Chapter 3 - The Fortress

I didn't take Sarah back to our old house. It was tainted by Jessica's presence. Instead, I drove to a high-security luxury penthouse I owned downtown—a property Jessica didn't know existed.
When we walked inside, Sarah looked around nervously. The twins, exhausted from the ordeal, had fallen asleep against her chest.
“You’re safe here,” I told her quietly. “The building has armed security, private elevators, and bulletproof glass. No one can get to you. Not Jessica. Not anyone.”
Sarah didn't look relieved. She just looked tired. “Why are you doing this, David?”
“Because I was wrong,” I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. “I was so horribly, unforgivably wrong. I saw the bank records, Sarah. I saw the security footage of Jessica planting the necklace. I know you never cheated. I know you never stole.”
Sarah slowly unstrapped the baby carrier and laid the twins on the massive, plush sofa. She looked at them, tracing their tiny cheeks with her bruised fingers.
“Do you know what it’s like to sleep in a bus station, David?” she whispered, her voice devoid of anger, only filled with a haunting sadness. “Do you know what it’s like to wrap your babies in newspapers because you can’t afford blankets? To eat out of garbage cans so your body can produce enough milk to keep them alive?”
I fell to my knees in front of her. The billionaire CEO, the man who commanded boardrooms, completely broke down. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed.
“I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you,” I swore, looking up into her eyes. “I don't expect you to forgive me. I just want to protect you. And I want to destroy the woman who did this to us.”
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Sarah looked at me for a long time. Then, she nodded once.
“Destroy her,” she said.