Esmeralda
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Dawn painted the Ravencrest estate in shades of gold, but Esmeralda hadn't slept. She stood at the window of their temporary sanctuary, watching the morning mist curl around ancient oak trees like ghostly fingers. The gothic architecture loomed against the lightening sky, its shadows holding secrets she hoped would keep them safe, at least for now. The disposable phone lay silent on the windowsill, Julian's last message still glowing on its screen:
Julian: Vale Industries security team spotted at the airport. Something's happening.
"Mama?" Luca's sleepy voice drew her attention. He stood in the doorway, dragon plush clutched to his chest, dark curls adorably mussed from sleep. In the soft morning light, he looked so much like Alex that it made her heart stutter. "Why are we in a castle?"
She couldn't help but smile. Trust a three-year-old to see magic in their hasty refuge, to find wonder in another midnight escape. "Does it look like a castle to you, my love?"
"Uh-huh." He padded over to her, grey eyes wide—storm-grey, just like his father's—as he took in the gothic architecture and sprawling grounds. The morning dew made everything glitter, lending truth to his fairy tale vision. "Like in our stories. Does a knight live here too?"
The innocent question made her heart clench. If only he knew that his knight, the hero of all his bedtime stories, was probably right now searching every university and library in the country, looking for a princess who'd reinvented herself into someone he'd never think to find.
Before she could answer, another message lit up her phone:
Julian: Security increased at all major airports and universities. You should move soon.
"We need to go back," she said quietly as Penny entered with coffee, the familiar scent a jarring reminder of normal mornings in a situation that was anything but normal. "To Crystal Cove. If he's expanding his search, we need to pack properly, disappear completely this time."
Penny nodded, already moving with practiced efficiency—a dance they'd perfected over three years of careful planning and swift escapes. "The boutique—"
"Can be managed remotely for now." Esmeralda lifted Luca, who immediately snuggled close with his dragon, his fever-warm skin finally cooling to normal. The weight of him in her arms reminded her of exactly what she was protecting. "But there are things at home we can't leave behind. Documents, backup drives..."
"I'll have a car brought around," Professor Chen offered from the doorway, her calm presence a stark contrast to the tension thrumming through the room. "One registered to the university. Less conspicuous than your vehicle."
The drive back to Crystal Cove was quiet, dawn painting the sky in soft pinks and golds that seemed to mock their urgency. Luca dozed in the back seat, Storm the dragon clutched tight against his chest, while Penny monitored traffic patterns for any signs of Vale Industries vehicles. Every black car they passed made Esmeralda's heart jump—Alex's security team favoured dark SUVs, a detail she couldn't seem to forget even after three years.
"You think we have time?" Penny asked softly, careful not to wake Luca. Her friend's fingers tapped nervously on her phone, scanning news feeds for any mention of Alexander Vale's movements.
"He's still focused on universities and airports," Esmeralda replied, though her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. Every few minutes, her eyes darted to the rearview mirror, a habit born from years of careful vigilance. "The Alex I knew would never think to look for me in the tech world. We should have at least a day to pack up all the important things."
But even as she said it, doubt crept in. The Alex she'd seen at the gala wasn't the controlled, predictable man she'd married. This version of him—dishevelled, wearing his wedding ring openly, chasing her through hotels—was something new. Something dangerous.
They reached their Crystal Cove home just as the morning fog was rolling in from the sea, nature's curtain providing a temporary cover. The small but elegant house, with its wraparound porch and hidden security systems, had been their sanctuary for three years. Now it felt like just another stopping point in their endless running.
While Penny carried a still-sleeping Luca to his room, Esmeralda moved through the house, mentally cataloguing what they'd need to take. Her fingers traced the spines of Luca's favourite books, lingered on framed photos they'd need to hide. Three years of building a life, about to be packed away in hours.
The disposable phone buzzed, the sound sharp in the quiet house:
Julian: Vale's at Ravencrest with his team. Professor Chen says he's questioning staff about recent visitors, using the acquisition as cover.
Her hands stilled on the documents she was gathering. He was closer than they'd thought. The image of Alex stalking through Ravencrest's halls, perhaps even standing in the very room they'd just left, made her pulse quicken.
Then another message came through, this time from an unknown number:
Unknown: The papers have been in my desk for three years, Esmeralda. Did you really think I'd let you go that easily?
The phone nearly slipped from her trembling fingers. She could almost hear his voice—that dangerous velvet tone he used when his control was slipping. He must have found something at Ravencrest, some trace of their presence that confirmed his suspicions.
"Penny," she called out, trying to keep her voice steady despite the panic clawing at her throat. "We need to pack faster. He's at Ravencrest."
They moved swiftly through the house, gathering essentials with the efficiency of too much practice. Passport copies, emergency funds, Luca's medical records—everything they couldn't risk leaving behind. From his room, she could hear Luca's soft breathing, still peaceful in sleep, unaware that his bedtime stories were about to become reality once again.
The phone buzzed again, and Esmeralda's heart nearly stopped:
Julian: He just left Ravencrest suddenly. Alone.
The Alex she knew would never act so recklessly. In their two years of marriage, she'd watched him calculate every move, control every variable. This impulsive behaviour was new, dangerous—and it was because of her.
"We have maybe an hour," she told Penny, already moving faster through the house. "Pack only what we absolutely can't replace."
They worked with practiced efficiency—medical records, emergency funds, backup drives. Luca's most precious belongings, the ones he couldn't sleep without. From his room came the soft sounds of his peaceful breathing, unaware of the rushed packing around him.
Twenty minutes into their hasty exodus, Penny turned on the TV for background noise, keeping the volume low. They were halfway through Luca's room when the regular morning show suddenly cut off, replaced by urgent music and bold red graphics.
"We interrupt our regular programming for breaking news—" The anchor's voice caught slightly, betraying the gravity of the situation. "Vale Industries CEO Alexander Vale has been involved in what sources describe as a catastrophic accident on the coastal road. Footage just coming in shows the CEO's vehicle..."
The remote slipped from Penny's hand as the screen filled with images of twisted metal and shattered glass. The sleek black Aston Martin—Alex's pride and joy—was barely recognisable wrapped around the guardrail, the morning fog making the scene look almost surreal.
"Early reports suggest the CEO was alone in the vehicle, a dramatic departure from standard Vale Industries protocol. Witnesses report seeing the vehicle traveling at high speed before..."
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