Divorce to Destiny: Reclaiming My CEO Husband by Anney GW

My CEO 123

123 A Fire Woman

123 A Free Woman

(Winona)

+25 BONUS

The paramedics load Jayden into the ambulance, their movements quick and precise. Their faces are grim as

they work to stabilize him. The bleeding has stopped, but he's lost so much blood.

| think most of it is on me, soaked in my clothes, making my hands sticky. | don't care about the mess, though. |

only care about him, lying there so still and pale. "Please, letride with him," | beg one of the paramedics, my

voice trembling and desperate. "I need to be with him. He needs to know I'm here for him."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the paramedic replies, his tone gentle but firm, like he's used to delivering bad news." We

need all the space we can get to work on him. It's critical. Every second counts." My heart is being ripped out of

my chest as they shut the ambulance doors. "But he took the bullet for me," | whisper, tears streaming down my

face. "I can't let him go alone. He can't be alone." The paramedic's eyes soften, showing a flicker of empathy.

"We'll take good care of him, | promise. But right now, we need to focus on getting him to the hospital as quickly

as possible. Meet us there." | watch helplessly as they close the doors of the ambulance, feeling a part of me

being sealed away with them.

Jayden's pale face is the last thing | see before the doors shut, and the ambulance speeds away, sirens blaring,

cutting through the air like a knife.

| don't even know if | can go to the hospital. | mean what goes on now with my detention?

Gordon comes up beside me, his expression full of sympathy and determination, "I'll drive you to the hospital,"

he says, his voice steady and reassuring. "We'll be right behind them, | promise." "C. can | go?"

"Winona, after this, there will be no case against you. My team has already set the wheels in motion to get word

to the Santa Monica judge. You'll be a free woman again. Ashlyn will be locked up. I'll stay with you until we get

official word."

Numbly, | nod, allowing him to guideto his car. Every second feels like an eternity, the fear of losing Jayden

for good makesrealize how much he's still ingrained into my soul.

| look down at my clothes. "I need to shower. | can't go to the hospital like this." My sobs start. "But what if he

dies while I'm showering? | should be with him." My whole body is shaking now.

"Con. You can wear my coat, it will cover most of it. Let's just get there and you can get cleaned up once

you know Jayden is stable."

"Okay."

"You've been through a big ordeal. They'll want to monitor you for shock."

Jayden is fighting for his life because ofand the thought of losing him is unbearable. When he took that bullet

for me, | realized just how much he loves+25 BONUS

It was a moment of clarity, cutting through all the confusion and hurt.

I love him too, more than anything. | can't do life without him. I don't want to.

I look down to the ground and | see a familiar cell phone. It's Jayden's, it must have cout of his pocket, or he

had it in his hand before he leapt in front of me. | picked it up.

My hands shake so badly that | almost drop it again. As a mother, | know what. | have to do. | tried the old code

he always used to unlock his phone. My birthday. It works. That brings fresh tears to my eyes.

I scroll through the contacts, finding Judy's number. My finger hovers over the call button as | hesitate for a

moment. This isn't going to be easy, but it's necessary. She has to know. She has to know before she sees it on

the news.

As much as | dislike and distrust Judy, | know how much she loves Jayden and | know | want to do the right thing

and let her know he's going to the hospital.

With a deep breath, | press the call button and hold the phone to my ear. It rings once, twice, three times. Each

ring feels like a lightning strike to my already fragile nerves.

My mind races with thoughts of what to say, how to tell her.

Finally, the call connects.

"Jayden?" Judy's voice is sharp and concerned, and | can tell she's been worried. It's the first tI've ever heard

her sound genuinely anxious. "Thank God you're okay. Did they find Ashlyn?"

"Judy," | say, my voice barely above a whisper.

The silence on the other end is deafening, stretching on as | gather the strength to continue. | glance at Gordon

as we walk to his car. He givesa nod of encouragement, his eyes filled with understanding. "Winona? Oh

God! What's happened? Where's my son? Her voice pitches high with emotion.

| take another deep breath, preparing myself to deliver the news that might shatter her world.

| take no pleasure from that. | know how it feels to think your only child may be minutes away from death.

"Ash Ashlyn, she turned up with a gun. The bullet was meant for me. Jayden jumped in front of it."

"Don't you dare tellmy son is dead." | can hear the rawness in her voice. A vulnerability I've never heard

before.

"He's going to St Michael's in the ambulance. It's critical."

"He took a bullet for you."

| brace myself for the barrage of abuse about how | let this happen. How | should be dead and not him injured.

How I've always been wrong for Jayden. If she hatedbefore, she's really going to hateMoy

"He must love you very much." Her voice isn't angry or abusive.

I'm heading there now. | just needed to let you know.

"I'll see you at the hospital. Tellthey got that crazy bitch."

+25 BONUS

125 & Free Woman

"Ashlyn is in custody, yes.

"Good."

The call disconnects and | wonder if | did actually die and enter an alternate universe where Judy Brennan is

reasonable and kind.

x

. Gordon's car, wrapped in his long jacket, | pray so hard that Jayden will still be alive when | get to the hospital.

Bill Crutchfield recounts how

| Crutchfield survived and... . i

~_! sponsored: Crutchfield1 Hospital Again

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