Divorced Heiress
Extra Chapter 1

I couldn't stop looking at the screen of my cell phone every minute that passed, anxiously waiting for Sarah to read my messages, but she hadn't received them for two hours, after she sent me the last message letting me know they were coming and it seemed really strange to me. They should have arrived at the villa by now.

Sarah's parents were playing with Tristan in the living room, while waiting for the lovebirds to arrive, and although they didn't want to admit it, they were as confused as I was by the unusual delay. My cell phone rang in my hand and I didn't even wait a second to answer it, even though it was Julian, I had the faint hope that he knew Sarah and Alexander's whereabouts.

"Julian, tell me you know something about...

Julian didn't even let me finish the sentence, when he completed it with something completely different from what I was going to tell him.

"About Paul's prison break? Yes. That's exactly why I was calling you, this is not good for anyone, especially not for Sarah. Is she back already? I called her, but she didn't answer."

An intense shiver ran through me from head to toe, leaving me completely petrified and with a lost gaze, I almost ran out of air when I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Did I hear correctly? Or was Julian playing a joke on me? Because if that was the case, I swore I'd go wherever he was and beat him, he owed me a few.

I looked at Mr. and Mrs. Doinel, who were looking at me with curiosity and a glimmer of hope in their eyes, thinking that I had news of Sarah, but no, all I had was fear.

"It's Julian, I'll talk outside." I informed them, realizing the seriousness of the matter if what Julian was telling me was true. I didn't want to needlessly worry the Doinels, first I had to find out how true that was.

I went out to the backyard, far away from everyone and after taking a deep breath, I resumed the conversation. "Look Julian, I'm not in the mood for heavy jokes, I'll give you one chance to tell me it's a game, otherwise, I'll see myself in the awkward obligation to go wherever you are just to give you a nice black eye."

I made my best effort not to panic, it wasn't good in my condition, now I had to be more careful with my emotions, for the sake of my pregnancy.

"Do you think I would joke about something like this? Look at the news. Paul has escaped."

I barely heard his serious words, a tear escaped from my eye, I didn't want to think badly, but soon I felt panic just imagining that Paul had something to do with Sarah's unusual delay. My heart began to beat strongly in my chest and my hand trembled uncontrollably, I didn't even know what to do, all I needed right now was to know that Sarah and Alexander were safe and out of reach of my brother, the criminal.

Damn Paul, he was the worst thing that could happen to the Dubois family, if I found out he was involved, I'd be the one to end him, I didn't care if he was my own blood.

"Something is wrong, Julian. Sarah and Alexander should already be at the villa and none of them is responding. We need to do something if they don't report in the next few minutes." I spoke with a trembling voice, fear was beginning to take over my whole body, no matter how much I resisted for my baby's sake, but it was impossible.

"What?! No, Abby, we can't wait, we have to do something and it has to be right now. I'll try to get in touch with Sarah, if I don't get any answers, we have to go to the police station. I don't want to scare you in your current state, but we can't trust it, it's Paul we're talking about."

The concern in Julian's voice was more than noticeable and although it wasn't his intention, I was already scared, but he was right, Paul wouldn't escape with good intentions. This shouldn't be happening, not now. If I had to do something, it had to be now. "I'm heading to the police station, I'll ask them to trace their phones or whatever, I need to know they're okay. I'll let you know if I have any news."

I didn't even wait for a response from him, I ended the call and wiped my damp cheeks before going back into the house, disguising the fear that made me tremble, the last thing I wanted was for the Doinels to find out what was going on, even though I wasn't even certain of what was happening.

"I have to go to the company to sign some documents, I won't be long. And don't worry, maybe the lovebirds just took a detour to have some fun, you know."

I tried to sound as casual as possible, while making a careless gesture and praying inside that my face wouldn't speak for me.

"Abby! Don't mention those things in front of Tristan, you will never stop being impertinent." Mr. Leonardo scolded me as usual and I felt relieved that at least I hadn't deviated from my role, I still had the touch of the best actress, even if inside I was a mess. Mrs. Joelle couldn't hide the laughter that her husband's reaction provoked, and Tristan joined her. At least they were having a great time and I hoped it would stay that way. It seemed really unfair that they were back, and now Sarah was gone. Abby, don't think about that.

I just forced a smile that might have looked more like a grimace and hurried out to the parking lot. I couldn't afford to waste time talking to the Doinels right now about what I should or shouldn't say in front of little Tristan.

I had never driven so fast in my life as today, it was a true miracle that I hadn't lost control due to the nerves running wild through my body, but it didn't matter, because when I arrived at the police station and filed the report, the officers' response was disappointing.

"I'm sorry, it hasn't been even twenty-four hours and they haven't received a request for ransom. Maybe she's spending a day with her husband, don't worry, miss."

I looked at them incredulous, unable to prevent the anger from rising to my head.

"Are you kidding me? Twenty-four hours? You are incompetent. Of course you'll find them in twenty-four hours! But dead! Or maybe you'll never find them! Do you know what kind of criminal we're dealing with? The same one that your security system let escape. It's just unbelievable." I couldn't control my mouth as I complained about the officers' uselessness.

Besides letting that useless person escape, they also didn't cooperate to catch him.

"Miss, I kindly ask you to watch your words or we will be compelled to detain you."

I laughed out loud at what the officer had just told me and shook my head in disbelief.

"I'm really surprised, it's that sewer rat that escaped that they should detain, who may be planning anything to keep doing evil at this moment, not me, an honest woman who also happens to be pregnant and just wants support from those who claim to protect the city. How ridiculous!"

I fan my face with my hands, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks, they were truly useless.

"Abby, I'm here, what happened? Do you have any news?" Julian's voice made me turn and I saw him agitated as if he had run the whole block, with the phone in his hand.

"Nothing, I have nothing! And these wonderful policemen don't seem concerned about the seriousness of the matter!" I gave one last scornful look at the officers who seemed offended by my words and left that station fuming.

"What happened?" Julian asked behind me, who had followed me outside, after apologizing to the officers, how ridiculous.

"It's that if we want to find Sarah and Alexander, we'll have to do it on our own." I informed him, stopping by my car and an idea flashed through my mind like a ray of light, giving me hope to find my friends or, in any case, that filthy rat Paul.

"And I know what we'll do. Follow me in your car."

Without waiting for Julian's response, I got into my car and drove quickly to the place I had promised myself never to set foot in again, but this time, it was necessary to break that personal promise, two lives depended on it and they were the most important people in my life, those who earned the title of family.

The women's prison.

Even though it wasn't visiting day, they let me in for five minutes, minutes that were crucial to extract the tiniest bit of information from that woman who was unworthy of the title of mother.

Julian stayed outside, as only one person could enter and after a visitor admission protocol, which was not comfortable at all, they guided me to the visiting room, which was nothing more than a cubicle. A glass separated the side of the inmates from the visitors, and the phone hanging on the side was the means by which I could communicate with the person on the other side.

I clenched my fists at my sides when I saw that woman in a beige uniform, just like a criminal. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop feeling that pang in my heart to see her like that, but if I had to be on a side, it would always be on the side of justice, of honesty, I would always be on the side of good and my mother was the complete opposite.