011

Selene~

The black car screeched to a halt in front of us, my heart lodged itself in my throat. Rachel clutched my arm, frozen, and for a terrible second, I thought we were done for.

But then, the distant wail of police sirens turned a different cause.

The car hesitated, their tires skidding against tarred road. Then with a violent jerk, it reversed, tires screaming as it fled away, disappearing down another street just before a squad car whizzed by in the opposite direction, flashing red and blue lights.

I bent over, gasping for air, my knees trembling so badly I nearly collapsed. Rachel was doing the same, her hands on her thighs, breathing like she’d just sprinted a marathon.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Selene, what the hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” I choked out. “I really… I don’t know.”

For a moment, we just stood there, silent except for the desperate sound of our own breathing and the echo of sirens bouncing off the buildings.

Rachel grabbed my hand tightly. “We can’t stay here. Come on. Let’s go. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Without another word, we stumbled out onto the main street, managed to flag down a cab, and collapsed into the backseat, both of us still shaking.

The cab driver, an older man with tired eyes, glanced back at us once in the rearview mirror, but said nothing. Maybe he sensed we didn’t have the energy for small talk.

Rachel gave him the address of her apartment, and for the first time since the shots rang out, I allowed myself to slump against the seat, feeling the adrenaline ebb and the cold of fear creep into my bones.

When we finally reached Rachel’s apartment, a modest, newer complex tucked between a coffee shop and a pharmacy, we practically fell out of the cab and paid the driver. I gripped the railing as we climbed the stairs, every creak of the rails making me flinch.

Inside her apartment, Rachel didn’t bother giving me a tour. She just dragged my suitcase into the small but cozy living room, then led me straight to the bedrooms.

It wasn’t a fancy place, but it felt like a sanctuary compared to the chaos we had just escaped. Light cream walls, simple furniture, a few framed photos and houseplants. It smelled like lavender and clean laundry.

The minute we reached her room, Rachel let herself fall backward onto the bed, arms flung wide like she had just been saved from drowning. I sank down beside her, my suitcase forgotten in the living room.

We lay there in stunned silence for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.

Then Rachel turned her head toward me. Her voice was quiet but raw. “Selene… do you have any idea who that was? Who could possibly want to hurt you?”

I shook my head, hugging a pillow against my chest. “No. I swear, I don’t. I mean, there are people who don’t like me. Ex-friends. My ex-husband and his circle. But someone trying to kill me? I…” I swallowed. “I honestly don’t know.”

Rachel studied me for a long moment, and for the first time, I saw genuine fear in her usually bright, fearless eyes. “You need to be careful. Whoever that was tonight, they weren’t bluffing.”

“I know,” I whispered.

After a few minutes, Rachel sat up and rubbed her face. “Come on. Let’s shower. Wash all this panic off. Then we’ll figure out what the hell we’re going to do.”

I nodded, my body feeling too heavy, too raw to argue.

We took quick showers, separate bathrooms, thank God and when we returned, fresh in pajamas, hair damp and our skin scrubbed clean, Rachel stood awkwardly in the passage between the two bedrooms.

She glanced at her room, then at mine. Then back at me.

“Um,” she said, her voice suddenly small, "Would it be weird if I asked if we could sleep in the same room tonight?”

I blinked. “What?”

Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking almost shy. “I mean, yeah, it’s a two-bedroom apartment and all, but after tonight…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “I just… I don’t want to be alone.”

Something about the vulnerability in her tone broke my heart a little.

It was Lina, my ex-bestfriend that used to evoke this kind friendship feelings in me. Remembering her betrayal, I clenched my fists.

I gave her a soft smile. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to be alone either.”

Relief washed over her face like a tide. “Thank you.”

We climbed into the bed together, lying side-by-side like two kids at a sleepover. For a few minutes, neither of us spoke.

Rachel turned her head toward me. “You know… I don’t usually do this. Let people in, I mean. Not since… everything.”

I turned too, propping my head on my hand. “Everything? How do you mean?”

She gave a sad little laugh. “Yeah. Since my parents.”

The weight of her words hung between us. She didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t need to. I could hear the hurt, the loneliness behind her voice.

“What happened to them?” I asked gently.

Rachel stared at the ceiling for a long moment before answering. “They were murdered. Home invasion gone wrong, they said. I was eleven then.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“I’m so sorry, Rachel,” I whispered.

She shrugged, but the motion was too tight, too forced. “Police never found out who did it. Case went cold. I bounced around foster homes for a few years. Had to learn to take care of myself pretty fast.”

Her voice broke slightly at the end, and I instinctively reached out, squeezing her hand.

“No kid should have to go through that,” I said fiercely.

Rachel smiled a little. “No one should. But hey, it made me tough. And stubborn. And very, very good at picking locks.” She winked, trying to lighten the mood.

I laughed softly, grateful she still had a sense of humor after everything.

“What about you?” she asked after a moment. “You mentioned something about an family things before the interview?”

I nodded, the familiar sting of old wounds surfacing. “Yeah. My mom died when I was in college. It broke my father. A year later, he remarried. His new wife didn’t want me around. She pressured him to marry me off.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “What? Like… an arranged marriage?”

“In a way, yeah.” I sighed. “His business partner had a son. Adrian. Wealthy. Successful. Perfect on paper. We married fast. I thought… maybe I could make it work.”

Rachel studied my face, reading the pain there without me saying a word.

“But?” she prompted gently.

“But,” I said bitterly, “I found out he was cheating on me, with my best friend. His assistant. Caught them red-handed in his office.”

Rachel gasped. “Oh, Selene…”

“ We've Divorced already. Cut ties with everyone and Started over.”

There was a long, heavy pause.

“You’re stronger than you think,” Rachel said quietly.

I smiled, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes. “Thanks for that”

I didn’t mention Dominic. I couldn’t. That secret, our contract, our twisted marriage deal was a weight I wasn’t ready to share yet.

So instead, I cleared my throat and said, “You know what? I’ve decided. I’m going to accept the offer. The female-led initiative program. I’m going to do it.”

Rachel sat up, her eyes wide with excitement. “Really? Selene, that’s amazing!”

I nodded, feeling a new, determined fire burn in my chest. “Yeah. I’m not going to let anything ruin my life. Not anymore. This is what I've always wanted”

Rachel clapped her hands together. “And you’re not going alone. I’m coming with you.”

I laughed. “You sure? It’s going to be crazy.”

“Crazy is my middle name,” she said proudly. “Besides, someone’s got to watch your back, right?”

“Right.”

We both grinned at each other, a new bond forging itself between us, thick and unbreakable.

But deep down, under all the excitement, something still weighed on my mind, My baby, I hope she's safe. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts, finding the one person I didn't want to call.

"I accept the offer Dominic"