But when the call ended, I realized something.
I had married a man whose family was so powerful that my first concern was no longer whether my marriage would survive.
It was whether I could trust the people around me enough to stay safe.
At seven the following morning, Adrian left a voicemail.
His voice was gentle.
“Emma, sweetheart, I don’t understand what happened. Everyone is worried. If something upset you, please call me. We can work through it together.”
I listened twice.
He sounded like the man I loved.
The man who had held my hand during our wedding ceremony.
The man who had whispered that he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with me.
For a moment, I wanted to call him.
Then I remembered Victor’s face.
The fear in his eyes.
The way he had pressed the money into my hand as though he were giving me the only protection he had left.
