His Perfect Trap, My Perfect Revenge

Chapter 17

Sabrina wiped away tears with trembling fingers, her jaw set in defiance. "Gary saved me. He killed that monster and pulled me out of hell." A hollow laugh escaped her lips. "But because of me, he lost everything. So guess where I ended up? Right back at that damn club, letting men treat me like trash again."

She absently rubbed her chest where her heart should be. "The irony? Even after being rescued, I couldn't escape. But that second time... that was my choice." Her voice grew quieter. "Gary and I had over a year together. He was good to me. When I got pregnant, I quit the club."

Her fingers dug into her sweater. "We wanted better for our baby. But a fugitive and a pregnant ex-stripper? We couldn't even afford diapers." The words came out ragged. "So we... terminated the pregnancy. Magnus, do you have any idea what that does to a woman? To choose between your child and starvation?"

Then her face twisted into something grotesquely amused. "But here's the kicker - right when I was at my lowest, you texted saying you missed me." She erupted into manic laughter, tears streaking her makeup. "God, that was rich! So I thought, why not use you and your precious Colon Corporation to finally get the life Gary and I deserved?"

Magnus felt like an anvil had been dropped on his chest. He'd sent her away to spare her pain, only to destroy her completely. The timeline hit him like a truck - her suffering had coincided with his company's crisis. While he'd had Chelsea's support, Sabrina had been drowning alone.

"Why Chelsea?" His voice cracked with the question he instantly regretted.

Sabrina's smile turned arctic. "So it's true. You've fallen for her." She jabbed a finger at Chelsea's photo on the screen. "She stole you from me. Why shouldn't I hate her? Without her, I might be Mrs. Colon right now!"

Rising like a specter, she advanced with bloodshot eyes. "I'm jealous, Magnus. She's got the perfect life - loving family, powerful father, and now... you." Her bitter chuckle held centuries of pain. "So I decided we'd go to hell together. And your naive sister? She played right into my hands when I needed that 'medicine'."

Her whisper turned lethal. "Recognize the drug? It's the same one my father used on me. Poetic, don't you think?"