The Price of a Secret

29 | DARKNESS AND REDEMPTION

Elizabeth couldn't sleep a single minute during the night. She replayed the conversation with Mason thousands of times in her head. Her greatest concern was knowing if Lia was truly okay. Tossing and turning in the bed of her old room at her parents' house, Elizabeth felt her chest tighten. She couldn't stay lying down while her daughter was out there with that sadistic man. The judge, her father's friend, confirmed what the police officer had said. There was nothing to be done because Mason was Lia's biological father, and there was no court order restricting him from being close to her.

She jumped up and took a long shower, hoping that the water would wash away her anguish. As she soaped herself, she thought about the life she almost had with Simon. She was so close to achieving it. Just one step away from freedom. How could everything collapse so quickly?

Sitting on the bathroom floor, with the water hitting her body, she allowed herself to cry. It was an anguished cry, coming from her soul, invading every inch of her body. How she wished Simon was by her side now. With him, she knew she was stronger.

After ending the call with Mason and explaining to her parents what she would have to do from now on, Elizabeth declined dinner and retired to her room. She needed to call Simon.

"Liz? I was worried. You disappeared and didn't answer my calls. Are you okay?" Simon says anxiously when he answers the call.

"No," she can only whisper.

"What happened? Why didn't you come to my apartment?"

"Simon, Mason has Lia," she closes her eyes before the confession she has to make.

"What do you mean, he has Lia?" His voice was desperate.

"He came to my mom's house and took her. He said we had an arrangement. Now he's with her in Arizona and threatened to leave her there if I don't go back home." A desperate sob invades her words.

"Damn it. Where are you, Liz? I'm coming there."

"No, Simon," she says, sobbing. "You can't come here. I'm at my parents' house, and I think Mason sent Dimitri to watch me. He can't know that we're together. Besides getting mad, he might take it out on Lia."

Elizabeth hears a desperate howl on the other end of the line.

"Damn it, when are we going to get rid of this guy?" Simon was upset, and Elizabeth had no strength to calm him down.

"I don't know, Simon. But now I have to do what he wants. I need to get Lia back. Then we can think of another plan," she says, lowering her head. She was so exhausted from fighting.

"Yes. But I don't want you alone with him, Elizabeth. This guy is sick. I'll be with you when he arrives," Simon's voice is firm.

"No. Please. Try to understand. He needs to think I'm alone and defenseless, or he might hurt Lia."

"Damn it, Elizabeth. This isn't right. He's going to hurt you."

"He won't, Simon. He's already got what he wanted. To show that he's in control." She wanted to believe her own words, but she knew they weren't true. As soon as Mason had her at his mercy, he would torture her. But she was willing to do anything for Lia. Even die, if necessary.

"Okay." Simon's voice was cold. "What time are you going home?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going there. By noon, Dimitri will go there to see if I've returned. Mason should arrive in the late afternoon."

"I don't like this, Elizabeth."

"Neither do I, Simon. But it's what I can do now. I'll ask Luca to keep an eye on the house. If he hears anything strange, I'll ask him to call the police. I need to start gathering evidence of Mason's violence to get a restraining order against him."