THE HUSBAND WHO THOUGHT I WAS DEAD

The first thing I saw was Diamond’s hand. It was still wrapped around my wrist. The second thing I saw was the ground. Far below us, the mountains looked like tiny shadows beneath the clouds. The helicopter was hovering over a stretch of forest where there was no road, no house, and no sign of another human being. Then I looked into my husband’s eyes. And I understood. He was going to let me die. “Diamond…” My voice broke. His expression didn’t. The man who had kissed my forehead that morning now looked at me as if I were a problem he had finally decided to remove. “You weren’t supposed to find out,” he said quietly. My stomach tightened. One hand instinctively moved over my abdomen. Four months. Our baby was four months old inside me. “You brought me here to kill me?” Diamond’s jaw tightened. For a second, something flashed across his face. Pain. Then it disappeared. “I’m sorry, Grace.” “No.” I shook my head violently. “No, you don’t get to say that.” He had promised me forever. He had held me through nights when I couldn’t sleep. He had placed his hand over my stomach when our baby first moved. He had told me that I was the only woman he had ever loved. And now he was standing in front of me, preparing to erase me. “Why?” I whispered. His fingers tightened around my wrist. “You’ll understand eventually.” “I won’t understand you murdering me!” My voice echoed inside the helicopter. The pilot didn’t turn around. He acted as though he couldn’t hear us. I suddenly realized something else. There was no emergency. No mechanical failure. No storm. Nothing. Diamond had planned this. The helicopter had been flying perfectly. My eyes dropped to the emergency beacon attached near the seat. I remembered something Evelyn had told me weeks ago. If you’re ever in danger, press it. My fingers moved. Diamond saw them. His eyes widened. “Don’t.” I pressed it. A tiny red light flashed. For the first time, Diamond looked afraid. Not for me. For himself. He grabbed my hand. “Grace, listen to me.” “Get away from me!” I pulled back. His grip slipped. For one impossible second, we simply stared at each other. Then the helicopter tilted. I screamed. Diamond caught the edge of my jacket. “Hold on!” I looked at him. My husband. The man who had just tried to kill me. And somehow, even then, I still believed he would save me. That was my mistake. His fingers slowly loosened. “Diamond…” “I’m sorry.” He released me. The world disappeared. I fell. Wind tore through my hair. My scream vanished into the clouds. I tried to protect my stomach with both arms as the forest rushed toward me. There was no time to think. No time to hate him. Only one thought remained. My baby. Then everything went black. ⸻ Six hours earlier, I had believed I was the happiest woman alive. Diamond had walked into our bedroom carrying breakfast. “Don’t move,” he said. I laughed. “You’re acting like I’m a patient.” “You’re carrying my child. That makes you extremely important.” He placed the tray on the bed. I smiled despite myself. Diamond Blake could be cold to everyone else. To me, he was different. At least, I thought he was. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “How did you sleep?” “Terribly.” “Why?” “The baby kept moving.” His smile appeared. “Our child already has your attitude.” I threw a pillow at him. He laughed. For a moment, everything felt normal. Then he sat beside me. “Grace.” Something about his voice made me pause. “Yes?” “If something happened to you…” I frowned. “What kind of question is that?” “Just answer me.” I stared at him. “If something happened to me?” He reached for my hand. “What happens to Monroe Holdings?” My smile disappeared. “Why are you asking?” “Because you’re my wife.” “That doesn’t answer the question.” He looked away. “I want to make sure everything is protected.” “Protected from what?” His eyes returned to mine. “Life is unpredictable.” I studied him carefully. There was something beneath his words. Something he didn’t want me to see. Before I could press him, his phone rang. He looked at the screen. Then immediately declined the call. “Who was that?” “No one.” “Diamond.” He smiled. “You’re suspicious of me now?” “I know you.” His smile faded for half a second. Then he kissed me. “Get dressed. I have a surprise for you.” That surprise became the helicopter. The secluded mountain. And my attempted murder. But there was something Diamond didn’t know. Before I had married him, I had made one person promise to protect me if anything ever happened. Evelyn. My best friend. My attorney. And the only person who knew where my emergency documents were kept. After I woke up in the hospital, I couldn’t move my left arm properly. My ribs felt as though they had been crushed. Every breath hurt. But my first question was simple. “My baby?” The nurse smiled gently. “Your baby is alive.” I closed my eyes. Relief overwhelmed me. Then I whispered, “Does my husband know?” The nurse hesitated. That hesitation told me everything. “Has Mr. Blake been here?” “No.” My heart cracked. Not because I expected him to come. Because now I knew he had never intended to. Evelyn arrived twenty minutes later. She rushed into the room, tears filling her eyes. “Grace.” “Don’t cry.” “You almost died.” “But I didn’t.” She grabbed my hand. “I’ve already contacted the authorities.” “No.” She froze. “What?” “Don’t tell anyone I’m alive.” Evelyn stared at me. “You’re serious?” “Yes.” I looked toward the window. The city was beginning to wake beneath the morning light. Somewhere out there, Diamond was probably telling everyone that his wife was dead. And I wanted him to believe it. “I want him to think he succeeded.” Evelyn’s expression changed. “Why?” “Because I want to know why.” She understood immediately. “What did he do?” “He pushed me.” Silence filled the room. Evelyn’s eyes hardened. “Then we’ll find out everything.” “Everything.” She opened her bag and pulled out a folder. “There’s something else.” “What?” “Diamond contacted the estate administrator forty-seven minutes after your disappearance.” My blood turned cold. “About what?” “Your assets.” I stared at her. “And he contacted a senior director at Monroe Holdings.” “For what?” “Stability.” I almost laughed. “Stability?” Evelyn nodded. “He was already preparing for your death.” My fingers curled into the blanket. The betrayal hurt more than my broken ribs. But beneath the pain, something stronger began to grow. Determination. Diamond wanted his wife dead. Fine. Let the world believe Grace Monroe was dead. Let him mourn me. Let him inherit nothing. Let him celebrate too early. Because I was alive. And I was going to find out exactly what my husband had been hiding. Evelyn’s phone suddenly vibrated. She looked at the screen. Her face went pale. “What?” She slowly turned the phone toward me. There was a message. It had come from an old number. A number that hadn’t been active for six years. A number belonging to my sister. Lillian Monroe. The sister everyone believed was dead. The message contained only seven words. I know you’re alive. We need to talk. My heart stopped. I stared at the screen. Then another message appeared. Don’t trust Diamond. He’s not the only one watching you. I looked at Evelyn. She looked back at me. And for the first time since I had fallen from that helicopter, I realized something terrifying. Maybe Diamond’s betrayal wasn’t the beginning of my nightmare. Maybe it was only the beginning of the truth.