Page 234 of Before Dawn

“And your boyfriend ruined everything. My family’s legacy. My dad’s company.Everything.”

I froze.What?

“He tore the Milton Group apart. Demolished our building. He destroyed everything my father worked for. All for what?”

“All for me,” I said, my voice steady. “He did it for me. And you don’t have as much power as you think you do, Joshua. Send him the tape, I dareyou. All your attempts to ruin my life have only ended up ruining yours. You could’ve maybe gotten to the old me, but this version? This one right here? Fuck no. You spent your life hating your father, but the truth is,you are him. And I’m glad Mikkel ruined your good for nothing legacy.”

He recoiled, taken aback by the woman standing in front of him—someone he thought he could break, someone he thought would cower. But not anymore.

“You’re a fucking psychopath,” I spat, disgust flooding my veins.

“I’m leaving,” I whispered fiercely, but before I could take a step, his voice slithered behind me.

“One click of a button, and he sees how much of a slut you are. The headlines will destroy hi—”

“Send the tape,” I said, my voice low, sharp, and cold. “Fucking send it.”

His disbelief was almost palpable. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” I said, every word heavy with the weight of everything I’d fought for. “After that, you’ll have nothing left.”

I pushed my chair back and walked out, head held high, his desperate calls fading behind me. My hands trembled—not from fear, but from triumph. This was for every time I had cowered, every moment he had disrespected and dismissed me.

But now came the hardest part—telling Mikkel.

Chapter Fifty-five

Abigail-Ann

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

Audrey Hepburn

Despite being buried under what felt like five billion layers, the cold still cut through me, and therapy did little to ease my anxiety.

I told Dr. Green everything. Joshua’s return. The threats about the tape. How I still hadn’t told Mikkel. But the words felt strangled, stuck behind a wall I couldn’t break. The more I tried to speak, the heavier the silence became, pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake.

Dr. Green studied me for a moment, then spoke gently. “What’s stopping you from telling him?”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t know… Maybe if I don’t say it out loud, it won’t be real.”

Her gaze softened. “Avoidance doesn’t erase reality, Abigail. But facing it? That’s how you take back control.”

I exhaled shakily, nodding. I knew she was right. But knowing and doing were two different things.

Dr. Green’s words lingered.Avoidance won’t erase reality. Facing it will.

But how could I, when the truth felt like a ticking bomb?

I was pushing and pulling Mikkel, trapped in my own turmoil. If Joshua leaked that damn tape… Mikkel’s reputation, everything he built, could shatter. I couldn’t let that happen. But the more I tried to protect him, the deeper I sank.

Sitting up, I buried my head in my hands, the weighted blanket useless against the storm inside me.

The door creaked open, and I didn’t need to look up to know it was Mikkel. His presence grounded me, offering a fleeting sense of calm. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, lingering as if he could quiet the storm inside me.

“Hey,” I whispered, almost absently.

“How about we go outside?” he suggested, his calm voice offering a sense of safety.

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