Part 3Ten Apologies That Ruined Him

When the reply came through, I let out a long exhale.

The next morning, after dropping Mia safely at the elementary school gates, I went home and uploaded the third apology video.

Fueled by the algorithm's love for drama, the scandal of the Vanguard Development VP forcing his scorned wife to publicly apologize while keeping his married subordinate as a mistress had hit critical mass. The internet was out for blood. The comments under Vanguard's corporate pages were devastating.

My phone buzzed. A text from Toby.

You've really crossed the line, Gemma. You're going to regret this.

My heart gave a violent, sickening lurch. An icy dread washed over me.

Mia!

My mind immediately flashed to my daughter sitting in her classroom. A brief moment of rationalization tried to soothe me—he’s her father, even a monster wouldn't hurt his own child—but the suffocating tightness in my chest wouldn't dissipate.

I couldn't sit still. I grabbed my keys, abandoned my half-finished coffee, and drove straight to her elementary school.

When I rushed into the front office, the receptionist's words made the ground drop out from beneath me.

Mia was gone. Toby had picked her up an hour ago.

I felt the blood drain from my face as I stared at her homeroom teacher. "I told you," I said, my voice shaking with restrained hysteria. "I told you specifically that no one is allowed to take her except me."

The teacher looked sympathetic but defensive. "Mrs. Crawford, I'm so sorry, but Mr. Crawford is her biological father. He's on the authorized list, and he has joint legal custody. We have no legal grounds to stop him from signing her out."

My fingernails dug into my palms, reopening the half-healed crescents from the courtroom. I forced myself to take a shallow, trembling breath.

"I... I understand. I'm sorry for raising my voice."

The moment the teacher walked away, I stumbled out to the parking lot. My hands shook so violently I could barely unlock my phone. I dialed Toby's number.

He picked up on the second ring.

"Where is she?" I demanded, my voice raw. "Where did you take my daughter?"

Toby chuckled, a low, relaxed sound that made me want to scream. "She's with me. As for where we are, you don't need to worry your pretty little head about that."

"Toby," I growled, "bring her back to school right now. If you don't, I swear to God I will call the police."

"Oh, call them!" he mocked, utterly unfazed. "Go ahead, Gemma. Call 911. Tell them a loving father picked his daughter up from school early for a dentist appointment. Let me know how fast they rush over to arrest me for exercising my parental rights."

I bit down on my lower lip so hard I tasted copper.

"What do you want?" I rasped. "What do you want me to do to get her back?"

"Simple," he said smoothly. "Delete the apology videos. All of them. Then, record a new one. A retraction. You will tell the world that you were the one who had an affair, that I caught you, and that you made up these vicious lies about me and Madison because you were bitter and wanted to ruin me."

"You're out of your mind," I spat. "I will never do that."

The next sound I heard through the speaker wasn't Toby. It was the sharp, terrified sound of Mia crying, followed instantly by Madison's cold, irritated voice snapping, "Stop whining, you're giving me a headache!"

"Toby, she's your daughter!" I screamed into the phone, tears finally spilling over.

"She's just a girl," he said dismissively. "Besides, Madison is pregnant. We're having a boy. Now, be a good girl and do what you're told, Gemma. Because if you don't, I will drag this custody battle out for years, and I'll make sure you never see Mia again."

The line clicked dead.

I stood paralyzed in the empty parking lot, a heavy, suffocating weight crushing my chest. Toby had lost whatever shred of humanity he had left. The thought of Mia trapped in a room with him and Madison made me feel physically ill.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my hand.

I answered it immediately. A deep, steady male voice came through the speaker.

"The files you requested are secured and in your inbox. We are ready to execute the plan whenever you give the word."

I didn't acknowledge the files. I just gripped the phone and whispered, "Toby took Mia. He took her from school. Please. Please find her. Bring her back to me."

There was a brief pause on the other end.

"Don't panic," Colby said quietly. "I'll get her. I promise."

With Colby's promise holding me together, I drove home. When Toby texted me again, sending a picture of Mia looking terrified on a strange sofa as a reminder of his leverage, I set up my ring light.

I went live.

Because of the massive internet frenzy, my live stream pulled in tens of thousands of viewers within minutes. And just as I anticipated, Toby and Madison, feeling invincible with Mia as their hostage, confidently requested to join the stream as co-hosts.

I accepted the request. The screen split.

Toby and Madison sat side-by-side, exchanging a smug, victorious look that they didn't bother hiding from the camera.

"Go ahead, Gemma," Toby said, playing the magnanimous victim for the audience. "Tell everyone the truth. Tell them how you got caught cheating, and how you tried to drag my name through the mud to cover up your own sins."

I opened my mouth to speak, but my eyes caught a movement on his side of the screen. Toby's hand was subtly squeezing a plush bunny—Mia's favorite toy, the one she carried in her backpack every single day.

It was a silent, violent threat.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Just as the silence stretched too thin, my computer chimed with an encrypted message notification.

We have her. She’s safe.

A rush of adrenaline hit my bloodstream, flushing out the terror. The heavy stone on my chest shattered into dust.

I looked straight into the camera, at the viewer count climbing past a hundred thousand, and cleared my throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I said, my voice steady and resonant. "Toby is right. I did come here today to tell you the truth. But it is not a retraction."