Chapter 3
Chapter 3 - THE SECRET ALLYDesperation breeds courage. Knowing that every device connected to the estate’s Wi-Fi was monitored, Clara waited until Ethan and Eleanor left for a high-society charity auction. With trembling hands, she dug into the very back of her closet, pulling out an old, prepaid burner phone she had secretly purchased months ago during a rare solo trip to the grocery store.She dialed a number she knew by heart—the number of Leo Vance. Leo had been her closest friend in college, a brilliant mind who had gone on to become one of the city's most formidable defense and family lawyers. They had drifted apart when Ethan systematically cut Clara off from everyone who loved her, but she prayed Leo hadn't forgotten her.
"Leo?" she whispered into the receiver, her voice cracking as she hid beneath her bedsheets.
"Clara? My god, is that you?" Leo’s voice was instant, filled with immediate concern. "Where have you been? I’ve tried calling your main number for months, but your husband’s assistant always blocks me."
Hearing his familiar, warm voice broke a dam inside her. Tears poured down her face, but she forced herself to stay quiet. "Leo, I don't have much time. I’m pregnant, and Ethan... he’s hurt me. His mother is helping him. They are planning to take my baby and lock me away. I need out, Leo. Please."
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There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, followed by the sound of Leo’s professional demeanor shifting into absolute protective fury. "Listen to me very carefully, Clara," Leo said, his voice dropping into a low, steady anchor. "Do not let them know you are planning anything. Play the perfect, submissive wife. But from this moment on, you record everything. Every threat, every bruise, every transaction. I am going to build a cage for them, but I need you to hold on just a little longer. Can you do that for me?"
"I can," Clara whispered, a spark of real hope igniting in her chest for the first time in months. "I will."
