---- Chapter 11 A horrifying realization dawned on him. She knew. She must have known about Kaylee all along. He had thought he was so clever, so careful. He had believed he could keep his two worlds separate, that Kaylee was just a temporary diversion, a thrill that would never touch the sanctity of his life with Joana. But somehow, she had found out. And she had been planning her escape for weeks. When did it start? How could she have been so resolute, so silent in her pain? His vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes. He remembered her words, spoken so long ago, on the day she'd agreed to marry him. "| will never tolerate betrayal. If you ever cheat on me, | will disappear from your life forever." He had laughed at the time, so certain of his love, so sure of his own fidelity. He would have cut out his own heart to prove his loyalty to her. But somewhere along the way, everything had changed. The constant praise from his friends, the monotony of marriage, ---- the endless temptations that came with his wealth and power. Bit by bit, his resolve had eroded. He had started to believe his own hype, to think he was above consequences. When Kaylee had thrown herself at him, a clumsy, obvious temptation, he hadn't resisted. His friends had egged him on, assuring him that Joana would never find out. And like a fool, he had believed them. He had forgotten who Joana was. He had forgotten the painful lesson of her own parents' miserable marriage, a toxic union they had maintained "for the sake of the child," only to grow to resent each other and Joana herself. She had watched their love curdle into hatred, and she had sworn she would never repeat their mistakes. Her pride wouldn't allow it. Once her heart was broken, it could not be mended. She would rather cut ties completely than live in a loveless lie. And she knew him too well. She knew that if he had any inkling of her plan to leave, he would have stopped her. He would have begged, threatened, manipulated-used every tool at his disposal to keep her. She was his possession, his most prized one. So she had done the only thing she could. She had abandoned her life, her country, her very identity, to escape him. The weight of this understanding was crushing. "No, Joana. No!" he cried out to the empty room, his voice raw ---- with a despair so profound it felt like it was tearing him apart from the inside. "| won't let you go! | can't let you go!"