Clara's POV "I didn't mean for things to end up this way, and I wanted to tell you. If you already knew, what else did you expect from me?" I answered, my voice low and in a whisper."That you'd at least have an ounce of decency to say it to my face. That's the least you could have done, right?" He answered. "I realised something. It's not that you are just a coward, but you would happily continue lying to my face." He paused. "I don't even know if anything about you was ever real, every moment we spent together. I now realise it was all just a part of your act." He added.I didn't know if his words hurt because they were coming from him or if it was that there was a small chance that what he said about me may have been true.I shook my head. The tears somehow found their way back to my eyes.It hurt me more knowing that this was what he thought of me. By then, I could only stare at my feet on the ground. He was right; I was a coward, and I shouldn't have done this. If I could turn b
Derek's POVI rushed out of the building and went straight to my car. I couldn't stand to be around here anymore.This place was far too small to contain Clara and me. Despite seeing Vincent behind me, I walked faster and hopped into my car. I knew exactly what he would say with that judgemental look he had.I don't know why I felt this way. I thought I'd feel much better after this, that I'd feel liberated and be able to smile again. Instead, I felt sick to my stomach. I tried to assure myself that this feeling would soon pass.I drove to my country house right outside town. It was the only place I'd be able to be alone for a while, and that's what I needed. It took me nearly two hours to arrive.The house was silent, as expected. The house staff only came here twice a week, which was mostly empty. I haven't been here in a while, mostly because I'm out of the city most of the time, and it's inconvenient to travel here from work.I took my jacket off, placing it on the floor. I tried
Derek POV I tried to convince myself I wasn't doing it for her but to get one less psychopath off the streets."They found the guy," Luke paused again. "He was found badly beaten, and he is in critical condition." He explained.I took a long sigh. If that guy dies, we may never know why he did it or if someone else was behind it. But who would want to kill Clara? Maybe she pissed off an old boyfriend."Let me know if there's anything else I need to know," I replied. "Can you do me another favour?" I paused. "I did something stupid. I'm going to need you to have many pictures and videos deleted," I asked. I proceeded to explain the rest in detail. I wouldn't have any of those pictures and videos spread around that the guests took. I didn't care what he had to do to ensure that. My conscience wouldn't let me live.I was never going to have the photographers publish any of those photos. I just wanted her to feel the pain I did. But the damage I caused was far deeper than that. I wouldn'
Clara's POV I placed my hand over my mouth in shock as Ivy walked over to me and hugged me."I can't believe you guys did all this," I said, almost in tears."I know that technically, it isn't your birthday today, but since the last one didn't go too well, we thought we might celebrate it today," Ivy said, holding me tighter."If you are going to cry, we are all going to start crying, too," Ivy said, rubbing my back."You should make a wish." Mom approached me with the cake. I blew out the candles. I wished for more happy days just like this one. "You are going to have so much fun. We can have a sleepover and dance all night, and we are all going to get drunk." Ivy cheered. "Except for Katherine, she is still underage." She added slowly."Mom is going to get drunk?" I chuckled in disbelief.It was surprising enough that she got drunk with Layla. I never imagined her doing it again."I wasn't always boring, you know. How do you think I had two babies?" Mom asked nonchalantly. I can a
Clara's POV"You are dating Marcus, my old boss?" I said in disbelief. "That's who you were hiding?" I asked, amazed.Ivy's face went pale as she tucked her phone into her pocket. "It's a different Marcus." She replied dismissively."Didn't you say I knew him? I had no idea you had an eye on our boss this whole time." I answered."Fine," she sighed. "We've been going out for some weeks now." She admitted.Now that she had confirmed it, I couldn't help but wonder how that could have happened.Why Marcus? All I could think about was that he was the person who gave me all the grumpy customers just because I was good at my job. He was the reason I first encountered Maddison. If not for him, maybe I would have never crossed paths with Derek.How did that happen? Wasn't he on the verge of firing her?"You can't judge me right now, and you weren't straight for the big boss." She said, dragging me out of my thoughts."If anything, I should be used as a case study of why you should not date so
Clara's POV This would probably be a problem, especially when Mom and Ivy woke up. I decided to make a trip to the drugstore. I left a note on our kitchen counter saying I'd be gone for a while. I might as well grab a coffee and use the time alone to reflect.I wore my hoodie over my head as I left the house.I hadn't almost forgotten just how relaxing walking can be at times. It can help to relieve you of anxiety and all your negative thoughts. I was lost in a daydream as I continued walking. Exactly why I hadn't expected it when a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me into a corner of the street. There was a hand placed over my mouth as I used all my strength to try and fight back.I was about to get kidnapped! My mind yelled in panic."Please don't shout," a voice said.Wait, I knew who that was.What was Waylen doing here? My mind registered.My body relaxed for a moment as Waylen's grip on me loosened. I pushed him back, and he fell on the tar."What is wrong with you?" I yelled, st
Derek's POVI've been reading through one page in the last hour, and I haven't been able to process a single thing. Whenever I try to read a few words, my mind drifts away.It's been three days since everything happened with Clara, but my mind replayed everything. I was in my office and back in my suite at the hotel. This made it easier to be at all the other places I needed to be on time.I hate being back here, though. I think about the time Clara brought me coffee in my office, the time we'd spent talking in the living room, or even the vague memory of how I'd first met her in my bathroom. It's unbelievable to think that I had forgotten everything that happened that night.Vincent was right, and it was my conscience I was left to answer.Maybe she didn't deserve what I did, but I didn't deserve to be lied to, either.Lately, I've been avoiding my whole family. From my grandfather, who finally saw me as having' business partner potential,’ to my parents, who wouldn't stop calling m
Derek POV The texts were mostly about an anxious Katy asking her where she was or when she would return. The replies from Clara were mostly the same, reassuring as she texted that she would be back soon and that everything was alright. I didn't know what Katy was so worried about."She never sends a text without a full stop at the end," Katy pointed out. With the back of her hand, she wiped the tears off her cheeks. "And here..." She pointed again. "She texted O-K, Clara would never do that. She always writes it out in full as Okay. This is not her. Someone else has been using her phone." She concluded.I placed the phone on my desk. Her reasoning was absurd, but I was not about to say that to an emotional teenage girl deeply worried about her sister."Did you try calling her?" I asked instead."Just once, but she sounded very strange. We only spoke for about ten seconds before she cut us off. Something is wrong." She continued.I didn't know what to make of all of this. For all I kn