TRAVIS' POV I am restless, pacing the front porch of Sir Hanson’s home. Clenching and unclenching my fists. Cracking my knuckles repeatedly out of a sheer force of habit, anxiety and maybe even a small hint of anger. It’s a little past 7pm, an hour and a little past the normal time Leslie is supp
“You don’t have to explain again, Travis. I know you’re only looking out for me and I am grateful.” She says softly and I nod. She goes silent after that as if contemplating her next words, perhaps a response to the question I asked earlier. “I already handled Kian. He won’t show his face around m
BEVERLY’S POV “Do not say a word to him, you hear me? I am on my way.” Kian’s words are a repeated echo in my mind even when it’s been minutes since he gave that stern warning through the phone. I hate when he talks to me in that tone, that business-like tone that seeks to draw the line and put m
BEVERLY’S POV He stands by the door that he literally just barged through. He doesn’t look pleased to see me standing there, by his grandfather and he is glaring daggers at me from where he stands. I fight the urge to roll my eyes at him because I am equally as mad at him for what he just called me
LESLIE’S POV I haven’t slept well in the last few days. As badly as I want to blame my lack of sleep on the back-breaking work of refining my old designs, creating new ones, picking out suitable textiles for them, guiding the tailors and preparing for the launch in three months, I also know deep
LESLIE'S POV Every single sound around me is swallowed by silence that seems to come from my own head. The crowd’s noise becomes muffled, a background sound that’s so distant it’s as though it’s miles away from where I am bent over the unconscious man. I can’t move. I can’t take my eyes off hi
KIAN’S POV“Okay, explain to me in simple terms how you lost an ‘old man’ in the middle of a big city.” My voice is calm. Dangerously calm, judging by the direness of the current situation. Grandfather disappeared. Disappeared. That is the exact word the moron standing with his head bowed in fron
LESLIE’S POVGrandfather passed out again after recognizing me in his split second of consciousness. It was just an after effect of the painkillers infused into the drip that’s connected to his body, according to the doctor. But I didn’t know that. And so as soon as grandfather passed out after cal
LESLIE’S POV My reflexes work faster than they ever have. Fast enough to help me roll away, and bump into Beverly in the process. Mike relentlessly stalks towards me and that’s when I get a good look at his affected leg. I time his movement and before he can take another angry swing of his weapon
LESLIE’S POV Seconds after Beverly crumples to the ground, my breath is still caught in my throat. I’m still trembling as I watch her sprawled on the floor, body jerking uncontrollably. I’m amazed at my strength to still remain standing despite the traumatising scene in front of me. To still grip t
LESLIE’S POV Our hearts are already in our mouths before we see what jumped at us—a ginormous rat, every bit as scared as us. It runs at full speed and scurries into the nearby bush. “All clear.” She mutters and we both step into the shed using her phone’s flashlight. It’s a full shed; a bunch of
LESLIE’S POV We’re barely two minutes away from the abandoned school gate when the engine starts to sputter, the entire truck shaking with the intensity. “No…no…no…no, not now!” Beverly lets out a panicked groan. I am preoccupied with looking behind us to make sure we’re not being followed but at
LESLIE’S POV Kian doesn’t know it—the name of Mike’s sister. I can tell from the way his entire face has gone even paler than it was before. Earlier, it had been pale from the pain of the injuries from the accident that I still don’t know the extent of. Now, he has turned ashen from something m
LESLIE’S POV The sound of my name reaches me from somewhere distant. The sound is repeated just like the throbbing ache in my head. When I finally manage to pry open my eyes, the feeling of deja vu washes over me. My hands and legs are bound tightly just like three years ago in that warehouse.
BEVERLY’S POV The familiar beeping sound that comes from my phone causes me to jerk upright. My eyes train on the screen, following the movement of a blinking red dot on the map. He’s on the move. I slam a couple of bills on the coffee table before hurrying out of the cafe where I had been havi
“I have to leave now, I have a plane to catch.” After I pause, I face Mike squarely and say, “I hope I never see you again.” My words carry all of the resentment I feel towards him. He merely smirks and with one last look at him, I turn around and leave. KIAN’S POV “There she is.” Cole says as L
“This bastard…” Kian hisses in my ear but I ignore him. “If you’re really leaving, you should be on a plane or a train not here.” Mike says, eyeing me sceptically. I give nothing away as I stare back at him. “I was curious.” “About?” He cocks his head. “Was it you?” I swallow hard because I’