"What's the third option?" Andrew asks, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Let Gabrielle go, and I'll take her place at the police station," Avery says confidently.

The station is dirty and depressing, but Avery feels relatively safe. She knows that Andrew won't let the officers harm her. Eventually, Evan will find out she's at the station and use the Howel family influence to get her out. On the other hand, Andrew doesn't care about Gabrielle, and he might order the police to torture her.

Andrew bursts out laughing. He wipes an imaginary tear from his eye and pats Avery on the shoulder. Avery shakes his hand off and scowls at him.

"What are you laughing at?" she asks.

"I'm laughing because your plan is terrible," Andrew says.

"How's that?" Avery asks. "It makes perfect sense to me."

"Come with me," Andrew says, leading her back into the interrogation room.

Avery looks around the room. There is a metal table with three chairs. The table has special chains to attach handcuffs, and a dented high-powered lamp sits on top of the table. Avery fights the urge to grab the lamp and smash it over Andrew's head. Even if she knocks him unconscious, she'll still have to get past the police.

"Do you know how they break the people they bring here?" Andrew asks, looking meaningfully at the lamp. "If you knew, you wouldn't be so eager to stay."

Avery places a protective hand on her stomach and says, "I think I'll take my chances."

"Your baby isn't some get-out-of-jail-free card—at least not with me," Andrew says. He smiled nastily, "You know, maybe it would be a good thing if you lost it. It would make room for our child."

Chills run down Avery's spine. There's something in the cold, matter-of-fact way he talks that makes her think he's serious. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She can't do anything that will risk the baby's life, but she knows she needs to protect her sister.

"Okay, I'll go with you," Avery says. "But you have to swear to me that you'll keep your word and let Gabrielle go free."

"Are you sure?" Andrew asks. "You said some pretty mean things to me before. If you come with me, I hope you'll treat me a little nicer." 

"Cut the bullshit," Avery snaps. "Being nice to you was never part of the bargain. Now get me out of his hellhole."

Andrew opens the door to the interrogation room and allows Avery to pass. A uniformed officer escorts them out of the police station. A black town car waits outside—the engine is still running. Andrew opens the door for Avery and touches her back as she gets inside. He slides in next to her but lets her have some space. She leans against the door, trying to keep as much distance between them as possible.

"I promise I won't bite unless you ask me to," Andrew says with a wink. "What are you so afraid of?"

 "What am I so afraid of?" Avery asks, outraged. "You just threatened the life of my baby! Now you're taking me to god knows where, and you probably want to keep me, prisoner, again."

"Why don't you relax and enjoy the ride," Andrew says. "There's lots of room back here, and I've modified the seats to vibrate."

"You're disgusting," Avery says, leaning further into the door.

Andrew smiles and shrugs. Then he closes his eyes and leans back in the seat. His breathing slows, and she realizes he's fallen asleep. Avery relaxes and slides away from the door, getting comfortable in the plush leather seat. She opens the mini-fridge and pours herself water.

She didn't realize how much time she'd spent at the station until she sees the sun start to rise. The stars begin to fade, and then the sky turns orange and pink. The car has left the city, and dew shines on the grassy fields. She watches a flock of birds flies back and forth between a tree and a telephone pole, stretching their wings.

As they drive, the roads become even more rural. The spaces between the houses get bigger and bigger, and the fields start to turn to the forest. The road begins to slant uphill, and a light fog starts to roll in. Avery frowns, realizing they're probably headed toward Misty Mansion.

"Where are we going?" she asks the driver, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

The driver doesn't even turn his head. She clears her throat and repeats the question, but he ignores her. She leans forward and taps him on the shoulder. He presses a button and a glass rolls up, separating the front of the car from the back. Avery turns to Andrew and shoves him hard in the shoulder.

"Wake up, Andrew!" she says. "Where are we going? Are you taking me back to Misty Mansion?" 

Andrew opens his eyes and blinks lazily at her. Then he yawns, closes his eyes, and turns his face away.

"Andrew, I'm talking to you," Avery says. "Tell me where the hell you're taking me!"

She leans over and shoves his arm, but he doesn't react. She wants to slap him across the face, but she knows it won't do any good. She undoes her seatbelt and tries to open the door. She jiggles the handle again and again and throws her weight against the door, but it doesn't budge. It seems that the door is locked from the outside.

She looks over at Andrew and decides to try a different tactic. Fighting the urge to vomit, she reaches out and strokes his upper arm. He turns around, and she fluttered her eyelids and smiles sweetly.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," she says. "I'm not angry about going with you. It's just that I hate Misty Mansion. It's so cold and gloomy, and I'm terrified of all the animals in the forest."

Andrew raises his eyebrows suspiciously, but he lets her continue.

"Besides, I have bad memories from the last time I was there," she says. "What if we went somewhere else? I know you want to build a relationship with me, and I think it would be best for us to have a fresh start. If we go somewhere new, we can start over without all of the bad memories from the past. What do you think? Maybe we can go to the seaside instead?" 

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Andrew asks. "It's obvious that you just want to go somewhere else so you can escape again."

"Do you realize you're kidnapping me?" she says, snatching her hand from his arm and dropping the act. "And you're not just kidnapping me, and you're kidnapping my child and the Howel family heir. Any crime you commit against me is twice as bad, and trust me, and I'll make sure you pay."

"Are you so sure about that?" Andrew asks. "You and Evan signed a divorce agreement. If he fucked you after you signed the agreement, your child is a bastard, and you know a bastard can't be the Howel family heir."

"The child isn't a bastard," Avery says. "Besides, it doesn't matter if I'm divorcing Evan or not—I don't want to be with you."

"That's fine, but you do want to be with my heart," Andrew says. "Have you forgotten who the original owner was?"

"Not anymore," Avery snaps. "I'm breaking up with your heart."

"I'm afraid that's not an option," Andrew says with a laugh.

His phone begins to ring, and he answers it immediately. He presses it close to his ear, so Avery can't hear the voice on the other end. As he listens, his expression gets darker and darker. Every few seconds, he says "okay" or "I see," and his voice is harsh and angry. When the call ends, he slides his phone back into his pocket and turns to look at Avery. A greasy smile replaces the dark scowl, and he widens his eyes at her.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with me?" he asks.

"I don't know how I could be any clearer," she says.

"Okay, I'll take you back to the Howel mansion," Andrew says. "But first, I want you to kiss me."