Chapter 18 The Breaking Point
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Anneliese felt like knives had been driven straight into her chest. She screamed andshed out at Zacharias in a frenzy, kicking, scratching, bitingpletely unhinged.
Her eyes burned blood–red, and she was spiraling out of control. But what filled her more than anger was the overwhelming helplessness.
Zacharias, caught up in his rage and pride, faltered when he saw how violently she reacted. A flicker of regret and panic shed through him. But when she stared at him with such raw hatred–just for a dog–it only reignited the fury in his gut. A twisted need to destroy everything surged up inside him.
How could a dog possibly mean more to her than he did?
Without another word, he bent down, hauled Anneliese over his shoulder, and strode toward the exit. “Make it quick,” he barked to the bodyguards. “Don’t let it suffer.”
Dangling over his shoulder, Anneliese beat on his back and bit into his shoulder, tears streaming down her face as she watched them prepare to act.
Her voice trembled, cracking. “Zacharias—hubby—please, I’m sorry, I’ll apologize, I’ll get on my knees and beg! Just don’t hurt Meatloaf…”
But Zacharias didn’t stop. In fact, there was even a trace of smug satisfaction in his voice. “Anne, now you’re sorry? Now you want to beg? Toote. You’ve beenpletely out of lely.
“Meatloaf bit my mom and Lenora–I have to give them an answer. Once the dog’s gone, they’ll stop making a fuss and won’t target you anymore. This is for your own good.
“If you really like dogs, we can get another one when our kid’s five or six. We’ll pick one out together-”
“Zacharias! I don’t want another dog! If you touch Meatloaf, I swear to God I’ll poison your whole d*mn family! Tell them to back off!”
Shaking violently, Anneliese fought wildly, her hand scrambling against his side until she felt something solid. She gripped it tightly and smashed it down onto Zacharias‘ head.
<i>Wham</i><i>! </i>
“Ugh!”
<b>32 </b><b>Fri</b>, Sep 5
Chapter 18 The Breaking Point
“Mr. Shaw!”
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Zacharias let out a muffled groan, one hand going to his head. His vision spun. He had no choice but to set her down, staggering from the blow.
The two bodyguards shouted in rm and rushed toward him.
“Meatloaf–run!”
Anneliese didn’t even look at Zacharias. She shoved the door open and shouted at the golden retriever, who immediately bolted toward her and vanished through the doorway.
By the time Zacharias shoved the guards aside and looked up, the entrance was empty. Both Anneliese and the dog were gone.
His whole frame was tense with rage. “What are you standing around for? Go after her!”
Finally, the bodyguards scrambled and chased after them.
Zacharias leaned against the wall, pain throbbing in his skull. Shattered porcin littered the floor at his feet.
He looked shaken, stormy, and still in disbelief–Anneliese had smashed a vase over his head.
For a dog.
He closed his eyes, but the image wouldn’t leave him–the way she had run without a backward nce, the dog by her side. It made his insides churn like he’d been gutted.
<i>Does </i><i>she </i><i>not </i><i>care</i>? <i>Won’t </i><i>even </i><i>check </i><i>if </i><i>I’m </i><i>hurt</i>? <i>No</i><i>–</i><i>she </i><i>probably </i><i>didn’t </i><i>even </i><i>realize </i><i>she </i><i>hit </i><i>me</i><i>. </i><i>Anneliese </i><i>still </i><i>cares</i>. <i>And </i><i>she </i><i>would </i><i>never </i><i>hurt </i><i>me </i><i>on </i><i>purpose</i><i>. </i><i>She </i><i>used </i><i>to </i><i>stay </i><i>up </i><i>all </i><i>night </i><i>by </i><i>my </i><i>side </i>when <i>I </i><i>had </i><i>stomach </i><i>pains </i><i>from </i><i>drinking </i><i>too </i><i>much</i>.
Clinging to that thought, Zacharias finally felt his wild heartbeat begin to settle.
Anneliese didn’t dare run along the main roads. She was sure Zacharias would send people after her. Instead, she took Meatloaf through a maze of narrow alleys, weaving through them until she finally emerged somewhere unfamiliar.
She’d gotten herself lost–but at least Zacharias hadn’t caught up.
With that, she pulled out her phone to call Jessica and ask if she could crash at her ce for the night. But her phone had died at some point.
<b>11:32 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>5 </b>
Chapter 18 The Breaking Point
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With a tired sigh, she crouched down and rubbed Meatloaf’s head. “Sorry, Meatloaf. Looks like you’re going to be on the run with me for a while. Kinda exciting, huh? Let’s go.”
It waste autumn. The chill in the air deepened by the minute.
Streemps flickered overhead, casting her thin figure in a long, drawn–out shadow. She walked with a slight limp. At her side, the golden retriever seemed to sense her mood, head drooped, keeping close as he matched her pace step for step.
From a distance, they looked almost like a painting. A strange, poetic sight. Beautiful in a quiet, mncholy way–but undeniably heartbreaking.
“Pull over,” came a low, crispmand from the back seat.
Zion Hand, the assistant behind the wheel, didn’t quite catch it at first. <i>Pull </i><i>over </i>where? What <i>for</i><i>? </i>
But then he nced in the rearview mirror and followed his boss‘ gaze to the sidewalk, and his eyes widened in shock.
<i>No </i>way<i>. </i><i>I </i><i>must </i><i>be </i><i>hearing </i><i>things</i>.
Sure, <i>that woman’s </i><i>silhouette </i><i>is </i><i>delicate</i>, <i>and </i><i>yeah</i><i>, </i><i>she’s </i>limping <i>and </i><i>looks </i>like <i>she’d </i><i>been </i><i>through </i><i>hell</i>, walking with <i>that </i><i>helpless </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>vulnerability </i><i>like </i><i>she’s </i><i>begging </i><i>someone </i><i>to </i><i>rescue </i><i>her</i>.
But <i>isn’t </i>Boss <i>cold </i><i>as </i><i>ice </i><i>and </i>“<i>women </i><i>don’t </i><i>exist </i><i>to </i><i>me</i>“? <i>What </i><i>does </i><i>that </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>do </i>with <i>him</i><i>? </i>