“No,” she said, her voice trembling but firm. “This is not love. You don’t control someone you love.”
Michael’s mask shattered. He hissed a threat as the handcuffs clicked.
But as the door closed behind him, Emily knew she wouldn’t regret it. She hugged her daughter—the brave, determined girl who had saved them both.
“Mom,” Sophia whispered, “we can be happy now. For real.”
In the quiet house, for the first time in years, Emily believed her.
