Page 68 of The Caged Girl

I glanced up but didn’t see any cameras. “Sage, no, I need you to tell me. I won’t say anything. I’m not…”

“Says the woman who abandoned us all.”

I shook my head. “And look where we all ended up. Together. I didn’t escape hell.”

It was as if a mask fell from her face and Sage blurted out, “I hate him. I hate the way he hurts me. I have heard La Gabbia helps tame their male rage. But I hate the way he…controls me. I hate the way he locks me up in the all-white dog cage at home and laughs while pleasuring himself.”

“I have an idea about Declan. I want to keep him here,” I said quickly, knowing it was only a matter of time before Alister would wonder what I was doing.

“You could inherit all his money. You could raise your child. You could break all of this. You could have the means and chance to live on your own terms and give that to the baby.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. “He’s too powerful. Everyone would question where he went.”

“It’ll be a boating accident; I can set it all up. Somewhere farther away from Ivory Island. We can’t afford to have our resort or island in any headline.”

Color flushed in Sage’s cheeks. “What would you do to him?”

I shook my head. “You don’t need to know; all you need to know is this is your chance at freedom. I just have one request.” Rolling my shoulders back, I said, “You must promise to update me about the child and raise them in a life of sheer happiness. If I find out you are hurting the child or causing any form of pain, then I will personally hunt you down and kill you.”

“I promise.” She wiped away her tear. “What will you tell your husband? What are you going to do with Declan?”

Rolling my tube of lipstick up, I painted my lips with the red shade I had hidden away. “I’ll handle it. That’s all you need to know. If a man hurts you, then you owe him nothing.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN

“Bradley,it is your job to obey me. I am, in fact, your boss now,” I boasted confidently as I told him to bring Declan to me.

Bradley looked at me with confusion. “Declan Rothschild is expected to leave tonight with his wife.”

“And he will eventually; I just need him to stay a bit longer.” I had already asked Sarah and Marisha to get in touch with the resort’s connections to the media. They would help me put together the elaborate story I would issue in a week.

“Alister is to not be stressed about anything regarding this.”

“Demi…” Bradley walked over to me as I stood in my black lace robe on the balcony.

He put his hands around my waist and turned me around to face him.

“Don’t,” is all I said before trying to pull away.

“Do you want Declan to be the father of your child? He’s sick. He puts his wife in a cage… What would he do to my…” I froze as Bradley looked at me sadly.

“I need your help. It’s the only thing I can do for Layla. What she did for me… Bradley, I’d have been the one who was trapped having baby after baby and spending all my time in that cage. Please let me do this for this child. For your child.” I stroked Bradley’s cheek.

“There is no way Alister would let me keep the baby here. They are paying millions for your baby. But this is a way we know they can live a beautiful life with means and freedom, Bradley.”

“What do you propose?” he asked.

“I need you to help me convince Alister that Declan has left the resort with Sage. There will be a boating accident in a few days that Declan will be on and it will make headlines. This will be somewhere else…in water that isn’t anyone’s to worry about. Then, Sage will send payment from the life insurance policy to Alister for the baby. We will go through with it all.”

“You’re going to kill Declan Rothschild?” Bradley asked me in a hushed whisper.

“Yes,” I said with no hesitation.

Bradley ran his hand through his thick blonde hair. “Don’t do this, Demilion.” He pulled me into him.

“No, you don’t do this.” I pushed him off me, ignoring the pain I felt in my heart.

I guess there was something left inside me. All because of him. But he wasn’t mine.

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