“Ashlyn, leave your safety bracelet. Daniela’s been having nightmares lately, and she needs it more than you do.”
My body went stiff.
That bracelet was the only thing my parents left me.
As I faced him, Michael saw the redness in my eyes but remained indifferent.
“Name your price,” he said.
How much could nine years of groveling in a loveless marriage possibly be worth?
I didn’t bother calculating.
All I could remember was what happened the last time I refused to give Daniela my ski goggles—Michael stripped me bare and left me alone on the mountainside in the freezing cold.
Inhaling sharply, I unclasped the bracelet and placed it around Daniela’s wrist.
Then I told her gently, “May the child in your womb be safe and sound.”
Hearing that, Michael surprisingly offered me a sliver of dignity.
“Ashlyn, as long as you behave, my child will be your child too.”
The moment he finished speaking, the bracelet on Daniela’s wrist suddenly slipped and shattered on the floor.
A shard grazed her leg, drawing blood.
Michael rushed to scoop her into his arms, holding her like a fragile princess.
He barked at the housekeeper to call the family doctor.