BEVERLY’S POVI sit in the hospital waiting area, amidst several other pregnant women who have come for their regular checkups. We’re all the same, protruding tummies and bloated faces but what sets them apart is the fact that all of them aren’t alone. Their partners are close, fussing over them an
“Does your husband own a business too?” She asks. “Yes.”“What does he do?” “He’s CEO.” I reply curtly and her jaw drops. A nurse appears and calls for her and I am relieved that I am finally left alone to my thoughts. The waiting area slowly empties out but there is still no sign of Kian. Soon,
LESLIE’S POVI wake up in the softest bed I’ve ever slept in in my entire life. For the first few seconds of coming to, I try to remember when I slept and how I ended up on the bed but my memory turns out to be nothing but a blank sheet. The day is slowly slipping into night and the plane is still
KIAN’S POVLeslie backed down easier than I expected but I am grateful she doesn’t argue or see through my lie. She’s suspicious but that feeling is outweighed by the excitement of meeting with Andre. So without any more complaint, she walks into our room with me. ‘Our’ room is hardly a room. It’s
I scoff, holding myself back from screaming in her face that Andre is a bigger bastard than she thinks he is and he is doing this on purpose. “You don’t get it, he is doing this to mess with me!” Something snaps inside of her. I don’t hear it but it’s there in her eyes, in the way her pupils enlar
LESLIE'S POVUneasiness and excitement prickles my insides at the same time. The uneasy feeling started the moment I stepped into the car and it drove away from the hotel. I suddenly didn’t feel as confident as I felt when I was telling Kian off, nor did I feel so sure I could handle a one-on-one m
“Andre Sanders,” he introduces.I turn fully to him, gathering myself together and pushing out my best smile as I take his warm outstretched hand. “Leslie Jackson.” I notice how his eyebrows hike up at my name but I don’t quite understand why he reacted to it like that. “It’s nice to finally meet
KIAN’S POVShe almost saw me. Heck, I was certain she did and was already shitting bricks thinking about how exactly to explain why and how I’m here. But Andre—the bastard—snagged her attention and I relaxed. Though, not quite fully. I relaxed because she didn’t see me but I’m still as tense as ev
LESLIE’S POV I join Kian’s mother outside the room, closing the door behind me. She is still stewing in anger, face red with rage that’s waiting to be unleashed. Usually, I would do anything to pacify her so I wouldn't be at the receiving end of that unbridled rage. Now? Irritation is all I feel at
LESLIE’S POV (One Week Later) “If the police show up again, spray them in the face with the fire extinguisher or something.” Cole’s irritated voice filters through my phone’s speaker and it makes me crack a smile for the first time in a week. “Pretty sure I would get arrested for that.” “Not
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