Chapter 4 - The Husband at the Door
Victor entered Elias's lobby with six men.
Elias watched through the security cameras.
“Stay upstairs,” he told me.
“No.”
“Ava.”
“You said I decide how this ends.”
His eyes met mine.
“I did.”
“Then I want to see him.”
Thirty minutes later, Victor stood across from me.
For once, he couldn't control the room.
Elias could.
Victor looked at my bruises.
Then at the twins.
“Ava.”
“Don't.”
“They're my children.”
“You didn't think so three nights ago.”
“I made a mistake.”
Elias stood several feet behind me.
Silent.
Victor glanced at him.
“I'd like privacy with my wife.”
Elias answered, “She decides.”
Victor looked back at me.
“Tell him to leave.”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
There he was.
The real Victor.
“You're humiliating me.”
“You nearly killed me.”
“Lower your voice.”
“No.”
“Ava.”
“No.”
Victor stepped forward.
Every one of Elias's guards moved simultaneously.
Victor stopped.
Elias finally spoke.
“You've mistaken her fear for obedience.”
Victor looked at him.
“This has nothing to do with you.”
“You left three people dying on a road I use.”
Elias's voice was almost conversational.
“That made it my business.”
Victor looked at me again.
“What do you want?”
“A divorce.”
His face hardened.
“No.”
“I wasn't asking.”
“You leave me, you leave with nothing.”
I almost smiled.
“I arrived here with nothing.”
Victor glanced toward the twins.
“Then I'll take the children.”
My blood turned cold.
Elias moved, but I raised my hand.
“No.”
He stopped.
I looked at Victor.
“You don't want them.”
“They're Millers.”
“You called them worthless.”
“I was angry.”
“You left them in freezing weather.”
Victor lowered his voice.
“You can't prove that.”
Elias placed a folder on the table.
Victor stared at it.
“What is that?”
“Traffic cameras,” Elias said.
Victor's expression changed.
Marco added another folder.
“Financial records.”
Another.
“Insurance documents.”
Victor stopped breathing.
I finally understood why he'd come himself.
Not for me.
Not for Lily and Rose.
Evidence.
Elias said, “You weren't trying to recover your family.”
Victor remained silent.
“You were trying to find out what we knew.”
Victor looked at me.
“You gave him my records?”
“I didn't have to.”
His face twisted.
“You stupid—”
Elias stepped between us.
One movement.
That was all.
Victor immediately stopped talking.
Elias leaned closer.
“Finish that sentence.”
Victor didn't.
Sirens sounded outside.
Victor looked toward the windows.
Then at Elias.
“You called the police?”
“No.”
I stepped forward.
“I did.”
Victor stared at me.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
I had spoken with investigators that morning.
With Elias's lawyers present.
I had told them everything.
The apartment.
The assault.
The overpass.
The forged insurance policy.
Everything.
Victor whispered, “Ava.”
“You wanted someone to finally stop you.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Police vehicles stopped outside.
May you like
“I decided to stop you myself.”
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