Chapter 3: The Hunt

“Stay here!” I yelled to Maya, and the maternal instinct I thought was withered and dead resurfaced with the force of a hurricane.

I didn’t care about La’s decorumGolden Star MeI jumped to my feet, spilling my glass of water. It shattered, soaking the tablecloth, but I was already running. I burst through the velvet curtains of the waiting room, past a stunned maître d’, and slammed my hands against the heavy glass doors, shooting out into the frigid night air.

“Stop!” I yelled, the word escaping my throat, raw and bloody. “Stop her!”

The pavement of the Avenueof the Elysian Fields EraA chaotic jumble of taillights and evening crowds. I scanned the sea of ​​faces. There, a glimmer of a beige trench coat pushed its way through a group of tourists.

I kicked off my heels. The icy, wet asphalt dug into the soles of my feet, but I felt absolutely nothing. Pure, blinding adrenaline flooded my veins. I sprinted down the avenue, like a predator finally finding its prey.

“Help me! Someone stop that woman!” I shouted, pointing at the figure walking away.

People turned, startled to see a barefoot woman in an evening gown screaming in terror. A businessman in a tailored suit hesitated, but a young bicycle messenger didn’t. He swerved sharply, turning his bike directly toward Elena.

She crashed into the bicycle frame with a sharp, horrifying thud, stumbling backward and losing her balance on the slippery pavement. Before she could get up, I threw myself on top of her.

I threw my full weight against hers, knocking her to the ground. My hands, driven by a primal fury, found the lapels of her coat and I gripped them tightly. We writhed against the unforgiving concrete. She clawed at my face, her nails leaving burning marks on my cheek, but I didn’t flinch. I drove my knee into her stomach, pinning her down.

“You took her!” I screamed, my saliva splattering on his face. “You took my baby!”

“Get off me!” Elena hissed, her eyes wide, like a cornered animal. “You didn’t deserve her! All you cared about was your company!”

With a violent jerk, I ripped the scarf from around her neck and grabbed the collar of her blouse, tearing the fabric. There, resting against her collarbone, hanging wildly from a cheap silver chain, was the intertwined golden trapezoid. The missing half.

I grabbed the heavy gold pendant and ripped it from her neck, snapping the chain. I held it up in the harsh yellow light of the streetlamp, my chest heaving. The proof of her betrayal glittered in the night.

“Call the police!” I shouted to the circle of onlookers that had formed around us. “Now!”

A heavy hand grabbed my shoulder. I shuddered, ready to defend myself against an accomplice, but as I turned, I saw flashing blue and red lights reflecting off the shop windows. Two uniformed officers were pushing their way through the crowd, their hands on their holsters.

“Stand back, ma’am,” ordered the taller officer.

I didn’t move. I kept my knee pressed firmly against Elena’s chest, gripping the stolen gold so tightly that the edges dug into my palm. I stared at the woman who had stolen five years of my life, hoping to feel a sense of triumph.

But as the officer lifted her and placed the heavy steel handcuffs on her wrists, Elena didn’t seem defeated. She stared at me, a twisted, venomous smile spreading across her bloodied lips.

“Do you think you’ve won?” he spat, barely audible over the wailing of the approaching sirens. “Ask him who he truly loves.”