ReinaPeace. Is that too much to ask for? After everything that had happened , I just wanted peace. At least for a while before something else happened. I thought maybe, just maybe, we could live a normal life, enjoy each other’s company, and focus on Andrew.But things rarely go the way you plan them.It was a hot afternoon and I sat at my desk with a chilled juice beside me as I went through my emails.There was something unexpected that caught my eye. An unfamiliar name popped up in my inbox: “Andrea Louis R. Attorney-at-Law.”I leaned forward to look at it clearly. It was unusual for me to receive any emails of this nature, let alone from a lawyer. I hesitated before clicking on it to read . The subject line was short and straight to the point and it read:“Urgent: Concerning Your Husband’s Involvement.”My stomach dropped. Concerning my husband's involvement in what exactly?I opened the email and I could not stop my heart from racing. The message was also very concise. I
ReinaI barely slept after a long night of arguing with Ethan.Ethan had promised to fix things and it echoed in my head till now, but they all felt empty. I had heard it all before. They were not new. The next morning, I decided to push aside everything I was thinking and go about the day as if nothing had happened. Andrew was already at the breakfast table, having breakfast. This time he was unaware of whatever quarrel his parents were having. I gave him a quick kiss on the head and poured myself a cup of coffee to make myself feel better. But no matter how hard I tried to do that, I was still down. The lawyer’s warning wasn’t just some minor inconvenience; it could turn our lives upside down. I had built a lot of wealth single handedly before and after I even met Ethan and I don't want anything that will cause my effort to be in vain. I could not trust Ethan to fix things. Things that happened before had taught me otherwise. I didn’t have much time to dwell on it, though,
Ethan “Damn it! How did I fuck things things up?” I lamented bitterly. I sat in the empty house long after Reina had gone upstairs angry at me. The weight of what I had just told her felt like a heavy object pressing down on my chest. Eight hundred thousand dollars, gone. I had gambled such a huge amount of money on something that I was not too sure of. I rubbed my elbow, staring at the cold, untouched cup of coffee in front of me. There was no use sitting here and feeling sorry for myself. I have to do something about this. This was not the first time I had made a mistake, but it had to be the last. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Jude's name. He had been the one to pull me into this mess. The one who had promised me that this investment was golden and was worth every penny. I should have seen the warning signs when things started going sideways, but I kept believing him. I was such a fool. I had to fix this, but there was n
Reina I woke up to the sound of the front door closing softly. After waking up, I found it difficult to go back to bed. Looking through the window, I discovered that it was still dark outside, and when I glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 AM. 2:30am!!!My heart sank into my belly. Ethan was not in bed beside me. I sat up, straining to hear anything else. But, I was answered with silence. I threw off the covers from my body and tiptoed to the window to look out clearly.My instincts were right. His car was gone. “Nice. Very nice.”My heart raced as I tried to push back the wave of suspicion that was already rising inside of me. He had promised me that everything was over. The lies and the secrets were done and all over. But now, here he was, sneaking out in the middle of the night.A small voice inside me kept on begging me to be calm and patient. That it might not be what I was thinking. How was I supposed to ignore what I was feeling? I grabbed my keys and pulled on a jac
ReinaI was reluctant to tell Ethan about what I saw the other night but he didn't look too good and I decided not to bother him anymore. I watched the clock tick closer to five in the evening.Ethan had not come home yet, and I didn’t expect him anytime soon. He had been busy trying to fix his mess and has been in the business of moving from one place to another. In a way, I appreciated the space I was getting but I didn't want the distance between the both of us to grow longer. I was lying down in my bed doing nothing serious. I have made a lot of money from the dresses I made for some rich clients. Today was a rest day. While I was still passing time, Bruce texted me asking if I was free to hang out and I could not resist the offer.It had been too long since we met nor spent time together.As I looked around our quiet room. I was filled with so much excitement Ethan would not mind, I told myself. Bruce was just a friend. A very close friend by the way. I quickly changed
EthanI stood outside the warehouse on a cold night. The cold air blew across with so much force and it wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, making me shiver.My hands trembled slightly as I clenched them into fists, trying to keep myself off the cold. The money in the bag I was carrying felt like the only thing that could save me.I had finally gathered enough to pay back the debt, but I knew this was not the end. There was always a catch. With people like them, there was always a catch.The warehouse door loomed in front of me, dimly lit by a single bulb. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open and the creak from the door echoed in the silence. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of oil and rust. My footsteps echoed against the concrete floor as I walked further in, searching for them.They were waiting, as I expected. A group of men stood in the shadows, their eyes locked on me as I approached. The man in the center, Lucian, was the one I was here for. He lean
Ethan POVThe house felt too quiet tonight, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. I stood by the window, staring out into the street, where the last glow of the sun was fading from. It was getting towards evening.My mind drifted to the pile of mail sitting unopened on the dining table. With everything going on, I had avoided it for days, but there was something that had been bugging me. The letter looked really old, almost as if it had traveled through time. I was unable to shake the feeling that I should open it. I walked straight to the dining room and shuffled through the envelopes. All I came across was Bills, junk mail, more bills… and then, there it was.The letter. It was yellowed at the edges, the handwriting on the front neat but unfamiliar. It was not something that I had seen before. My name was written there, but not my address. The address was that of my parents’ old house, where I had not lived or been to in so many years. It must have been forwar
Reina POVI had a feeling something was not right with Ethan but he didn't want to talk to me. He pretended that he was okay but deep down, I knew he was not. Ethan had been acting strange for the past few days, quieter, more distant, like he was keeping something to himself that he could not share. I tried to ask him about it, tried to understand what was going on, but every time I brought it up, he would either change the subject or say it was nothing. But I knew Ethan too well. He was not himself, and it bothered me that he was shutting me out.Tonight was no different. After dinner, he became unusually quiet, barely touching his food, lost in thought. He said he was going to take care of something and left the house. His face looked pale like he was preparing something that I could not see. I watched him leave the hold and I felt uneasy.Something in my gut told me to follow him. Maybe it was the way he left without a word, or maybe it was just my own worry getting the bet
EthanI could not sit still. Not after everything that has been happening.My fingers drummed against the edge of the hotel desk as my eyes looked towards the door for the hundredth time. I had double-checked the lock, slid the chain in place, and even propped a chair under the handle. But it was not enough. Not when I knew someone was following me.All these things felt like deja vu because something like this has happened to me before I moved to the country my family is in. Why was all these messing up with my life? “They have been watching us. There are cameras in the house.” I remembered Reina's words. And now this being tailed by a black car, the creeping feeling that every step I took was being tracked. I ran my hands through my hair and each strand was damp with sweat. I felt trapped and powerless, and it was eating me alive.My phone buzzed on the desk. I snatched it up, my heart pounding, hoping it was Reina. It was not.It was Carl. He never backed down even when I told
Reina I was scared to death, unaware of what to do. Ethan had been yelling at me that I should call the cops. “Call the cops now! Reina!” I wish I could. My hands were shaking and I could not dial the number correctly. When I was able to call the cops, the line operator answered and I heard a faint knock at the back door. My breath caught in my throat.“Reina?” Ethan’s voice came in again. I knew he heard the noise. “They are at the back door,” I whispered with tears streaming down my face. I could not believe that I would be crying this minute. See what we have gotten ourselves into. “Get out of there,” he said. “Now.”“I can’t. It's not that easy,” I said, my voice barely audible.“Then hide,” he said. “Go somewhere safe and stay there until the police arrive. I’m on my way, Reina. I promise.”On your way? Oh, Ethan. I know that you haven't booked a flight yet even though you pleaded with me that you will book the next available flight. I hung up and bolted toward the pantr
ReinaThe house has always been this quiet in the past few days. The kind of quiet that made every creak of the floorboards and every faint rustle outside feel like something heavy. I sat at the kitchen table, staring at the unknown number on my phone screen. My hands were trembling as I read the message again.“You’re in over your head, Mrs. Reina. Tell your husband to back off and leave Japan or you will both regret it.I had seen my fair share of threats in my career. The angry competitors, disgruntled clients, jealous rivals but this was different and more dangerous. I knew Ethan was in danger. I knew I was in danger. But what chilled me to the bone was the realization that whoever sent this message didn’t just know about us, they were watching us. They had their eyes on us. I felt like I was suffocating, the walls of the house closing in around me. I needed air. I needed to breathe. I ran outside so that I wouldn't faint and the cool night breeze kept on hitting my face as I
ReinaThe sun was just beginning to set when I heard the sharp knock on the door. It was unusual. I wasn’t expecting anyone.I froze, my mind immediately flashing back to Leonard’s warnings and Detective Daniels’ advice to stay vigilant. For a moment, I considered not answering, but the knock came again, louder this time.“Reina, it’s me,” a familiar voice called out.Leonard.My stomach churned as I tiptoed to the peephole. Sure enough, there he was, standing in a crisp black suit, his expression unreadable.I opened the door just enough to see him. “What are you doing here?” I asked sharply.“We need to talk,” Leonard said, his voice calm but urgent.“We have nothing to talk about,” I replied, starting to close the door.He pushed it open slightly, his hand on the frame. “Please, Reina. This is important. It’s about Ethan.”That made me pause. I didn’t trust Leonard as far as I could throw him, but the mention of Ethan pulled at my resolve. Reluctantly, I stepped aside and let him i
EthanI stood by the window in my hotel room, staring at the city lights shining brightly against the night sky.The streets below were alive with honking cars and I could hear laughter, and the distant thrum of music right here in my room. Yet inside this room, the silence I felt indifferent. I felt something that I could not quite shake off. The events of the last two days replayed in my mind like a broken record. The redhead, the alcohol, the shame. And Carl, my so-called friend who had managed to vanish when I needed him most.I clenched my fists, anger bubbling under the surface. “You are an idiot, Ethan,” I muttered to myself. “An absolute idiot.”My phone buzzed on the bedside table, snapping me out of my thoughts. I reached for it, half-expecting Reina’s name to light up the screen. But it wasn’t her.It was Carl. “Come on dude. Let me be.”I hated the way I was dwelling on all of these. I had work to do and I haven't been able to do anything yet. For a moment, I conside
ReinaThe dinner with Leonard didn't go as expected. As usual, he was cutting through corners. If he knew that I had submitted his name to the cops, maybe he would have given me more information. I was left to rack my brain over this. This was something that was meant to be the detectives work but I have not gotten any report from them. I wanted to call them to ask if they are making any progress but I guess I should just wait for some time. I sat at my desk, staring at my computer screen. The article I had been reading earlier blurred before my eyes. Leonard's words from the night before were still looping in my head. How would I get him to tell me all I need to know?Ethan was in Japan and some unknown people see plotting to kill him. Getting anything from Leonard seemed impossible especially when I knew that he was more interested in my body. But, I can't give in him or anyone. I was w married woman and I had a child. "They see Ethan as a threat,” I repeated as I thought alou
EthanThe cold shower did little to wash away the guilt clinging to my skin. I stood there, water pouring over me, hoping the icy sting would calm the storm in my chest. But it didn’t.I was haunted by memories and all I could see and hear and feel were The redhead’s laughter, her touch, the softness of her lips. it all kept on haunting leaving a relentless echo in my mind.“You are a fool, Ethan,” I muttered, slamming my fist against the tiled wall. “A bloody fool. How could you do such a thing?”I turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. My reflection in the fogged-up mirror stared back at me. I looked like a total stranger. A stranger with bloodshot eyes and a fucked up face. This was not me. This was not the man I promised Reina I would be.Reina. My sweet wife. Her face swam before my eyes and I could still see her bright smile, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. What would she think of me now? Would she even look at me the same way if she knew what
ReinaThe clock on my desk kept ticking loudly and I wondered if it was because I was paying attention to even the little things that I was able to hear it. On a normal day, I would care less about a clock. The sound of the clock was made louder by the silence that engulfed the house. At first, I was sketching a few designs that I was going to put up for sale in the online market but my attention became divided when I remembered that there was something I had to do quickly. tapped my pen against the edge of my notebook, staring at the half-written page in front of me. Research on Leonard had consumed my thoughts for the past two days, but the deeper I dug, the murkier things became.Something about him didn’t sit right with me.I sighed, pushing the notebook aside and reaching for my phone. My messages with Ethan stared back at me, our recent exchange still fresh.“Hey. Busy morning. I will call you tonight. Miss you.”His words these days had been reassuring, but something felt of
EthanI woke up to the sound of a door closing softly, followed by the faint click of heels on the floor. My head throbbed, pounding restlessly that made even the dim morning light coming through the curtains feel unbearable. Letting out a soft groan I tried to sit up, but the heaviness in my limbs kept me pinned to the bed.And then it hit me. I was naked. In her. By this time. I blinked, looking down to see the rumpled sheets tangled around my naked body. My stomach twisted as I began to remember what happened last night. The memories kept flooding back and I could not move. Her red hair glowed under the blue lights. Her laughter. Her hands. Her lips.Oh, my God! What have I done?The door clicked shut, and I turned just in time to catch a glimpse of her fiery hair as she disappeared down the hallway. She didn’t say goodbye. She didn’t even look back.I sat up quickly, clutching the sheets as if they could shield and protect me from the shame threatening to consume me. My cl