ISABELLA’S POVTwo days had passed, and there was still no sign of Mireille. Her phone number was not going through, and I made another shocking discovery. It was almost as if she vanished into thin air. Dread spread through my trembling body as I paced up and down my office. I didn't have a choice but to be here. The urge to ditch everything and take a flight to Florida engulfed me. I had spent the previous night rolling and tossing on the bed. Different thoughts ran through my mind. What could have happened to Mireille? Why was she not calling or messaging me?The fourth auction was tomorrow, and I could not leave. I had so much to attend to. There were a lot of paintings I had to bring in. I had to take care of the guest list, coupled with the fact that my boss was looking up to me to make this a success. The door creaked, and Alaric stepped in, dressed in an all-white suit. The way he carried him with so much grace and confidence was attractive. The dangerous aura that emanated
ISABELLA’S POVThe day of the auction slowly rolled in, and even though my life was a wrecking ball, I managed to hold it together. But I had to admit I was zoning in and out multiple times. I had a dream concerning Mireille overnight. In the dream, she was begging for help, blood all over her.I sighed again and dragged my mind back to the bidding. The theme of it was beauty. Luckily, I managed to source the best of all the paintings. I had painted an image of Mireille; she was the only one who knew the meaning of beauty. Her eyes glowed up genuinely every time I succeeded with work. Her smile seemed to light up every dark room in the house. Her words uplifted my soul, and she loved me unconditionally. As the time ticked, I tapped my feet against the floor, waiting for it to end, but it seemed to stretch more. I hadn't seen Alaric all morning, and more weird thoughts ran through my mind. “The boss is here, ma’am.” A female staff whispered against my ear, and I startled a little bef
ISABELLA’S POVI froze. His words replayed in my mind, but this time, slower. It felt like the world was crumbling beneath my feet as time had stopped. My body trembled vigorously. Mireille. Mireille was dead.Tears rolled down my cheek as I gripped tightly onto my wine-suit trousers. It felt unreal, and the words sounded foreign for a second.Alaric closed the gap between us, his palms grabbing my shoulder. The pain broke my heart. “We can't say it's her until we see the body, " he said, and I could tell that he was only trying to calm me down. I booked us a last-minute ticket, and our flight leaves in an hour. Your bag is packed as well.” He formed as he pulled me up gently, and I leaned into him. I could barely make out anything in my surroundings as we walked out of the building and into his car. The second the door to the car closed, I let out a scream, hitting the seat head. Alaric stepped in from the other side.“To the airport, Enzo.” Enzo glanced at me through the review
THIRD PERSON’S POVHer heart thumped loudly against her ribcage, her fingers were trembling, and she felt a cold spine run through her veins. “Stay right there,” Alaric ordered before shoving the door open and running to the street. He had parked the car in a safe place, but she could barely make anything out as blood rushed to her ears.He knew the homeless man had to be involved. He was conversant with how things like this worked. A surge of adrenaline ran through him as he stormed into the streets. His eyes moved over the countless people. He could still remember what the homeless man was dressed in and what he looked like. Sweat broke across his face as he stepped into people’s faces to check if the homeless man had changed into another outfit. He had read too many crime books to know how this works while growing up. Finally, he caught sight of the tattered black hoodie. He grabbed him by the shoulder with renewed hope and flipped him around.“Ouch, you're hurting me, " a femal
ISABELLA’S POV“I don't think we should do that after what happened last night.” He responded, dishing the chicken, fried potatoes, and egg on a plate and handing it to her.“We?” she repeated, then added, “Thank you for the food.”He hummed as he poured her an orange juice. “You don't think I will let you go alone, right?” She was speechless for a second. She wasn't entirely expecting him not to follow her, and she didn't want to bother him. “Enjoy your meal while I go take a bath, okay.” His hand was resting on the table as he spoke before he raised a palm and touched her forehead. “You seem better now. Let me know if it changes.” With this, he walked out of sight.Her mouth tasted bitter, but she managed to chew the food because she couldn't let his effort go to waste. Soon, he was dressed in a light blue shirt and cream-colored shorts. His face was neatly shaved, too. She was done, too, and within minutes, they were in his car, driving towards Mireille’s apartment.Her heart be
ISABELLA’S POVI had taken forever to snap out of the phase while Alaric spoke with the two police officers. Different scenarios had played out in my head. Mireille had always seemed so happy and carefree that I never thought she could hide something. She shared everything with me about how her first sex went. How sex with her new man was. How engagement was planned out. Everything except the important details.Who was the savior? I could barely determine what they were saying, but I knew he handed them what we had gotten from her house and the car. One of the police officers had said something about us taking a big risk and suggested that we stay put until we got the news. I had yet to tell Alaric I had gotten a package back in Alabama. I doubted that it mattered anymore. “We will get back to you, Mr Wolfe.” He said before flashing him a smile. Alaric hummed thanks while I laid my head between my palms, trying to solve the mystery.What clue were we missing? I thought as I tried
ISABELLA’S POV“We found something.”It was early morning, and Alaric and I drove to the station after the policeman called. My body was still sore from last night, and my heart was beating so fast that I held tightly onto Alaric’s hand. The street was barely empty, yet he managed to maneuver his way, and in minutes, we were standing in front of the police station. I dragged in a big breath as I wondered what news awaited me. This was either going to scar me for life or save my best friend. It was as though he noticed my fear because he held my hand.“If you ever feel uncomfortable, let me know, and we are out of here.” His words held a reassuring tone, which made me slightly calm. Two unfamiliar faces were there when we got to the office they had directed us to. One was sitting in front of a laptop while the other man, who seemed older, stood beside him. “From the tattoo in the picture, we managed to narrow it down to these three men.” The older man informed me, and I watched the
ISABELLA’S POV Was I dumb for sending a message to this unknown person? Even though the doorman claimed a delivery man delivered it, I wanted to believe he would come again. It was three in the night. I couldn't sleep, even though Alaric had done everything to calm me down. Our flight was scheduled to leave in the morning, and I was pacing up and down the room. “Be a man and face me, coward.” This was the message in the paper I had given him. Did the mystery man collect it yet? My nerves went on the verge of breaking. My heart was hammering so fast against my ribcage while my fingers were as cold as ice. After long, heart-crushing minutes of thinking, I finally snuck out of the room and headed down the elevator. As soon as I stepped out, I saw him in the corridor. “Any news?” I asked and watched him shake his head in denial. An exasperated sign slipped free, and I ran my fingers through my hair, a million trains of thoughts whirling in my head. The weather was chilly, best f
AUTHOR’S POVIsabella’s soul had been trapped in a dark, endless abyss, and she had no idea of how long that had stretched on. It was like she was alive and wasn’t at the same time. All it took was just a second for everything to change. A loud cough escaped her lips as she pulled her eyes apart, her body weak and in pain. There was something attached to her arm, and the whole room looked unfamiliar, as did the Blonde-haired, good-looking man standing before her.“Where am I?” she asked out of sheer curiosity because she could vividly remember being with her husband and then the confrontation with Elena and his mother. “Get me, Alaric, please.” She proceeded, wanting to believe this was one of the rooms in their house. The man, dressed in a white shirt and black pantsuit, made his way carefully towards her, his hands in his pocket and his eyes not leaving her. He was in disbelief that she would request Alcohol the moment she awoke. Regardless, he had millions of questions running thr
ALARIC’S POVI let out a small yawn as I stretched my hand to pull my wife closer. My eyes were still closed, but I was met with emptiness. I sprang my eyes open, my heart thumping. The sun had risen in the sky, sending its reflection into the room. My eyes ran round the room. Her clothes were still sitting on the laundry basket, so that had to mean she was in the house. I dashed into the restroom to find it empty. Fear crawled through me. Did she leave me again? Was it forever this time?My heart was beating so fast. Even though I had gotten used to being people’s second choice, I had doubts that I could live without her. I picked up my phone from the bedside and instantly dialled her number, but it was switched off. A bead of sweat broke across my neck.Soon, I was storming downstairs, asking every maid if they had seen my wife, but none did. My parents and Elena were sitting at the dining table, munching on food.“Good morning, son.” Mother smiled brightly. “Care to join us?”“Hav
ISABELLA’S POVThe house was quiet, but I tried to note the way so I wouldn't get lost on my way back. The sky was filled with the stars alongside the bright moon. I dragged in some fresh air, hoping the night would speed by fast so we could leave. I didn't know how long had passed, but the air had gotten so chilly that it penetrated my skin, causing me to gnash my teeth. I clicked my phone to check the time and noticed it was dead. My charger was in the car, and the key was back in my mouth. Blowing air out, I stood up and headed back to the room.The whole place looked similar and confusing. Even though I tried to trace it, I feared I might open the wrong one. I heard a door creak open before I caught sight of the man with the glasses from before. He had a frown on his face, and his palms formed into fists. My heart raced slightly as I feared I had caught something, but he passed by me as though he didn't even see me, which was a relief. I stepped forward and noticed the door he ca
ISABELLA’S POVWe walked in, holding hands. They were still sitting around the table. Elena looked up.“Our car is bad. We might have to spend the night, " my husband informed them, and I caught Elena’s face brightening. However, Alaric didn't look happy. He turned to me. “You should have dinner. I have no appetite.” “Me too.”Eating where I wasn't liked wasn't advisable, even if I was hungry. Who knew what end they would go to? A lot of things just seemed too weird. I could sense the competition among them all.“That’s nice. We are all staying over, too.” An older man who looked like he was in his late thirties said, his glass on the brink of his nose. He was dressed in a green shirt and white pants. I didn't know his name.“Alright, uncle. We will head to bed now. We have work tomorrow,” Alaric informed me and then pulled me with him. I could feel his warmth seeping through my skin as we headed upstairs, and soon, he stopped in front of a brown door. “We will stay in this room,”
ISABELLA’S POVI stood there frozen, unable to decide what to do or say. Was I to burst in on them and have her in a cuckold, or was I to wait till they left?I tried holding my breath as though they would hear it. I could hear her moan. Her back against the wall, they looked so engrossed in their act, and they probably weren't stopping anytime soon. Lastly, I wasn't about to watch a full-blown porn movie. A swam of irritation hit me in the stomach, almost throwing me up. This was so disgusting. It felt so wrong. What could ever be the reason to cheat on your husband with his brother? Why?I was thinking of what to do when my phone rang, and I was startled. I pulled it out quickly and turned it off. My body shook, and my lips got dry. I heard them; then he whispered something and footsteps. And somehow, I was glad that it was finally over, so I stepped out, only to see her standing there, her arms wrapped around her waist.“I knew it had to be you. Whatever you plan to do, remember t
ISABELLA’S POVMy heart was racing so fast as we drove into a tall building with a vast compound. This was the second time I was coming to his house, the first time was when I was invited by his father to talk about the marriage. My fingers were trembling. It was like visiting the past and it left a sour taste in my mouth. “We can leave if you don’t want to.” He must have been able to tell.“No, I’m fine. I just can't wait to see them.” I lied and watched him raise his brows but he doesn't ask any questions.Stepping closer, he wrapped his palm around mine, and whispered, “If you ever get a need to leave, then I will get you out of here. I don't like them either so I won’t force you to.” His words felt like pouring a big bowl of ice over my burning nerves because I felt a lot of relief. We walked through the huge white door, laughter echoing through the air. My legs were getting wobbly and I dragged in a deep breathe to calm myself.We were still holding hands. “Mother.” Alaric s
ISABELLA’S POVEven as we sat on the left side of the room, the looming feeling was unshaken. The setting was pretty. From the chandelier hanging low to the large wooden piano sitting in the centre of the room to the pianist clicking away. Including the white fabrics spread on each table and the pretty flowers. The atmosphere smelt so nice and rich. I couldn't tell if it was due to the other guests there or if a particular spray was infused in the air.I watched him signal the waiter, and he walked over. He was dressed in a white shirt and black pants, his black hair neatly trimmed, and a smile on his face.“What would you love to eat, Isabella?” he asked, quickly adding, “Can I call you that?”I hummed in response, too nervous to talk. It widened as my eyes ran over the words on the menu I had picked from the table. Every single meal here was so expensive that even water wasn't spared. It wasn't that I couldn't eat them; I just wondered why he was so nice to me. Noticing their gazes
ISABELLA’S POVI felt my heart swell with pride as I spoke. I was standing in a room with five men looking at me and nodding in agreement. CEO Rex was dressed in a grey suit and black shirt and had a proud expression. He was relaxed in his seat, his fingers stroking his beard. Today was my first day in San Francisco, and I had to catch an early flight to get here, and luckily, it was barely five hours. A car had come to pick me up, too.“I believe doing this will benefit our company because it will strengthen loyalty and help build a relationship with the community. I need you to understand that the world is revolving, and seeing things from young talents’ perspectives might just be what we need to keep us growing. Thank you.” I completed the sentence and watched Rex clap with a smile.Picking the document, I headed back to my seat. My heart started to race. What if they didn't like my idea? Wouldn't that make me look like a fool?“See, I told you she is a very intelligent woman,” Re
THIRD PERSON’S POVAlaric ran his fingers through his hair as he huffed. His anger was brewing, but not at her but himself. Maybe he had overreacted a little. This person was her boss, after all; this was her dream, her line of work, and he might have to accept. But how was he supposed to stand there and watch another man touch his wife?Adjusting his tie, he slammed the car door shut and then stormed after her.“Isa!! Stop!” He ordered, but she didn't budge. She had heard him, but she would be damned to let him have his way. She could feel the volcano in her about to erupt, coupled with the twist deep in her stomach.“Fuck Isa. Do you always have to be so stubborn?” He increased his pace, and so did she. Finally, she sighted the door and stormed in, fiddling with the lock when it was pushed open.“Fuck Isa. Fuck!” He yelled, looking at everything but her. “I am going to have hypertension at this point.” He was breathing heavily and running his fingers through his hair again. “Wha