My CEO 282

202 Jayden is Here

282 Jayden Is Here

(Winona)

I pull the GPS tracker out of my bag, the tiny device feeling foreign in my palm. I tie it into my hair, tucking it into the tight bun I've secured high on my head.

My fingers tremble as I make sure it's hidden.

I have a lifeline, but that doesn't make me feel any less on edge.

I don't know how long Jayden will take to get here, but I'm using every minute to get prepared. My mind keeps circling back to everything that's happened. I left him.

He stood at the altar, humiliated in front of everyone-our family, our friends. The children. Our children.

I push the guilt down as best as I can, but it sits heavy on my chest like a weight I can't shake. I made that choice, and I had no other. I had to leave. For Cass.

Gus drove us to this nearby camp-an odd place, not quite a hotel, but functional enough. There's a kitchen, a bathroom, and some food. I've showered and put on layers of warm clothes, thinking altead for when I find Cass. She might need them more than me.

I slip a small nail file into my bra, just in case. Not exactly a weapon, but it makes me feel like I have some control. A protein bar and bottled water go into a small zip bag around my waist.

an appetite, but I know I need

what condition she'll be in. I push any awful thoughts out of

down for hours. I'm pacing, the tension in my body coiling tighter by the minute. Gus pops his head

me

face, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. What am I even

by the outside lights. His face is unreadable, but the air between us is thick. The second our eyes meet, I can feel it-his anger, his hurt, and buried beneath

can't hold back

tears from my throat as I run toward

as I throw myself against his chest. His grip is tight, crushingly

is solid, familiar, and for just a second, I let myself

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+25 BONUS

202 Jayden is Here

I can feel the tension in him-the

moments, neither of us speaking, just clinging to each other. His heart pounds against

I pull back just enough to look up at him, my fingers gripping his jacket. "I'm sorry," I whisper, my

a choice. They said

still soft, still full of the love

right away, Winona. I don't care about the danger.

desperate

stable." Jayden replies, his voice softening. "The doctors

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