Chapter 6
Lennox spent three days in county lockup. Three days of pure hell.
Her cellmates had clearly gotten a memo from someone with pull.
Day one: cornered in the bathroom, fists targeting spots her clothes would cover. She curled on the filthy floor, shaking from the pain.
Day two: forced to kneel on concrete until her legs went numb and she couldn’t stand. Any attempt to move earned another beating.
Day three: force–fed prison slop mixed with garbage, jagged pieces tearing her throat raw. The taste of blood filled her mouth.
ཇ ༴་ཌ་
The ringleader patted her cheek with mock sweetness. “Someone wants you to learn your place, princess. We’re just following orders.”
Lennox’s world tilted sideways, every nerve screaming. Her skull felt like it was splitting in half.
Hayes’s version of rehabilitation. Apparently when his love died, it went nuclear.
When the guards finally opened her cell, she could barely walk. Bruises painted her skin in ugly purples and yellows.
Sunlight hit her like razors. She managed two steps before collapsing on the courthouse steps.
She woke to the sharp smell of hospital disinfectant.
“Learned your lesson yet?”
Hayes’s voice drifted from somewhere beside her bed.
Lennox’s voice came out like broken glass. “What’s next? Round two? Maybe a week this time?”
Fire flashed in his eyes. “Three days to learn basic fucking decency, and you’re already whining? Think about what you did to Raina.”
The audacity nearly made her laugh.
Three days of torture versus one bottle to the head? And he thought she’d gotten off easy?
Her hands fisted under the sheets, nails biting into her palms until stars exploded behind her eyes. She bit her lip white and felt all the fight drain out of her.
“You’re right. Thanks for the education. I’ve learned my place.”
“Get out. I need to rest.”
Something flickered across Hayes’s face–surprise, maybe relief. His voice gentled. “That’s better. No more tantrums, okay?”
“Your mom’s anniversary is coming up. Rest up so we can go together.”
He reached to adjust her blanket, but Lennox yanked it away and rolled toward the wall.
His hand froze mid air. After a beat, he left without another word.
Three days recovering. Three days of Raina’s highlight reel.
Hayes hunting down discontinued candy across the city,
Hayes gifting her million–dollar jewelry.
15:17
A Billion Dollar Goodbye: Too Late for Second Chances, Mr. Ex
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Chapter 6
Hayes tenderly bandaging her wounds with the care of a devoted lover.
Lennox scrolled through each post like self harm.
Watching all that tenderness–used to be hers–transferred to another woman. The pain dulled from sharp to numb as she systematically carved Hayes out of her heart.
By discharge, the space where he’d lived was nothing but scar tissue.
Thursday. Her mother’s anniversary. Hayes had sworn he’d be there.
No show.
Lennox almost laughed at her own stupidity. Still expecting him to keep his word after everything.
She was calling an Uber when her phone lit up. Hayes:
[Crisis at the office. Go ahead to the cemetery–catching up ASAP.]
Her thumb hovered over the screen before typing:: [Okay.]
One last time. For her mom’s sake, she’d pretend things were normal.
The Uber dropped her at the cemetery entrance.
She waited through golden hour, through sunset, through the first cold bite of night.
Finally, she gave up and climbed the hill alone.
Halfway to her mother’s grave, her phone buzzed.
A video message.
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