October 14, 2024. Chapter 1-2.
“Hey, you have to eat something,” Brian said to Megan. “I ordered a sandwich for both of us.”He studied her drawn face and asked, “When did you last eat?”“I don’t remember,” Megan replied. “Can we just keep driving? I’m not really hungry.”Brian and Megan pulled over at a bar along the way. It was already nine in the evening, and Brian was hungry. The police who escorted them were also famished. “We could crash into somebody if we don’t rest,” Brian said. “After this, we will stay in the nearest hotel. Let’s close our eyes for six hours -”“Hi, handsome. You are new here, aren’t you?” A young, beautiful woman in very seductive attire approached. “We already ordered,” Brian said to the woman. “Oh, I don’t work here.” The woman chuckled and tried to touch Brian. “Don’t fucking touch me!” Brian barked as he pulled his arm back. “Leave!”“You are rude!” The woman shot back, and she left, irritated by his actions. Later, their sandwich arrived. As Brian ate, he tried convincing Megan
“Why don’t we head back to the hotel and sleep while we wait for the search to finish?” Brian suggested, noticing Megan nodding off in the car, her head drooping with exhaustion.Megan shook her head. She faintly replied, “No, no. I want to wait.”The stress was getting into her, and Brian felt sorry for Megan. He suggested, “Why don’t you rest in the backseat?”With a nod, Megan transferred to the backseat and dozed off while sitting. Again, she was headbanging, sometimes hitting her head on the car’s window. It was cold outside, so Brian partly rolled the windows down just enough to get some air. He turned off the engine and moved back with Megan. While she was asleep, he helped rest her head on his shoulder. He studied her briefly and observed how her hand twitched as she slept. That was a clear indication of how overfatigued Megan had become. When Megan’s head slipped off his shoulder, he gently guided her back, cradling her face. He could see her clearly, noticing her refined f
The situation was the same in Halliport. Only that, it was Clint who observed the Harolds’ interrogation. Clint watched a police officer present a picture before Daisy and said, “You cleaned off your floor, didn’t you? But you forgot that part under your bed. That’s dried blood, Miss Harolds.”Daisy gulped. She said, “That’s my blood. I cut myself.”“Oh, so if we perform a DNA test against your blood, it would match?” The police asked, and Daisy quickly frowned. “You don’t have the authority to do that,” Daisy reacted while gritting her teeth. “Here is another photo for you,” the police said, showing pictures of the cottage sent from Tiverwall. “You don’t have to lie now. We know exactly what happened.”“Just tell us! Was it an accident? We will understand,” the police said. “It happens all the time.”“It was his new girlfriend! Claire! Claire Monet! She did it! She killed Prince!” Daisy screamed. “I had nothing to do with it. Prince left me for her. You should question her instead!
“We - we live across the lake. I found him lying on the lakeshore at dawn. My son and I were supposed to leave this forsaken place, but we couldn’t leave him, of course,” the lady whom Megan and Brian had come to know as Trina said. “He wasn’t like this when we found him. He was still conscious.”“He could still talk a word or two, but mostly mumbling. He said help, help, please.” Trina stared at Prince, saying, “He had a cut on his chest, but his real injury was to the head. He was shirtless, and his pants were all soaked, which meant he had swam from the water somewhere.”“I took him in my car and covered him with my son’s favorite blanket - god, he was such a heavy guy!” Trina exclaimed as tears welled in her eyes. “A day after your brother was admitted here, he fell into a coma. The doctor said it was due to the trauma in his head, blood loss, and infection.” “I felt so sorry for him. Some of the hospital staff had suggested that maybe he got involved with some bad people or he co
“Prince? Prince!” Megan’s voice quivered with both disbelief and ease. Seeing him awake flooded her with emotion, instantly dissolving all the worries weighing on her heart. She rushed to him, embracing him firmly, whispering, “Thank the heavens.”Prince turned to her with a look of shock and relief. Immediately, tears brimmed in his eyes as he called, “Meg?”“It’s me. It’s me!” Megan was already crying as she cupped her brother’s face. She said, “I came for you.”“Megan,” Prince called again, and he broke down completely this time. His body trembled under the intensity of his emotions, and he held Megan tightly. Softly, he said, “I’m alive. This is real.”“You made it, Prince!” Megan said while strengthening her hold on Prince. “You made it.”Prince’s hold was not as strong as when Megan remembered it. His voice was faint, and his hands were shaking. He said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left. I thought I would never see you again.”“Don’t say that! I would never let that happen, Prince. Y
‘How did this happen?’ Daisy asked herself as she, once again, sat in the police station’s interrogation room.Things did not go according to plan. The truth was they moved to Halliport due to the harassment their family had received from co-investors of IntraTech. This was because Bryce Harolds was one of the company’s movers. He employed the engineer who created the robotic system and was also one of the individuals who invited investors into the company.In addition, they were drowning in debt back in Canada. Daisy was also forced to resign due to her father’s reputation. Their only source of income was their investment in King’s Enterprises, which significantly surged following Adrian’s takeover and his partnership with the Wright Diamond Corporation and Dowel Landmasters. All Daisy wanted to do was help her family, especially her father. Bryce Harolds initially planned to take a loan from the Kings, but that also meant he’d have to repay it. On top of that, Daisy’s father was
“Prince? You - you are alive,” Daisy said. Shock washed over her as she stared at him; her throat suddenly dried, and her face paled. “I - I thought you were dead -”“You mean you left me to die!” Prince shot back. Prince was being pushed in a wheelchair by his sister. Daisy’s eyes wandered to Megan, and the latter expressed, “After everything my brother had sacrificed to be with you, this is how you repay him? By killing him!”“I - I -” Daisy gulped. How could she lie about it now when Prince was before her?Instead, she rushed to Prince and fell on her knees. She grabbed his leg and said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Your fall was an accident! I thought you had died!”“Died?” Prince asked. “Did you even check?”Daisy’s eyes rounded. Had she checked his pulse? No, but her father had. Could he have made a mistake?“Prince!” She wept as she embraced his knees. She said, “Prince, forgive me. I’m sorry! I was scared. I did not want to go to jail. I did not want to leave my mom!”Daisy got up a
“How - how did you manage this?” Prince stammered, staring at the document in his hands. He was utterly shocked to learn that Bryce’s shares at King’s Enterprises had been transferred to his name.Prince and Megan were at Adrian’s office, settled in the sitting area. They came at Adrian’s request. “It’s very simple. Bryce owes you money, and he has money in the form of company shares,” Adrian replied. “I asked him to give you part of his shares and some in my name. In return, I offered to cover his wife’s medical expenses indefinitely.”Prince turned to where Riley sat. She smiled brightly at him and raised her brows, saying, “It’s real.”“I have to say, Adrian, you are a patron,” Prince remarked. Riley chuckled and hugged Adrian’s arm. She said, “No, he just appreciates people that way. As for Mrs. Harolds, we know you attempted to help her despite what happened.”“Riley and I figured we’d take that off your shoulders since you are still recovering, among other things you still nee
“It’s so cold,” Charlie muttered while staring into the balcony. She sipped on her hot chocolate before taking a deep breath. “I wonder how long this bad weather will last.”“I checked the weather. It will rain until tomorrow. Classes will most likely resume the day after,” Taylor said behind Charlie. He drank his hot beverage and sat on another sofa, his eyes also studying the heavy downpour. There was a storm, and so classes were temporarily suspended. Thus, Charlie was stuck at home with Taylor. “So, what’s the story with you, Charlie Blondie? If we are going to be housemates, we might as well get to know each other,” Taylor suggested. Charlie turned to him, her gaze lingering longer than she intended. Taylor usually let his hair fall freely, but that morning, with his hair pulled back into a man bun, his sharp features were in full display. “Mmm. What do you want to know?”“Where are you from?” Taylor asked without looking at her. He resumed drinking his coffee. Charlie made a
“Eww! This is sticky—wait! I have gloves!” Charlie exclaimed after attempting to mold the ground chicken with her hand. Charlie was in the kitchen of the new apartment at seven. Her roommate was not home yet. She was watching You*Tube, learning how to make cheesy chicken croquettes. Earlier, she had followed instructions, mixing spices and condiments into the meat. Now, she was forming balls and putting a big slice of cheese inside. “Yummy cheese,” Charlie said with a smile. She loved cheese. “Cheese is life!” She claimed it.After making ten balls of chicken croquettes, she prepared the olive oil. Charlie muttered, “I’m getting the hang of this. I’m so good at this.”Charlie happily began frying her chicken croquettes. She was so excited to eat them that she took pictures of her cooking while she was at it, which she happily sent to her family’s group chat. [Look, guys! I’m cooking a very complicated dish!]Riley: [Meatballs? I’m so proud of you, Charlie!]Charlie: [Mom, it’s ch
As Taylor had promised, he was up early and about to leave for basketball practice at seven a.m. He was already in his basketball jersey, but given the bad weather, he wore a jacket over his frame. He was really tall. At six feet, he towered over Charlie.Taylor caught Charlie having another food delivery. He frowned and said, "It's not healthy, you know. You should cook on your own. There are a lot of videos on You*Tube."Charlie unpacked her food and said, "Oh, I can cook. I just haven't done my groceries yet."That was a lie. Charlie wasn't good at cooking, but she knew it was about time to learn. She had to admit it: Sofia and Ashley somewhat spoiled her by doing most of the cooking. Her contributions to the previous apartment were mostly cleaning and washing the dishes. "Anyway, I have to go," Taylor said, his voice still a little hoarse. I'll be back at noon.""I won't be here," Charlie said. "Good!" Taylor said before leaving. Well, she did not die. Thank god. Charlie conclu
At the condo, Charlie and Taylor sat in their seats, staring at each other. Both of them were clearly second-guessing the situation.“I still can’t believe I ended up in this mess,” Charlie muttered. “You are the worst possible roommate I could ever have.”“Really?” Taylor reacted. “This is given your experience of being roommates with other men?"“You -” Charlie gritted her teeth, her face burned in anger. “Why don’t you tell me, Charlie Blondie, why were you looking for another place to stay just weeks into the first semester? Where were you staying before this?” Taylor scoffed and suggested, “Maybe your roomies couldn’t stand you, and you got kicked out!”“You don’t know what you are talking about!” Charlie retorted. “I have my reasons, and it’s none of your business.”Clearing his throat, Taylor said, “Well, anyway, Charlie Blondie -”“Stop calling me that!” Charlie snapped. “It’s a way for me to differentiate you and Charlie Slade,” Taylor answered. “Who is Charlie Slade?” Cha
###FLASHBACK: TWO DAYS AGO ###“You have to try to get out of trouble! I’m tired of the school calling me every time…” Taylor’s father was ranting about the recent fight he had been involved in at school. Taylor was rarely home, yet this lecture served as his welcome-home speech. Taylor, however, barely paid attention.His phone suddenly rang. He interrupted his father, saying, “Dad, hold on. Tanya is calling.”“Tanya?” Taylor answered the call while his father was still talking. He could not focus and rushed the call altogether. “Taylor - a Charlie King - to co-rent the condo,” Tanya said on the other line. “Charlie?” He did not know why, but a certain Charlie flashed in his head. Charlie was a third-year engineering student, and they were in the same Structural Analysis class. Coincidentally, this Charlie had asked him about any vacancies at Fernwood Residence. So, Taylor immediately assumed it was him. “Yeah, I know Charlie,” Taylor said. It did not help that Tanya was out of
“Your new apartment is great!” Charlie’s sister complimented. Charlie gave her sister a virtual tour of the new place through a video call. It was late at night, but she was pumped up. She could not sleep!“I know, it’s clean and spacious. I guess it’s worth $3000. Haha!”“Pfft,” her sister, Freya, scoffed. “I think it’s cheap.”“No! Haha!” Charlie laughed again. “Luxford is not as developed as Halliport. It’s only known for the university. So, rent should not be this expensive, but I’m just glad I found a place to stay.”Charlie smiled as she sat on the sofa. She looked around, the wind blowing on her face from the living room balcony. She said, “I feel like this condo and this view will make me finish the rest of the year in Luxford.”She only had one year left, and it would be really inconvenient to change schools in between. So, maybe, just maybe, she could bear it. Charlie chatted with her family next. They had many questions, especially about her friends, but she said, “I just
Charlie looked up and met the guy’s gray eyes. His eyes were so beautiful, but this man was angry… and had a cut on his lip!‘Taylor West?’ Charlie silently named. Her heart raced as she mused, ‘How did he get into a fight early in the morning?’“I said, watch where you are going!” He repeated. His tone was sharp, and his eyes narrowed. He grabbed a younger student next to him and demanded from Charlie, “Apologize to him!”“I’m sorry. I was in a hurry,” Charlie explained. “It’s okay. It’s okay, Taylor, I’m fine,” the younger student said. “Head back to class,” Taylor told the young man and the latter nodded. He smiled at Charlie before leaving. “Look, I’m sorry. I need to go to class,” Charlie said. Taylor did not respond, so she took off.“Do I know you? You look familiar?” Taylor later asked. Charlie turned around and raised her brow. She answered, “No, we have never met.”“Okay, well, watch where you are going next time,” he said curtly. Just then, a group of students emerged
“Space, huh? You needed to focus on basketball?” Charlie reacted with sarcasm. “Wait, don’t tell me you just met this girl today? Because we just broke up the other night!”Following Charlie’s arrival, The Nook & Brew Café fell silent. She caught a look of horror on her best friends’ faces—Ashley and Sofia.Luke’s hold on Regina loosened. He looked down before meeting Charlie’s gaze and admitted, “I’m sorry, Charlie. I could not tell you. I… I did not want to break your heart.”Charlie scoffed. She felt tears brimming in her eyes, but she held it. Instead, she allowed her anger to take over. “You could have just said so and not leave me wondering what I did wrong!”“I deserve the truth, Luke. I have been good to you for the past two years.” She pointed at him, adding, “You know it!” Then Charlie eyed Luke’s friends, including their girlfriends. She added, “And they all know it!”“And you two!” Charlie called Ashley and Sofia’s attention. “It’s obvious that you knew, but you chose to l
‘I love you, Charlie, and you’ll always have a special place in my heart, but I need space. Let’s break up,’ Luke’s words the other night rang in Charlie’s head. ‘I need to focus on my studies and basketball. Scouts will be in town this year, and this might be my only chance to get into the NBA. I hope you understand, Charlie.’He meant that basketball would be his life from that moment on, and she was nothing more than a distraction.To think, Charlie was ready to introduce Luke to her family. Luke would have been overwhelmed, but sadly, he ended it before he could truly know the real Charlie Rae King. Charlie was watching the game between Luxford University’s The Atomic Heat and The Wall Street Warriors. Their school had four basketball teams, and each year, they competed for the chance to represent the school at the National College Basketball Association. Luke Sullivan was the captain of The Wall Street Warriors. They represented the business courses, whereas The Atomic Heat rep