Meanwhile, Ella had acted on her instincts. She had felt something was off earlier that day and had made the decision to pack up and leave the safe house with Leo and Liam, clearing any evidence that the house was once occupied. It had been a rushed escape, but she was grateful for her intuition, because as they left she saw crystal and Fabian driving down the road to the house. They were now safe, out of Tania’s immediate reach.
She placed her trust in Rick, a new but reliable ally, despite her initial reservations. Rick had taken her children to another country for their protection a blind spot that would hopefully keep them safe, even if she were caught.
Now, Ella and Derek had relocated to Derek’s house on the outskirts of town, a temporary hideout. Ella’s mind was racing, but she felt a sliver of relief knowing her children were safe, even though they were far away.
Later that evening, she called Rick to confirm that the boys had arrived safely.
“They’re safe, Ella,” Rick reassured her. “Everything went as planned.”
Ella let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Thank you, Rick.”
With the kids out of immediate danger, Ella and Derek turned their attention to the next phase of their plan. Rick had already begun cutting off Tania’s connections, slowly but surely weakening her influence in the underground.
“Soon, she won’t have anything left,” Rick promised over the phone. “Her empire is crumbling.”
Derek then updated Ella. “Ethan’s been taking precautions too. He now has full custody of Grace, and he’s taken back his company shares from Tania all without her knowing.”
Ella raised an eyebrow, surprised but relieved. “At least he’s protecting Grace,” she said thoughtfully. Then, her voice softened with curiosity. “Does Ethan know Fabian is Grace’s father?”
Rick, on the other end of the call, was caught off guard. “Wait, what? Fabian’s her father? When did this happen? I always thought Tania and Fabian had nothing to do with each other.”
Ella sighed, feeling the weight of everything. “It’s a long story. I’m exhausted, Rick. I need to rest.”
“Don’t worry,” Rick replied. “The kids are already asleep. You can talk to them tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” she said, her voice tinged with relief. She hung up the phone, leaning back into the couch as the exhaustion caught up with her.
Derek glanced at her. “Rick will take care of the kids. You can rest now. We’ll handle the next steps tomorrow.”
Ella nodded, grateful for the help, and headed to her room, her thoughts filled with her sons and what tomorrow would bring.