Chapter 51

The guy Isabella ran into last time—it was Wade Kennedy, her ex-husband. She used to think he was a great guy. Turned out, after the wedding, he flipped—became a violent maniac, beating and yelling at her all the time. She couldn’t take it anymore, so she grabbed Lucas and ran. But Wade actually tracked her down. Not only did he beat her again, but he tied her up and sexually abused her, took a ton of photos and threatened to post them online unless she gave him money. Having no other choice, Isabella coaxed Mrs. Hayes into handing over some company shares—taking advantage of the fact that the old lady still liked her—and cashed out two million to give to Wade. But Wade got greedy. The more he got, the more he wanted. Desperate, Isabella bent down to Lucas. “Can you take this letter to Grandma? Just tell her Mommy needs it badly, okay?” Lucas gave a little nod. She waited all day but heard nothing. So, she made her way to the Hayes home and bumped right into Mrs. Hayes. “Bella, I’m so