“Thank you so much, Dianne.” “It’s what I get paid for.” She says, standing and grabbing her bag. “I should probably leave.” My face falls, “But you just got here.” “I have to return to the office and round up a few things.” I look at the time and see that there’s only twenty more minutes
KIAN’ S POV I waited outside in my car for two hours. I don’t why I waited, I don’t even know why I thought that following the personal assistant would lead me to Leslie. I guess I was just clinging to any hope and opportunity that presents itself to me. She was there for two hours and even when
LESLIE’S POV My favourite part of living in my father’s mansion is the view from the windows in my room. From here, I can see the smooth asphalt road of the suburban district. I can see the perfectly manicured gardens and the sweet scented flowers whose smell is carried by the wind. Beyond the la
KIAN’S POV I should have practiced. That’s the first thought that crossed my mind when Leslie showed up outside the house all of a sudden. I waited outside that gate for three days just to get even the slightest peek at her. I came there everyday, putting everything in my life on hold just for her
Should I have written it down? What exactly do I say to her? How do I say it so she believes me? “Kian?” Her voice sounds like it’s calling for me from a distance. Then I hear a rather loud knock on the table and snap my head up to look at her. I must have zoned out and she used that to draw my at
BEVERLY’S POV I pace the length of the living room, my eyes alternating between the door and the wall clock. It goes without saying that Kian is the reason for my agitation. This is the fourth time I will be in this situation and each new time drives me even crazier than the last one. He has chan
He looks slightly disheveled and like he hasn’t gotten any sleep in the past three days. Just where the hell has he been? “Where have you been?” I ask him, keeping my voice calm so this doesn’t break into an argument. I’ve realized that I can’t be forceful with Kian anymore. It will just bounce bac
LESLIE'S POVI step into the office, my heels clicking against the polished floor, the familiar scent of coffee and paper hitting me like a warm embrace. It's been over a week, but it feels like a lifetime. The trauma of the past days lingers at the edges of my mind, but today, I am determined to re
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