Lani stormed up the grand staircase, her hands shaking as she yanked open the door to her bedroom. She had minutes—maybe seconds—before her father came after her again, and she wasn't going to wait around to see how much worse it could get.
She grabbed a suitcase from her closet and threw it open on the bed, her vision blurring as she started stuffing clothes inside.
I can't stay here. I won't.
Her breath was shaky, her mind racing with everything that had just happened. Her father had hit her. He wanted her to "fix" this. As if she would ever—ever—do something to harm her child.
She heard footsteps.
"Lani, stop."
She spun around to see her mother, Emily Carlisle, standing in the doorway, eyes already glistening with tears. She looked elegant as ever in a silk blouse and pearl earrings, but there was a rawness in her expression that Lani hadn't seen in years.
"You can't leave," Emily whispered, stepping forward. "Not like this."
Lani clenched her jaw, turning back to her suitcase. "Watch me."
Her mother rushed forward, grabbing her wrist. "Where will you even go? You can't just run off with no plan."
Lani wrenched her arm away. "I'll figure it out."
Emily took a deep breath, as if trying to steady herself. "This isn't the answer, sweetheart."
Lani let out a bitter laugh. "Really? Because I'm pretty sure staying here would be a lot worse."
Emily flinched at the sharpness in her voice, but Lani was past the point of holding back.
"I know my father, Mom," she continued. "If I stay, he's going to do everything in his power to force me into getting rid of this baby. And I'm not letting that happen."
Tears finally spilled down Emily's face. "You don't understand. Once you leave this house, you're cut off. Your father won't just welcome you back when you change your mind—"
"I'm not changing my mind."
A long silence stretched between them.
Emily swallowed, then sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands twisted together in her lap. "At least stay somewhere safe."
Lani shook her head. "I don't have anywhere to go."
Her mother hesitated. "What about Vanessa?"
At the mention of the name, Lani's blood boiled.
Vanessa.
The person who started all of this.
A month ago, Vanessa had been her best friend—the one she trusted more than anyone. But now? Now Lani knew the truth.
"It's because of Vanessa that this happened," Lani snapped, throwing a handful of shirts into the suitcase. "She's the one who convinced me to go out that night. She left me at the bar. If she hadn't—"
She stopped herself.
Her mother looked startled. "You're saying Vanessa set you up?"
"I don't know what she was thinking," Lani admitted, gripping the edge of the suitcase. "Maybe she just wanted to humiliate me. Maybe she didn't think things would go this far. But if I go to her place, I'll be walking straight into another mess."
Emily let out a shaky breath, wiping her tears. "Then… then I'll help you."
Lani blinked, surprised. "What?"
Emily stood, her voice trembling but firm. "I don't agree with what you're doing, but I'm not going to let you suffer, either." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sleek, black wallet, pressing it into Lani's hand. "Take these."
Lani looked down, confused—until she realized what was inside.
Credit cards.
More than one.
And not just any credit cards—the platinum ones. The ones with no spending limits.
Her throat tightened. "Mom, I—"
"I'm not finished." Emily walked over to her purse, pulled out a set of keys, and placed them on the dresser. "There's a house in Los Angeles. One of our quiet properties. Your father barely remembers it exists. You can stay there. No one will know."
Lani felt something crack inside her.
Her mother wasn't just helping her.
She was protecting her.
"Mom…" Her voice broke.
Emily finally let out a sob, covering her mouth with her hand. "Please, Lani. Please don't do this."
Lani looked away, her heart aching. "I have to."
For several hours, Emily stayed with her, begging her to reconsider. She cried. She pleaded. She even offered to talk to James—to fix things.
But Lani knew there was nothing to fix.
She was leaving.
And she wasn't coming back.