?”

I look at her, my heart heavy. “I don’t trust Chiara,” I admit. “Not really. What choice do I have? She’s offering me an out, and I need to take it.”

Maeve stares at me for a long moment, her expression a mixture of worry and frustration. “I just don’t want you to regret this, Jen. Once you go down this path… there’s no coming back. You heard her. You won’t be Jennifer Jewels anymore. You’ll be a stranger, with no family, no friends.”

I nod, my throat tight. “I know. It’s the only way to protect myself, and the baby.”

Maeve softens at the mention of the baby, her hand squeezing mine. “I just… I wish there was another way. One where you didn’t have to run or betray anyone. Maybe if you just told him—”

“No,” I cut her off, shaking my head. “I can’t risk it. You didn’t see the look in his eyes when he killed Russel. He’s dangerous, Maeve. There’s no way he’d let me leave, not with his child.”

Maeve’s eyes fill with sympathy, and she pulls me into a hug. “Okay,” she whispers. “I’m with you, whatever you decide. I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

I bury my face in her shoulder, taking in the comfort of her presence. “I hope so too.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, the weight of my decision hanging heavy in the air. Finally, Maeve pulls back, her face set with determination. “Alright, let’s think this through. You’re going to get Chiara what she needs, and she’s going to give you a new identity. Then what? Where will you go?”

I shrug, feeling helpless. “I don’t know. Anywhere but here. Maybe I’ll go overseas. Europe, or even South America. As long as it’s far away from Timur, I don’t care.”

Maeve frowns. “You know he’ll look for you, right? He’s not just going to let you disappear.”

“I know,” I whisper. “If Chiara is as powerful as she claims, she can help me stay hidden. At least, long enough for me to start a new life.”

Maeve doesn’t look convinced, but she nods anyway. “Just… promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t trust anyone too quickly, especially someone like Chiara.”

“I promise,” I say, though deep down, I know I’m walking a tightrope. One wrong step, and I could lose everything.

Maeve stands up and heads toward the door, but pauses, turning back to look at me. “I’ll help however I can, Jen. Just… don’t shut me out, okay?”

I give her a small, grateful smile. “I won’t. Thanks, Maeve.”

As she leaves the room, I take a deep breath and glance over at the envelope containing my pregnancy results. I know I’m doing this for the baby, but the thought of what I’m about to do… betraying Timur, disappearing without a trace—it all makes me feel sick.

I don’t have a choice. Not anymore.

If I want to protect my child, I have to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming someone I don’t recognize.