Bella clutched the signed divorce papers like a fragile lifeline as Lena’s car sped away from the care facility. The ink was still fresh, Damien’s bold signature a jagged scar across the page. Freedom. It should have tasted sweet. Instead, it burned like silver in an open wound.
“You did it,” Lena said softly from the driver’s seat, glancing over with concern. “How do you feel?”
“Numb,” Bella whispered, resting a protective hand over her lower abdomen. The secret she carried—the tiny spark of life that the healer had confirmed was growing stronger—remained hers alone. Damien could never know. Not until she was far beyond Blackwood borders, safe in a new life with her pup. “It’s really over.”
Lena squeezed her shoulder. “You’re staying with me until the audition and the transfer papers f
