Chapter 198

Lauren's POV

“Back up has arrived, Ethan. Your wife Sophia has been arrested as we speak, so have all your men. There’s nowhere for you to go, just let her go, man.” The inspector’s voice cut through the backyard like an order. More uniformed officers poured into the yard now, rifles slung, boots thudding against the patio. Heads bent over radios, commands barked and acknowledgments returned. For a breath the scene looked like something from a film precision, authority only it wasn’t a film. It was my daughter's life on the line.

Ethan didn’t flinch. He looked almost… relieved, in a way that made bile rise in my throat. “I’ve already made my mind up,” he said calmly, as if reading a prepared speech. “There’s no way I’m escaping this since the moment you guys burst into here. But even if I go to jail, I’ll go knowing the bitch that ruined my life is in pain and sorrow.”

“Please, rethink this,” I begged, my voice thin and shaking. “This won’t give yo