Amelia's surprised look instantly disappeared at the mention of that name. A name she hadn't heard in a long time. "It's Amelia.” She spat, walking closer to him. Jason grinned as he eyed her body. She's changed so much so much since she came to Mexico and even more since the last time they met. "That rule doesn't apply to me. I'll call you whatever I want.” Jason argued, watching her keenly. "What are you doing here?” She stopped in front of him, holding her wounded arm, and rested on her foot. "For cover. Your husband's looking for me.” He snared and gulped down the cup's contents. He'd been on the run ever since he escaped Andrew in Australia, hiding out here and there. Being a wanted person was no fun at all. “And you came here?" She raised her eyebrows. “Do you want to put us in trouble?" "Plus, he's not my husband.” She added. “You're already in trouble. I won't be putting you in anything." He blabbered. The two bickered like kids, going on and on about how th
“What do you mean he got beaten up?" Andrew exclaimed and looked at Josie like she had said something impossible. "You heard me, he was beaten. And it's all your fault!” She yelled and walked away to the kitchen to get him a cup of coffee. Andrew made himself comfortable on the sofa and looked around the familiar house. The feeling he always got when he came into the house still lingered, it was something that would never go away. Josie reappeared with two cups of coffee and handed one to Andrew. "He came back all bruised and swollen. It was bad." She explained and took a sip from her cup before she continued. “They mentioned something about some hidden cash—" Andrew choked on his drink as she said that statement and Josie looked at him suspiciously. “What? What is it? Do you know something about hidden cash?" Josie threw questions at him as he tried to avoid her gaze. "They were supposed to come after you weren't they? Why is Tristan caught in the middle of it?” She
The loud sound of a gun firing was heard in the dark alley and screams of people erupted from there. “Don't let them escape!" A man shouted, and his men immediately went after the two figures that ran out of the alley. "Why the hell are they chasing us?” A gruff voice spoke, his legs taking long strides and leaving his partner behind. "Because you triggered the stupid alarm." A more feminine voice yelled, trying to match his pace. “Can you stop running so fast, I can't keep up." His partner complained. "Do you want to die?!” He yelled back but the woman seemed to only slow down more. "We don't have time for this.” He muttered and with enough strength, he grabbed her, threw her over her shoulders, and continued running. “Sebastian!" She shrieked as he ran as fast as he could, the building whooshing along the way. A small amount of breeze slapped her as her hair fell over her face. Was she to call this a successful mission? She could still see the men behind them, firi
“Are you seriously considering it?” Sebastian asked, his arms folded as he leaned on the door. His brows furrowed, clearly annoyed at something. “Yes, I am.” Amelia responded without giving him as much as a glance as she filled her bag with clothes. “If I don't go now, I might never have the chance again.” She took another handful of dresses and threw them into another bag. It was better to have more, she'd have no time for shopping when she got there. “But do you have to pack so much? Aren't you coming back?” “A lady can never be too prepared.” She remarked and packed her shoes this time while Sebastian sighed dramatically. Why was she doing this? He observed her as she ran from one end to the other of her room, stuffing her bag with everything she felt was necessary for her travel. “By the way—” Sebastian started, walking into the room slowly. “—what will you do if you run into him?” Amelia paused for a while, she stayed still as her brain tried to generate some kin
“Who are you?" Amelia stood still for a while trying to understand the question. What did he know? “What do you mean by who am I?" She tried sounding upset to mask her surprise. "I find your question very—" “Don't play dumb with me." Andrew cut her off. “I did a background check and it doesn't make sense, who are you?" He asked again. His P. I was the best in the whole of Australia and yet he couldn't find a single thing about her. Something was not right. "A background check?” She whispered but it was loud enough for Andrew to hear. " Is that why you haven't contacted me?” If she could just divert a little, perhaps they wouldn't need to go into details of who she really was. “Don't try to change the topic," Andrew warned, he was going to get his answer. “Mr Cooper, I don't understand your question." The tone of her voice changed, and Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her. He was finding it hard to deduce if she was really annoyed or if it was just an act. “You
“Another murder?” Andrew's voice echoed in the living room as he threw the pictures on the floor. He was enraged. This wasn't the first this month, nor was it the second. “Who the fuck is this." He roared, his voice was filled with rage and fury and everyone flinched at the sound of it. Tristan picked up the pictures with a blank expression. This was the first time he was unable to solve a case, he couldn't figure out who this person was or what their motives were. How is it that someone was able to disappear before they were caught? “You need to calm down.” "Calm down?” Andrew turned to Tristan angrily, his hands twitched as he slowly walked towards him. "You've refused to do your job and you're telling me to calm down? Someone is killing off my men without mercy and I don't fucking know who it is.” “What's taking you so long?" He growled as he peered at Andrew. Everyone's heads were either bowed or their eyes focused on anything but them. They dared not interr
He stared at her and she gave him a knowing smile as the name rolled off his lips. The resemblance was uncanny and if he was being truthful, it scared him a little. Who was this woman? “Manny?” A known voice interrupted him and reluctantly he tore his gaze from the lady on the pole. “You're here?” He grumbled. “And you are thinking about your dead wife.” She lamented, seemingly annoyed. She brought him here to have fun with her, not mop it and hallucinate about his dead wife. “I wasn't thinking about her.” He argued, not sure why he thought he'd seen her. “Of course you weren't.” She muttered still annoyed and took her seat beside him. Andrew looked back at the pole, but the woman was gone. His eyes scanned the room, yet he couldn't even see a glimpse of her. Giving him more reasons to question himself. He sat there thinking while Brenda stared angrily at him. He wasn't even making a move to touch her. “Andrew.” She snapped her fingers and he flinched at the soun
Amelia smacked her red lips as she looked into the mirror and fixed her makeup. She was finally getting to meet him, after a month and some days. She wondered what changed his mind. She looked at herself once again in the mirror. “Perfect." She remarked, blowing a kiss at her reflection. Grabbing her purse, she left the house. Her driving was chaotic. Amelia held the steering wheel tightly that her knuckles had started to turn white. Her wide eyes flickered between the road and the rearview mirror and her heart pounded as if it might burst through her chest. She had never been good at driving. Sebastian was the one who'd always drive her. Oh, how she wished he was here with her. “Why is it so hard to keep this car straight.” She yelled, her teeth clenched Amelia approached a stop sign, braking too late and jerking to a halt halfway through the intersection. She glanced around, hoping no one had witnessed what she had just done. "Focus, Amy, focus," she muttered t
In a bright, sunlit kitchen, the aroma of freshly baked cookies fills the air. Amelia sat at the kitchen table, her hands gently resting on her pregnant belly. Her long, brunette hair cascades over her shoulders, and her eyes, filled with a blend of excitement and nostalgia, look lovingly at her two children. Aiden and Adelaide, four, sat eagerly beside her, their wide eyes full of curiosity. “Woah!” The little boy exclaimed with so much excitement. “Was that how you gave birth to us?” Amelia nodded, her smile wide. The children were waiting for their father when they pushed her to tell them a story about how she fell in love with their dad. Now that she was done, they looked at her, more curious than before. "You know, when I was a little girl, not much older than you two, I used to dream about the day I'd have my own family," she began. “And now I do.” She beamed at them. “But why was Daddy so mean to you? He even threatened to take away Angel?!” Adelaide asked,
The night was eerily quiet when Amelia's labor began. She had felt sporadic contractions throughout the day, but they were manageable. Now, though, as the pain intensified and the contractions came closer together, she knew it was time. But her husband seemed to be lost on what to do. "Hang in there Manny. I'm calling Josie and Tristan to come over." Andrew said, trying to keep his voice steady. “Call the fucking driver Andrew. I need to go to the hospital." Amelia yelled as the pain intensified. “Right, the driver." Andrew scurried out of the house and later came back in to get his wife. "Get the bags!” Amelia commanded and he complied, afraid she would tear him off with her eyes. On their way to the hospital, Andrew informed Tristan what was happening and he promised to show up at the hospital with Josie. Amelia's mind was a whirlwind of emotions—excitement, fear, and pain intertwined. She had done thousands of checkups and only ate the food Andrew cooked for h
The grand cathedral was adorned with cascading white roses, shimmering crystals, and soft candlelight, casting a warm, ethereal glow over the gathering. The air buzzed with the murmur of anticipation and the gentle strains of a string quartet playing in the background. Down the hallway where she was getting set, Amelia felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as she prepared to walk down the aisle. Her dress was a masterpiece of silk and lace, custom-designed to fit her perfectly. She had designed the dress herself, she might have wielded a gun for ten years but her hands could still hold a needle. Tristan wore a proud smile as he stretched his hands out for her. She took his arm, feeling the weight of the moment settle in her chest, her heart pounding with each step. The doors swung open, and a collective gasp echoed through the hall. Amelia took in deep breaths, and with joy, she took her first step onto the rose-petal-strewn aisle. Her eyes locked with Andrew’s wh
Amelia spent a month and some days in the hospital getting better but mostly cuddling up with Andrew. Their love continued like she never left. There were times that she would cry while explaining everything she had been through and Andrew would console her, promising to do everything in his power to protect her. Andrew had come to pick her up from the hospital that morning and Josie insisted that Amelia come to her place first. It was her house regardless. “I can't believe this." Josie squealed, unable to contain her joy. All this while, her friend was alive and was right under her nose. She knew the first time she set her eyes on Amelia that there was something familiar about her. “You're alive." She spread her arms wide and Amelia wasted no time in jumping into her embrace. She had missed her so much. "I'm so happy.” "Me too Josie…me too.” The two women cried till they could cry no more. Their cheeks were red, their eyes puffy and their clothes were stained wi
The sound of something shattering jerked Amelia back into consciousness. She tried getting up and groaned as she fell back down. She looked at what was happening around her, her swollen eyes making it almost impossible to see who was who. She was kept hidden in a corner, away from the disaster that was happening. “Fuck.” She heard Sebastian's voice and quickly turned in his direction. She saw him tangled up with the man she had seen so many times. Her captor. “Sebastian.” She croaked, but he couldn't hear. Just then he received a bullet to the end. Amelia froze but then breathed out in relief as he saw Sebastian get up. She looked up to see who had shot the gun and saw Tristan helping him up. ‘Andrew.’ a voice screamed at her. Her eyes scanned the room, her heart pounding, praying something hadn't happened to Andrew as she searched for him. The firing of a gun caught her attention. Tilting her head out of curiosity, she found Andrew, firing his father's both legs. “
Andrew and his men moved out. The roaring engines of the cars filled the air as they drove deep into the outskirts of town. Andrew drove Tristan and Sebastian with him as he continued running the plan over in his mind. ‘nothing could go wrong.’ He thought, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “Dude, slow down. You're going to get us killed before we even get there." Tristan cautioned, feeling the increasing speed of the car. This was his first ever mission and his anxiety got the better of him. "I should have just stayed behind the scenes like always.” He muttered, regretting his decision the closer they got to their destination. “I didn't force you." Andrew reminded and Sebastian chuckled at the back. "Whatever. I just want to come back alive.” The car became quiet again and after a while, they got to the place. Allen and Lorenzo had done a good job hiding the place. At first, it was pretty hard to locate. Andrew stepped out of his car, the cool air sweeping
“I kept her under your care.” Andrew bellowed, his eyes blazed with anger as he punched Tristan. Tristan staggered back and massaged his jaw. Andrew had just arrived from Mexico and the first thing on his mind was to punch him. “How the fuck did she get kidnapped!” He roared, hitting him again before he could regain his stance. Couldn't something go right in his absence for once? “I tried to warn her, it's not my fault. She's a grown woman!” Tristan argued, dodging the next punch that Andrew threw at him. Andrew kept charging at him, and Tristan constantly missed it. He tried his best not to hit back, he knew Andrew wasn't himself at the moment. “Andrew!” Josie snapped, her sharp voice pierced through the hallway as her eyes blazed with fury and her lips curled up in anger. “She left on her own. Don't hold my husband responsible.” She hissed coming forward to stand between them. “You should have tried to talk sense into her.” “Who said we didn't?” Josie took a step
“What do you mean kidnapped?” Andrew barked, his teeth gritting. He left her right there for protection. How was it possible to get kidnapped? “She went out for a walk and never came back. We've been searching for her.” Tristan explained he could tell Andrew wasn't having any of it. “And then?” He hissed. “We got a note yesterday, saying if you want to see your wife, you have to bring the cash.” Andrew fumed at his statement, his hand clenched in a fist. Would his father go this far? Or was it someone else? “Did it say who it's from?” “Lorenzo.” He paled. His blood ran cold at what he would have done to Amelia. Then he felt immersed in Anger. He wasn't going to win this time. Without allowing Tristan to continue, he ended the call, picked up the documents from the table, and headed toward the door. He wasn't losing her for the second time. Getting closer to the exit, he saw Sebastian by the door, a duffel bag in his hand. “I'm going with you.” He said, h
“Why can't you just listen? Don't go out at night, it's a very simple instruction.” Tristan complained as he drove Amelia back to the house. She had gone out of the house again for her ‘evening walks.’ “You can't tell me what to do.” She whined, folding her hands like a child that had been scolded. “Andrew isn't here at the moment so as of right now, I get to tell you what to do.” Amelia just scoffed as she looked out her window, the night cool air, hitting her as Tristan drove. They got home to see Josie by the entrance, pacing. “Amelia.” She rushed over to her and hugged her. “You got me so worried, don't just leave the house like that ever again.” “Andrew said your life might be in danger, that's why you have to stay with us.” “I'm sorry for making you worry but I'm here now. Why don't we go inside?” Josie nodded and Amelia led her into the house by the hand. Everyone had retired to bed and was now sleeping, except her. So she decided to go again. Making su