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 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 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
HannaI never thought I’d be back here again.Tonight the rain was vicious, lashing my skin furiously. If only it could have done the same on my battered heart.I was standing outside the bar, my bar, or at least what was left of it. Watching my most treasured possession, burn with a fire that the rain could barely put out.“Miss Hanna, if you could please step away from the wreckage. You could hurt yourself,” a firefighter said to me. I barely registered his concern.“Wreckage,” I whispered. “My bar is wreckage.”He pulled me away rather forcefully, and I merely stumbled along, numb and confused. Hurt, frustrated. Angry to tears.“What happened to my bar?” I demanded, wrenching my arm from the firefighter’s grip and finally looking at him. I paid no attention to the pity in his eyes, focusing all my energy on the anger building. “What happened to my bar?!”The man hung his head in pity. “It was an electric short circuit in your kitchens, ma’am. It spread rather quickly because, well,
HannaThis place was a dump. No better way to put it. I stepped over more broken bottles than I cared to think about just to get to the front door of the small bungalow, all the while reciting to myself that I could’ve been sleeping in the street for the next few weeks.It was nearly midnight now. I watched Faith open the front door and push it open with a grunt.“Okay, this place looks worse than I remember,” I heard her mutter to herself. I entered the house behind her.The inside wasn’t altogether bad. There was a thick layer of dust over the floor, over the sparse furniture in the front room, everywhere. But the windows were intact, there was a forgotten couch I could dust and sleep on…“I don’t…think this is a good idea anymore,” Faith said, turning to me. “Maybe we can…”“No!” I practically screamed. I tried to relax. “No, it’s a great idea. Once I clean up I can actually stay here.”“But it’s so…”“Please,” I pleaded, voice cracking in that annoying way I hated. “I have no othe
AaronSomeone’s been staying here, I observed.Only heaven knew what made me leave the office this early, and go to inspect my one property that had been abandoned for years. Seriously, I even wondered why I finally decided to renovate this place. But good for me that I did, because now I discovered that I had a squatter.Or a criminal hideout, which? As I walked through the house, I was careful not to touch anything or move anything from its place. There wasn’t much by way of property here, just a couch in the living room, a dusty oven and a stool in the kitchen, and a threadbare mattress in the bedroom that had rats scurrying around inside it. I noted that the water was running though, and hot. Someone never cut the power supply to this place.I stood in the center of the bedroom briefly, wondering. At first, I figured the front door was just jammed, and it was only when I forced it so hard that it fell off the hinges that I realized it had been locked.Who lived here? No personal e
HannaIt really didn’t even last 24 hours.As I watched the man leave, all I could feel was anger. Sad, upset, frustrated, but angry.How dare he? And he threatened Faith too, I’d heard him. I wouldn’t even blame Faith because if that was her boss, then damn, her boss really was an ass.“That was my…” Faith said, nudging a thumb over her shoulder to where the man entered his car – a damn Benz – and drove off recklessly.“That was your boss, yes.”I didn’t even know what to say, what to do, right then. I looked over to my bag of clothes still sitting on the ground outside, and decided to make the decision before someone as good as Faith had to kick me out.“I’ll just go, it’s fine. You’re too good a person, I can’t let you lose your job.”I went to pick up my bag, just as Faith said, “But where would you go?”I did not even want to think about that because I had no idea. But Faith didn’t need to know. She’d already tried to help.“I know somewhere.” I felt like the lie was so obvious.
HannaOver the next five hours, I did nothing but sit at Faith’s kitchen table and think. With a pen and paper, I’d found on it. I didn’t even step inside the room I’d been offered, slightly apprehensive for multitudes of reasons. So I just sat there and thought.I gave myself at worst, at the absolute worst, three months in this house. I’d find a job as soon as possible, within the next hour if it was within the sphere of human possibility. Depending on what my first paycheck would look like and when. I’d set aside at most fifty percent and put it together until I made up to a six-month rent on a normal apartment. Then I’d divide that into two, give Faith her half and… Yeah, I had to admit that there was no way I’d successfully pay Faith back in three months. But by God, I would try.A part of my mind was acknowledging the fact that this was rather masochistic of me. After all, I made all these plans for Big Dreams, didn’t I? And didn’t they literally go up in flames?Nevertheless, w
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