HANNA'S POVI put a hand over my chest; my heart was pounding at an alarming rate. Thankfully, I had managed to keep my cool in front of him. I sat on a bench beside the sidewalk and tried to regulate my breathing. I grabbed my knees and my grip tightened. I was fighting my mind, fighting the part of me that wanted to break down and cry. No, I couldn't do that. If I did, it meant Michael still had power over me; I wouldn't accept that. I closed my eyes, held my breath, and counted down from ten in my head. I could slowly feel myself take the wheel on the train wreck of emotions going through me. By the time I opened my eyes, my vision was blurred because of the pool of tears that had packed in my eyes. I let them fall and wiped my cheeks. I was fine; I had to be fine. I stood and looked back again, no sign of Michael; had he really gone without putting up a fuss? Maybe that was his mission—to ruffle my feathers and knock me off my balance. Good for him, it worked. "You can handl
AARON'S POV"Okay, your point is made." Jake said and stood. "You're leaving?" I asked, had I gone overboard with the threat?He nodded, "Don't think for a moment I'm leaving because I'm scared. I have business to attend to out of time." He said I laughed; saying it like that made it so obvious that he really was scared of me. He was so predictable. I stood and shook his hand; it was the least I could do as far as courtesy was concerned. He went out the door, and I caught a glimpse of Faith through a gap in the curtains. She was bent towards her desk and had her phone to her ear; she was on a call during work hours, which she knew was prohibited. Normally I would have walked out there and demanded that she end the call, then given her a warning, but I decided to be a bit more lenient. The only time I had ever seen her taking a call during work hours was with Hanna; maybe it was Hanna this time, or maybe she was just violating work rules. I watched her talking under her breath a
MAUREEN'S POV"Mrs. Montgomery, you have a visitor." Alice, my secretary said, poked her head into my office door. "Who is it?" I asked; I hadn't been expecting anyone today. "He says he's the man you were looking for," she said. I smiled; maybe I was expecting someone. "Let him in." I said She left, and short after, the door opened again to reveal a different face. He looked better than Billy had described him; I'd have to commend him for that. His hair, clothes, and even his stance all gave off a slight aura of sophistication. He walked to the chair by my desk without me even saying anything, sat and looked to me. There was a hint of displeasure on his, but I'd have to say he hid it quite well. "I thought you told Billy to go screw himself." I asked After spending so much time finding this incorrigible lowlife, he had told Billy off, after hearing his proposal, my proposal. At first I was angry at the thought of his arrogance, but then there was a silver lining: that he'd tr
MICHAEL'S POVThe blaring sound of a car's horn beside me snapped me out of my thoughts. "Get off the road, you idiot!" The man behind the steering wheel screamed in annoyance. "My apologies," I said with a smile and walked across the road. Why was I so happy? Because the universe was finally deciding to smile at me, I would have never thought things would turn out this way. I stopped to take one more glance at the building I had just exited; satisfaction filled my veins. Poor Hanna, thinking she could rise high in the world by being a social climber, well, someone had to teach her a lesson, and who better than me? I hadn't heard a single word from her after the fire, and no one I asked had any clue where she had vanished to, then months later I saw her picture in the news. It wasn't a clear picture, but for me it was more than enough. From the way she sat at the table to the side profile, the moment I locked eyes with the photo, a tiny voice in my head screamed "Hanna." I knew
Hanna's POV"What's the problem?" Aaron askedI widened my smile and shook my head. I thought I had done a good job at hiding my emotions, but apparently I was wrong. "Thank you for the flowers." I put the bouquet to my nose and took a whiff of the nice scent. I looked back at him, and he still had that concerned, unsure look on his face. I didn't want to bring up Michael; all I wanted to do was completely forget that I ever met him. "Why are you so worried?" I asked and gently touched his face. "It's nothing." He said He could tell something was wrong; sometimes I didn't like the way he could see right through me. I wrapped my arms around him and looked up at his face; that seemed to lessen his suspicion. "What's the occasion?" I asked I hadn't expected the rose, and as far as I could recall, there was nothing special going on tonight. "I have good news." He said it with a smile. "Which is?" I asked curiously what news caused him to buy a bouquet of roses on his way back. "
HANNAH POV As we broke apart for air, Aaron's eyes searched mine, still looking for answers. I knew I couldn't keep Michael's reappearance a secret forever, but I wasn't ready to confront it yet."What's really going on, Hanna?" Aaron asked, his voice low and gentle. "You can tell me anything, you know that."I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "I just...I don't know, Aaron. Today was just a weird day, okay?"Aaron nodded, but his eyes still held a hint of skepticism. "Okay, weird day. But you're safe now, you're with me."I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. "I know, I feel safe with you."Aaron smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Good. Because you are safe with me, Hanna. Always."We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. Then Aaron spoke up again."Hey, want to watch a movie or something? Take your mind off things?"I nodded, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, that sounds great."As we settled in on the couch, Aaron's arm around me, I
HANNAHAs we continued our walk, the silence between us was comfortable, like a warm blanket on a chilly day. I felt at ease with Aaron, like I could tell him anything.But there was still something holding me back. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on."Aaron?" I said finally, breaking the silence."Yeah?" he replied, looking at me with those piercing blue eyes."Can I ask you something?" I said, feeling a little hesitant."Of course," he said, his voice encouraging."Do you think people can really change?" I asked, my mind wandering back to Michael.Aaron thought for a moment before responding. "I think people can try to change, but it's not always easy. It takes a lot of effort and dedication."I nodded, processing his words. "Yeah, I guess you're right."We walked a little further, the only sound being the rustling of leaves beneath our feet."Aaron?" I said again, my voice barely above a whisper."Yeah?" he replied, his eyes locked on mine."Do you think you could ever for
MAUREEN POVI smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "I was just thinking about you too, Aaron," I said, trying to sound casual."How's your day going?" he asked, his voice warm and gentle."It's been interesting," I replied, trying to gauge how much to reveal. "I had a meeting with someone earlier.""Oh? Who was it?" Aaron asked, his curiosity piqued."Just someone I've been trying to...collaborate with," I said, choosing my words carefully."Collaborate?" Aaron repeated, his tone skeptical. "What kind of collaboration?"I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "It's just business, Aaron. Don't worry about it."There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I wondered if Aaron was going to push the issue further. But then he spoke up again."Okay, if you're sure it's nothing to worry about," he said, his voice measured. "But if it's something that affects us, I want to know about it."I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I was hiding something from him.
Aaron’s POVThe low hum of the city filtered in through the windows as I sat in my office, staring at the paperwork spread out in front of me. The numbers blurred together, and I realized, for the first time in a long while, I was finding it impossible to concentrate.I leaned back in my chair, running a hand over my face. I’d been doing everything I could to keep things running smoothly at Spears Real Estate, especially after the chaos of Hanna’s kidnapping and the media storm that followed. But no matter how hard I tried to keep my head in the game, my thoughts always drifted back to her.Hanna.She’d been staying at my place ever since the hospital released her, and though she was physically healing, I could tell she was still struggling emotionally. The trauma from what Michael put her through was something that wasn’t going to fade overnight. But that wasn’t the only thing on her mind. I knew she was trying to figure out where she fit in my life—if she even had a place there. And
Hanna’s POVI had thought that once I was back on my feet, things would start feeling normal again. But standing here in Aaron’s penthouse, watching the city lights blink outside the window, it was clear that "normal" was nowhere in sight. Not after everything that happened with Michael.It had been a few weeks since I’d been released from the hospital, and while my body was healing, my mind was far from it. I still woke up in the middle of the night, heart pounding in my chest, haunted by the sound of Michael’s voice and the feel of cold steel against my skin. But even worse were the thoughts that followed—thoughts about Aaron, about what we’d become after all of this.Aaron had been nothing but supportive, always there when I needed him. He had gone from cold and distant to someone I could rely on, someone who made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time. But that safety came with complications. The more time I spent around him, the harder it was to ignore the growing ten
Aaron’s POVThe elevator doors slid shut behind me with a soft click, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I stared at my reflection in the polished metal, the dark circles under my eyes and the tightness in my jaw a testament to how much weight I’d been carrying lately. I looked like hell, but that didn’t matter right now. Not when Hanna was upstairs, resting, still healing from the trauma she had just gone through.And now, as if dealing with Michael hadn’t been enough, Maureen had reappeared, dragging her own shadow over everything. She had come to my home—Hanna’s temporary refuge—to check on her. Or so she said. But I knew better. Maureen was never one to act out of kindness or concern. There was always an agenda.I could still hear her voice, calm and composed, as she had stood in the hallway only moments ago, trying to justify her involvement with Michael. "It was never part of the plan for her to get hurt," she had said, as if that made everything better.I clenched my fists, a
Hanna’s POV The soft murmur of voices outside the bedroom filtered through the door, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. Every inch of my body ached, bruises blooming across my skin, a cruel reminder of how close I had come to losing everything. I shifted slightly in the bed, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my ribs. The bedroom was dim, the only light coming from a small bedside lamp casting a soft glow over the plush surroundings. Aaron’s apartment—no, his sanctuary—was a far cry from the cold, sterile hospital room I had woken up in earlier. He had insisted on bringing me here the moment the doctors cleared me for release, refusing to let me spend another night under harsh fluorescent lights and beeping monitors. I was grateful, but I couldn’t shake the heavyness in my chest. I hadn’t just escaped Michael’s grasp; I’d barely clawed my way out, and the cost was starting to weigh on me. Everything felt surreal. I was safe now—at least, physically—but my mind kept replaying
Hanna’s POVThe night air hit me like a cold slap, jolting me back to reality as my lungs burned with every gasping breath. My legs ached, but I kept running. I didn’t have a destination in mind—just the desperate urge to get away from Michael. The knife was still clutched tightly in my hand, and I could feel its weight grounding me, a reminder that I had finally fought back. But as I rounded the corner of the building, a crushing thought stopped me in my tracks. Aaron. I had left Aaron behind.What was freedom without him?My feet skidded to a halt, and I leaned against the brick wall, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might burst. How could I have run? I had left Aaron alone in that room with Michael, with a man who was out of his mind. Michael wouldn’t stop at anything. He was dangerous, and now Aaron was at his mercy.I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the panic that was rising inside me, but the fear wouldn’t let up. Images of Aaron—bleeding, hurt, or worse—floode
HANNA As I emerged from behind the dumpster, Aaron's eyes locked onto mine, filled with relief and concern. His face, etched with worry, softened as he took in my disheveled appearance. I collapsed into his arms, tears streaming down my face, as the weight of our ordeal finally began to lift."Thank God you're safe," he whispered, holding me tightly. His warm breath against my ear sent shivers down my spine, but this time it was a comforting sensation. I felt protected, sheltered from the horrors we'd faced. The sirens and chaos surrounding us faded into the background as I buried my face in his chest, letting the steady beat of his heart calm my own racing pulse.We stood there for what felt like an eternity, the only sound being our ragged breathing. Aaron's hands cradled my face, his thumbs wiping away my tears as he searched my eyes for any sign of hurt. I knew he was looking for more than physical wounds; he was searching for the emotional scars that Michael had inflicted. I tri
Hanna’s POVMy heart raced in my chest as I felt the weight of the knife in my hand. The cold steel was both a comfort and a curse. I had finally found a way to fight back, but I wasn’t sure how far I was willing to go to protect myself. Michael’s eyes widened in shock as he took a step back, his hand pressed against the wound. “Are you insane?” he hissed, a mix of disbelief and anger in his voice. The blood seeped through his fingers, staining the fabric of his shirt. “Let me go, Michael,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos swirling inside me. “This is over.”He took another cautious step back, assessing the situation, but I could see the anger boiling in his eyes. “You think you can just stab me and walk out of here?” he spat, a cruel smile creeping across his face. “You don’t understand who you’re dealing with.”“I understand perfectly,” I shot back, my grip tightening on the knife. “I know you’re a coward who thinks he can control everything with fear. But not anymore.”M
Hanna’s POV“Are you done?” Micheal askedMy eyes were on the keys he had hooked to his belt buckle, the keys to the door.I nodded and pushed the plate of half-eaten steak towards him.I held my breath and watched his face for a reaction as he picked up the plate and left the room nothing. He hadn’t noticed anything, great. I slid the knife out ofmy pocket and held the sharp edge to the wires binding my arms. It was extremely uncomfortable having to hold the handle with my fingertips while trying to cut through the wires.Fortunately, it was slowly making a dent, but it was torture seeing how slow it was. I was starting to lose hope in using the knife when I heard footsteps approaching, and I hurriedly slid the knife underneath my buttocks and sat on it. Michael returned back, this time with my phone to his ear. He was talking to someone, and there was a satisfied grin on his face. Had Faith managed to get him what he wanted? I felt bad for her; she was dragged into all this simply
Aaron’s POV“Aaron wait!” My mommom said and rushed towards me,“I can handle it; don’t put yourself at risk.” She added“You had your chance. I already have this,this, so just stay out of the way.” I said and held up the bracelet I had taken from her room a few minutes ago.“If you hadn’t done it in the first place,place, I wouldn’t need to put myself in danger.” I said, She had herself to blame for all this.“I was thinking about our family;; I did this for you as well,,” she said.said. “I didn’t ask you to.” I said “You didn’t have to;; I’m your mother;; it’s my responsibility to take care of you.” She said Her idea of responsibility was incredibly messed up.“That wasn’t your choice. You nearly ruined my life.” I said if I was too late to save Hanna, then she would have completely ruined my life. I’d never forgive her then.“She wasn’t good for you.” She said “That wasn’t your decision to make.” I said and walked towards my car.car.“Are you really going to do this?” She asked