Ada For the next week, I’m going back and forth between my mother’s house and Max’s, and it’s the happiest time of my life. My mother is still not showing support for our relationship. In fact, she never even asks me about him. I don’t mind it—it’s a choice I’ve made and she has every right to be upset about it. I don’t have a problem with that unless she tries to tell me what to do. Like leave him or something. But she says no such thing. She doesn’t speak at all, actually, and I’ve been so distracted by my own happiness that I’ve barely had time to catch up with her. The one thing that I noticed that is pretty strange, though, is Harry and Damson’s absence. I had the argument with Damson which explains why he’s not coming around but his father? That makes no sense at all. I think it’s been nearly two weeks since he’s shown his face around here and though I want to ask my mother why he hadn’t been around, I leave it at that. It’s better if I don’t ask too many questions. Max
AdaIt doesn’t matter how hard I fight him or how loud I scream. Damson still shoves me in the back of his trunk and drives me away to an unknown location while I kick and scream inside the dark, confined space. God, I think he’s lost his mind. What the hell is he doing? Where does he plan on taking me?Does he really think he’ll get away with whatever this is?The seed of fear that has been planted in my heart is sprouting and fast, waters by my tears. He’s supposed to be my best friend, yet he hit me and now, the future feels so uncertain. I’m afraid of Damson. I never thought that I’d think this but it’s the truth. I mean, yes, I’ve known him since we were kids and he’s never hurt me before, but I can’t exactly say that he wouldn’t hurt a fly, can I? He hurt Wes—killed him—right before my eyes. It never crossed my mind to report the crime because he did it in my name. He saved me when he slammed that vase over his head. But things could’ve been resolved if I hadn’t helped him h
Ada A sound of disgust leaves my lips as I run straight into him. He’s as hard as a slab of rock and makes my knees feel a little unstable. I don’t stop, though, not even when he gives me a push that sends me reeling back. A dark chuckle leaves his lips. I send him a punch that lands dully on his chin. “Ada, don’t bother trying to fight me. We both know you’re not getting out of here. In fact, I’m getting really fucking mad right now.”“I’m just supposed to let you do this to me!?” I demand angrily, yelling at the top of my lungs. “What the hell even is this place? What the hell do you think you’re doing, Damson!?”“I’m doing what I should’ve done a long time ago!” he claims as he points a shaky finger at me. “I’m helping you! You lost your mind, working for that man! I don’t know how he managed to hypnotize you and make you love him but that’s not you, Ada. We both know that!”My eyes widen and I can barely hear what he’s saying to me. My mind is spinning so damn fast. “What? Dams
Maximilian “Plans for today, Max?” Rebecca asks me as soon as she comes down for breakfast. “Yeah, with Ada. We’ll spend a couple of hours together before I leave for the airport.”My sister flashes me a look. My nephew comes to my side and kisses my cheek in greeting. I hold him close to me, inhaling his sugary childish scent. Rebecca says to me, “You’re both going steady, I see.““Yeah,” I say. He asks me, “Uncle, when are we going to go swimming again?”“Soon,” I promise him, feeling bad because I suspended his lessons a long time ago and he was doing so well. “I promise, okay? How about tonight?”“No way. It’s getting too cold.”“It’ll be fine.”“No!” Rebecca exclaims. “I don’t want my son catching a cold. You’re not the one who’s with him when his nose is drippy and he’s coughing his lungs out. No. What until tomorrow.”My nephew pouts but I wink at him. It’ll be fine. I’ll manage to find a way around this rule of hers. Besides, she usually leaves him with the babysitter anywa
AdaI wake up to a loud bang and my eyes fly open before I quickly screw them shut to shield them from the glare of the sun. It’s morning. I slept through the night. Well, not necessarily through the night. I think I fell asleep at around three in the morning, maybe four. I’m only guessing here. I can’t be sure. My eyes feel gritty and swollen from all the crying I did yesterday. They’re also burning from the lack of sleep. “Sorry,” Damson says. He’s standing near the door, holding a white plastic bag filled with all kinds of things. Groceries. “I didn’t mean to wake you. The stupid door wouldn’t open. It was stuck or something.”I keep my lips sealed. Does this psychopath really expect me to join in on the conversation casually like nothing happened? Like he didn’t kidnap me and tie me to a bed?I’m scared. Genuinely, I’m scared. I watch as Damson sets the plastic bag on the edge of the bed. Then, he looks up at me and flashes me a small smile. The longer I watch him, the more I
AdaAfter stepping out of the bathroom, I find him waiting right outside for me, as promised. "All done?" he asks, smiling in an uncanny way because the smile doesn't reach his eyes. They stare back at me in a dead manner. Flatly. "Please don't tie me back up," I plead. I can endure anything if I'm not on that smelly bed with my arms stretched above my head. It's torture. "I'll behave. You don't have to do it.""I can't trust you, Ada.""Why not?""You don't want to be here," he shrugs. "I can't go through the trouble of losing you and risking you running away when we've come so far."I can tell that even begging isn't going to change his mind so I don't say anything else. I don't humiliate myself further. We get to the room. A mix of anger and resentment along with an aching despair hits me from out of nowhere, and I realize that this could be the end for me. He has no right to do this to me. No right at all. I clench my jaw hard, fighting to stay calm and not make the dumbest d
Maximilian Worry is tugging at my heart and I’m relieved when we land and I have a chance to go to her place and find out exactly what’s going on. Ada hasn’t been answering my calls at all. For two days, I’ve been wondering what on earth is going on with no way of attaining answers. This has never happened before. She’s always answered my texts and calls. It doesn’t cross my mind that she’s mad at me, though. I have this feeling like something is wrong. Maybe she’s sick and I think it’s been this way since the day I left because she never called me back or answered my text and I found that strange. Dammit, I should’ve come sooner. I could’ve abandoned the meeting to come check on her. The problem is that I kept waiting for her to get to me at her own pace. Now I’m worried. I don’t even stop at my place; I head straight to her mother’s house, deciding that I can’t wait another minute longer to see her and find out what’s been keeping her from answering my calls. The drive there
MaximilianI stride toward his car, not liking this at all. I’ve always had mixed feelings toward Grayson—he’s someone I simply don’t understand. I don’t know what motivates him. What his intentions are as he approaches something. He’s the kind of person that plays the part of enemy and foe well. Always has. Even when we were kids, he had this say about him that made us argue and fight. Then, as we got older, everything became a competition to him. I can guess at why he spied on my father to find out about his affair with my late wife. Competitiveness. But him being here makes no sense to me and I’ve also been thinking a lot about why he asked Ada to give me the pictures when he could’ve done it himself. Why her? Why would he have all people try to bring us back together? I reach his car, open the passenger door, and slide into the seat. My brows are pinched together and my eyes are on his face as I ask, “What the hell is going on? What are you doing here?”“We don’t have much
Ada"Nothing much," Max claims. "It's just that, well, I feared that you'd insist on speaking to your mother. You know. About the whole thing."I chew my bottom lip. "Why did you think that?""I don't know. I guess I just assumed you would.""I don't think I would," I admit. "Actually, I didn't think about it. I don't know what I could say to her. Maybe at a later date. But I'm reluctant to leave the cabin. I don't want Damson to get anywhere near us."Max sounds relieved when he says, "Yeah, that's what I had in mind.""I'm shocked by her arrest," I claim. To imagine my mother behind bars isn't something I've done before. It doesn't make me feel particularly glad—I think I've gotten to the point of not caring anymore. She's getting what she deserves. Fine. But of course, the questions I've always wanted to ask her do still exist in my mind. I want to know why she as a mother always put me down and prioritized Damson and Harry. Thinking of it now, that was exactly what she did. In
AdaWe’ve been working closely with the court to make sure that Abby gets everything she needs. It seems that he had a fake birth certificate of hers, one he forged just to get her registered in certain places, like in school. Even hospital visits. Her name is Abigail Patricia Port, and it infuriates me that she’ll have to carry that woman’s name her whole life. We do have the chance to change everything about her name, so we changed her middle name to Marie instead, and of course, her surname is Loxley now. It’s just the right thing to do. We didn’t explain these changes of her but in due time, she’ll become aware of them, and I’m really hoping that the psychologist is going to help us get through to her. It’s been a few days now and she’s still locked in that room. She refuses to come downstairs and of course, we don’t push her. The psychologist claimed that we shouldn’t force ourselves on her. Everything should be done naturally and we’re meant to wait on her guidance. “The t
Maximilian “Sure. Let’s talk.”“First of all,” he begins coarsely, “I want you to know that I’m someone who holds grudges, and I didn’t like how you abandoned my sister for seven fucking years when she needed you most, alright?”The words hit me right where it hurts. I nod, swallowing. “I understand that.”“I had to talk her through the whole thing,” he adds angrily, taking another step toward me. “I was there and you weren’t. Why is that? Why did you abandon her?”“It’s complicated. I wanted to…I wanted to prove to her that I wasn’t a total fuck-up and that I’d find our daughter. I kept waiting. Day after day. I never stopped looking for that son-of-a-bitch. And time just kept flying. Before I knew it, too much time had passed and I didn’t know how to approach her anymore. I know that might not sound like the truth but it is.”Silence falls upon us. He looks to the side, breathes deeply, then looks back at me. “And now you’re back in her life. Is this something permanent, or will yo
MaximilianFor the past few days, nothing remarkable happened. Damson didn't show up from out of nowhere to torment us. However, Ada's mother was caught and imprisoned. So at least one good thing happened. She was allegedly buying a plane ticket to leave the country and that's when they captured her. I was beyond pleased with the news and wished it had been Damson instead. I'm not complaining, though. The fucker is still hiding and though I'm not actively looking for him, I'll have more help starting today. Theo, Ada's brother, is arriving from Argentina today. The extra help will be much appreciated. I only hope that the coward didn't leave the county yet. If so, then we're fucked, at least for now because he'll definitely be back when we least expect it. We can't live like this. With the fear of his return hanging over our heads. With luck, Patricia will reveal exactly where he is. I'm not sure what the procedure is but she assisted in a kidnapping and so had to be imprison
Ada “Hi, Theo.”“That text you sent me,” he begins, “is it true? You found her?”“Yes,” I reply, biting my lip. “She’s here with us. But Damson is still on the loose. Max can’t even meet us where we are because he’s afraid Damson will follow him and come torment us here. It’s a never ending nightmare with him. I just wish he’d die.”“Jesus,” he exhales. “She’s been found? I can’t believe this. How was it? Your reunion?”I rest my forehead against the window in the living room. Rebecca is upstairs so I’m all alone down here. The sight of the dark forest all around us is reassuring to me, because the one thing I can think about is how Damson will never be able to reach us here, not on his own. This is the one place where I know we’re safe. “She doesn’t know us,” I say to Theo. “She won’t even look at me and I’ve tried to tell her I’m her mother. I guess this is expected.”“What did she think Damson was? Her father?”“Yes. And there’s more.”“Fuck. What?”“Patricia,” I say, refusing
MaximilianSome hours later, I leave the station. But that doesn’t mean our problems have magically come to an end. Apparently, we could face some charges, and Rebecca could be charged with kidnapping, as ironic as that sounds. But the lawyer assured me that the jury could show sympathy to our case since it’s been cold for years. And I mean years. Seven, to be precise. We saw our chance. We took it. Why involve law enforcement when they’ve sat on their asses for years?I’m supposed to be heading to where they are. I’m so anxious to see everyone and actually hold Ada now that we’ve found our daughter, but we have a serious matter in our hands. Damson. He’s still on the loose and I’m pretty sure he could be watching me. So, why the hell would I drive there when there’s a chance he’ll follow? No, I refuse to do that. I won’t risk Victoria’s life again. Not ever again. And I’m not going to them until Damson is found. Enough of living in this hell. I know he’ll come for me eventua
Ada “I don’t understand it, Rebecca,” I say, sniffling. We’re downstairs now, seated at the marble counter on high stools. I have a glass of water in front of me and we’re both crying. Our hands are clasped. “I just don’t get it.”I spent about twenty minutes in that room, trying to get Victoria—no, Abby—to talk to me. But she kept covering her face and crying. She seemed scared. When I returned to my senses, I realized that she had every right to be terrified. She doesn’t know us. We’re all strangers to her. “We had a plan,” she admits. “Me and Max.”“You’re talking now?” Did he mention it? If so, I can’t remember for some reason. Then again, my head is so full, and so much has happened in the last twenty-four hours. “Yes,” she reveals. “It all happened very recently. I approached him because someone recommended this private investigator to me, and vowed that he was good. So, I assigned him to this case. He used to work with the military before. Some ultra shady shit. Moving on,
Ada I’m numb. The whole car ride, I’m numb. When Rebecca’s driver came to me and told me I had to leave with him, I thought it was some kind of trick. I was so suspicious. Then, she called me and explained to me as carefully as she could that it was all over and that I didn’t have to worry about a thing. That the driver was going to take me to her and the place where Victoria was. Victoria. I couldn’t believe it and still can’t. I have this feeling like maybe I’m dreaming this whole thing up or it’s all a figment of my shattered imagination, something my mind is coming up with to cope with all the loss. Because when Damson hung up after telling me that I’d never see my daughter again, I believed him. That broke me entirely and I think there are still fragments of me on the sidewalk, where I knelt for the longest time before the porter came and helped me inside. He wanted to call the police or an ambulance but I told him I was fine and just received bad news. Like ten minutes l
Maximilian But something happens. A miracle. Rebecca arrives, and I see her parking right across the street from where I’m on my knees on the ground, head spinning so fast that I have the urge to vomit. Right before I pass out, I see her race after Ada’s mother and Victoria, and I only allow the darkness to take over when I see Rebecca grab a hold of her and carry her to the car. Yes.Fucking yes. I pass out right on the road, and when I wake up, I’m being nudged. Someone’s tapping at my arm repeatedly too, and when I open my eyes, blinking rapidly until my vision clears, I see that someone’s tapping me with their foot. Slowly, I look up, and see that it’s an officer who’s tapping me with his foot. His face is a blur but slowly starts to clear up. However, my attention is pulled away from him when I remember Rebecca and Victoria. Ada’s mother. Panic seizes me. How long have I been out?Rebecca’s car isn’t parked across the street like it was before I fainted. Could it mean she