Chapter 5 - Walking Out of Hell
The grand oak doors swung open, leading out into the cool, refreshing night air.
Maya stepped out of the suffocating ballroom, breathing in the undeniable scent of freedom.
Three massive black helicopters were parked on the manicured front lawn of the country club.
Dozens of armored black SUVs blocked the entrance, securing the perimeter with ruthless efficiency.
Julian broke past one of the guards and sprinted wildly out the doors.
"Maya, wait!" he screamed into the darkness.
He grabbed her arm desperately, digging his fingers into her sleeve.
Maya stopped and slowly turned to face the man she once thought she would spend her life with.
She didn’t look angry or devastated anymore.
She just looked entirely indifferent.
And to Julian, that blank stare was far more terrifying than any screaming match.
"Maya, we have a child together," he begged, tears streaming down his pathetic face.
"You can’t just walk away from our marriage like this!"
Maya gently but firmly pulled her arm out of his desperate grasp.
"Our marriage ended the moment you let your mother hit me."
"You didn’t protect me, and you didn’t protect your own son."
Julian fell to his knees on the hard pavement.
"I will change, I swear to God I will change everything!"
"Please do not take my son away from me!"
Maya looked down at him, her face completely void of emotion.
"You didn’t want him an hour ago when your mother called him a mistake."
"You agreed with her cruelty through your silence."
"Now you suddenly care because I am a billionaire’s granddaughter?"
Julian choked on his own words, completely unable to formulate a defense.
"You will be hearing from my grandfather’s lawyers," Maya said coldly.
"Do not ever try to contact me or my son again."
She turned around and walked purposefully toward the waiting helicopter.
General Hawthorne extended a hand and helped her inside the luxurious, leather-lined cabin.
The heavy doors slid shut, sealing Julian and his pathetic cries firmly on the outside.
The rotors roared to life, lifting the massive machine into the dark, limitless sky.
Maya looked out the window, watching the country club shrink below them into a tiny speck of light.
She saw the tiny figures of the Sterling family standing in the absolute ruins of their life.
She didn't feel sorry for them.
She felt liberated.
General Hawthorne handed her a warm, incredibly soft cashmere blanket.
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"Get some rest, Evangeline," he said softly.
"Tomorrow, your new life finally begins."
