Joe immediately seized the opportunity, repeatedly promising that he would keep his word.”Alright, have your men leave, and I’ll get out of the car to talk.”Yvonne was still thinking about Nina’s safety. If the conversation went south, at least Nash could quickly drive away, ensuring Nina’s safety.The cars blocking the road pulled over to the side, and Nash parked his car by the curb as well, allowing traffic to flow normally again.As Yvonne opened the door, Nina grabbed her hand, concern in her eyes. Yvonne turned back to reassure her friend. “It’s alright, Nina. I’m craving some barbeque ribs. Could you ask your helper to prepare it for me?””Of course. I’ll call right now. But if anything feels wrong, get back in the car immediately,” Nina urged, her unease growing as she watched Yvonne step out.Before Yvonne could reach him, Joe rushed over and pulled her to the side, wrapping her tightly in his arms.”You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I thought… No, you were never going to leave me. I was just imagining the worst,” Joe rambled, holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe. Yvonne, struggling for air, tried to push him away with all her might. “You’re hurting me. Let me go.”Instead, Joe hugged her even tighter. “No. I can’t let you leave me. I won’t.””You said that if I wanted to leave, you wouldn’t stop me. Do you not remember your own words?” Yvonne’s voice quivered with panic. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ (ƒ)indNƟvᴇl.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.She had forgotten that Joe was never one to keep his promises. He hadn’t before, and he wasn’t now.Desperation filled her as she tried to make her way back to the car, to escape with Nina. But her body was weak from her recent recovery, and she lacked the strength to break free.Tears welled up in her eyes as the realization set in. She might not be able to get away.Seeing her tears, Joe panicked, immediately loosening his grip. He cupped her face in his hands, trying to comfort her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m just scared of losing you. You don’t know how much blood you lost. I was terrified…”He was babbling, his words coming out in a rush as he bent down and picked Yvonne up in his arms. “Let’s not stay here. Let’s go home. I’ll make sure you get that barbeque ribs you wanted.””No, I don’t want to…” Yvonne cried out, struggling once more. This time, she managed to catch him off guard and broke free, slipping out of his arms.”Stop her!” Joe roared in fury.Nina, hearing the shout from the car, quickly opened the door and called out, “Yvonne, get back in the car!”The distance between Yvonne and the car was too far. She wouldn’t make it in time.In a moment of desperation, Yvonne turned and sprinted toward the middle of the road, her only thought being that if she could reach the other side, they wouldn’t be able to follow. She could escape Joe forever, go somewhere where no one knew her, and start a new life. A life of her own choosing. With that thought fueling her, she picked up her pace.But the traffic was heavy, the cars moving fast. Yvonne couldn’t see clearly and didn’t know how to navigate through it. As one car barreled toward her, she smiled.If this was how she could leave forever, it didn’t seem so bad.”Yvonne!” Joe’s voice echoed, shouting her name, but the smile on her lips only grew.Maybe now, she thought, he would finally let me go.Crash!A loud impact sounded, and Yvonne was thrown to the side.Surprisingly, there was no intense pain. She had only scraped her knee, a dull ache spreading from the minor wound.Slowly, Yvonne opened her eyes, and the sight before her made her heart stop.Joe lay in a pool of blood, unconscious.”No… No, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Why would you do this? Why, even now, won’t you let me go?” Yvonne cried out, collapsing into sobs.She wanted to crawl over to him, to hold him, but she could not summon the courage.