Jeffrey "Caroline," I muttered, the name of a prayer escaping my lips. It was a prayer for a second chance, a chance I didn't deserve. My plan was crazy, I knew that. It felt like something out of a movie, something you wouldn't believe if someone told you it was real. But I was desperate. And desperation, I learned, can make you do things you never thought possible.The first step was simple, almost embarrassingly simple: I needed to find out where Caroline was living. I didn't have her number anymore. The last time I'd tried calling, the number had been disconnected. She'd vanished like a wisp of smoke, leaving me behind with nothing but a hollow ache and a million regrets. But I was a man of resources. I had my connections. It wasn't hard to track her down, not with the right people on my side. It took a few calls, a few favors, a few dollars exchanged under the table. And soon, I had it. The address. Caroline's new home, the place where she was building her life, the place wh
Do you know him, mommy?" The little girl, still in Caroline’s arms, asked, her voice a tiny, wavering whisper. Caroline's gaze shifted back to me, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes, a trace of the love that had once been so strong between us. It was a fleeting moment, a whisper of what could have been. I wanted to reach out to her, to pull her close, to tell her how much I loved her, how much I regret hurting her. But I knew I wasn’t ready for that yet. I had to start small, to rebuild some kind of bridge between us. "Yes, honey," Caroline said, her voice soft and reassuring. “I knew him a long time ago. He’s just saying hello.” She smiled at me, a small, polite smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I wanted to say more, to tell her how much I’d been thinking about her, how much I’d missed her, how much I regretted everything. But I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I was afraid. I was afraid of rejection. I was afraid of her anger. I was afraid of the pain I k
Caroline"Hold on," I whispered to myself. "Why am I being nice to him?"I thought about how mad I was at him at the airport. I yelled at him, told him to leave me alone. But now, he's at my house! Why am I even thinking about talking to him calmly?It hit me like a punch in the stomach. I'm scared. Scared of what he wants, scared of what he might do, scared of what I might find out about him. "He came to my house," I said, my voice shaking. How did he find us? Who told him where I live?I felt betrayed. I thought I was finally safe, away from all the secrets and bad things. But now, it's all coming back. I made a fist. I can't be nice anymore. I need to protect myself and my family. I need to stop him.I grabbed my phone. I was so mad, I could see his face in my mind. I knew what I had to do. I had to be strong. This is not a game. This is real. And I'm going to fight back.My heart hammered against my ribs, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. It was like someone had just th
Jeffrey "It's me... it's all my fault," I whispered, my voice cracking. My eyes were red-rimmed, my face pale. I saw her again, just a few weeks ago. She was with those little kids, her triplets, all sunshine smiles and tiny hands. She looked happy and now married. But it still hurts. I said it was my fault. I repeated!If I had to leave, couldn't I be with her? But what if I could have changed things? What if… The faded photograph felt warm beneath my fingertips. Caroline's face, frozen in time, stared back at me. Her smile was like a sunbeam, a reminder of everything I'd lost. She was the one that got away, the one who slipped through my fingers like a wisp of smoke. I was a kid back then, clueless and arrogant, and I let her go. Now, I was married to my new girlfriend , but my heart was still stuck in that past, trapped in the memory of her laugh, her touch, her vibrant spirit. It had been years, but I still felt the ache of regret. The image of her laughing, her eyes sparkli
Jeffrey The crisp white tablecloth felt like a prison, the polished silver cutlery like shackles. Across from me, Jolie was picking at her salmon, her long, blonde hair cascading down her back, but even that couldn't mask the fact that she wasn't my type. She wasn't even close to Caroline. Caroline, with her fiery red hair, her mischievous green eyes, and her smile that could light up a room, was the kind of girl who made my heart skip a beat. Jolie? Jolie was more like…well, she was more like the kind of girl my grandfather wanted me to marry.And that's exactly what happened. My grandfather, the powerful patriarch of the family, the man who held the reins of our company, the man who was the reason I was sitting here with a woman I didn't even like, had made his wishes very clear. He had signed a contract, a binding agreement with Jolie’s family, securing a future for both our families. And that future? It included me, tied to Jolie, as her husband."More champagne, Jeffrey?" Joli
Jeffrey "More champagne, Jeffrey?" Jolie asked, her voice like a song. "You seem...a bit down."I tried to smile. "Just thinking about the deal, you know?" I said, but my voice was flat like a pancake."It's a good deal," Jolie said, her voice all soft and sweet. "For both of us." She was right. The deal was good, really good. I was going to be rich! Like, super rich! I'd have a fancy house, a cool car, and everyone would be jealous. But...it didn't feel good. It felt like something was missing, like a piece of a puzzle was gone.The truth was, I was stuck. My grandpa, the boss of our company, had made me marry Jolie because of some big deal with her family. It wasn't about love, it was about business. And I didn't even like Jolie.The worst part? Caroline, my ex- wife, she was the girl I actually liked. She was amazing, super funny, and her smile could light up the whole world.But now, I am stuck with Jolie. It was like being forced to wear a pair of really boring shoes when you w
AncelottiI sat in my favorite café, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around me like a comforting embrace. Sunlight poured through the large windows, casting warm patches on the wooden floor.I glanced at my phone again, half-hoping for a message from her. Nothing. A sigh escaped my lips as I tapped my fingers on the table, contemplating whether I should reach out. Just then, the door swung open, and Jeffrey stepped inside. My heart sank at the sight of him. I hadn’t expected to see him here. He was a presence that commanded attention, but not in a way that brought me comfort. I watched as his gaze swept the room before landing on me, his expression a mix of determination and vulnerability.“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice low but firm.I nodded, gesturing for him to join me at the table. “Sure. What’s on your mind?”He sat down, running a hand through his hair—a gesture that felt all too familiar. It was as if he was trying to gather his thoughts, but I could see
Caroline, my best friend, is a total mess. Her husband, Jeffrey , kicked her out! Like, seriously? Who does that? And then, Maralyn, the total jerk, ditched her too! Can you believe it? I was so messed up.We were supposed to be best friends, right? Like, forever and always! But when things got hard for Caroline, I just, like, disappeared. I told her she had "too much baggage" and that I "couldn't handle the drama." Ugh, I was such a jerk! I felt so bad after I said that. It was like a big, heavy weight on my chest. I knew I had to do something to make it up to her, but I didn't know what. I was scared she would never forgive me. Then, I saw it on the news. Caroline was standing outside her old apartment, all sad and alone. She was holding a big bouquet of flowers, and a woman with red hair was talking about how much she loved Caroline. The reporter said it was Caroline's mom's best friend, Rose. I was so jealous! Here I was, feeling guilty and useless, and Rose was swooping in to
Maria’s breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t Caroline. It was worse. Much, much worse. It was Maralyn, the woman she’d hired to... well, to handle a delicate situation. The situation involving Caroline’s triplets.“Maralyn?” Maria managed, her voice trembling despite her best efforts. “What… what is it?”Maralyn’s voice was ice, each word carefully chosen, each syllable dripping with a veiled threat. “It’s about the payment, darling. The… remaining balance.”Maria’s mind raced. The kidnapping. The ransom. The chaos that had ensued when… when things went sideways. The triplets had been rescued, thank God, but the whole operation had been a disaster. A colossal failure.“Maralyn, we agreed,” Maria said, trying to regain control of the conversation. “The full payment was contingent on… certain outcomes. Outcomes that did not, shall we say, come to fruition.”Maralyn chuckled, a chilling sound that made the hairs on Maria’s neck stand on end. “Oh, I’m well aware of the… hiccups, darling
Caroline pressed her back against the cold, damp brick of the building, drawing in another shaky breath. Inhale… exhale. Inhale… exhale. The rhythmic sound filled the small space between her and the wall, a counterpoint to the frantic hammering of her heart.Where was Jeffrey? That question echoed in her mind, a relentless drumbeat of worry and confusion. Had he just vanished? Or was something far more sinister at play?She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to conjure a picture of him in her mind. His kind eyes, his easy smile, the way he always seemed to know how to make her laugh. The man she knew couldn’t possibly be involved in something like this.But the nagging doubt wouldn't disappear. Could he be working with Maria? Could he have orchestrated this whole thing, the disappearance, the confusion, the fear? The thought felt like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs."No," she whispered, shaking her head. "He wouldn't. He couldn't."But then the images flashed back: the h
CarolineThe back roads were super bumpy, and the car kept bouncing around. It felt like we were driving through some kind of jungle, even though it was just a bunch of overgrown fields and trees.Jake kept looking out the window, like he expected a car with tinted windows to jump out and block our path. He was definitely more nervous than usual, and I couldn't blame him. I was nervous too, but I was also really angry, and the anger was making me want to go faster.Jane was unusually quiet, too, just staring out the window, chewing on a gummy bear. I could tell she was thinking about what I had said, about everything being a set-up.I didn't want her to be scared, but I also needed her to understand that we had to be extra careful. This wasn't a game anymore. It felt like we were in a real-life spy movie, and the stakes were really high.Finally, we reached the road near the warehouse. It was even creepier than in the photos. The buildings were all old and rusty, with broken windows a
We packed up everything – the USB drive, the metal box, the photos, and the weird envelope with the symbol.It was like we were getting ready for some kind of covert operation. I even found an old backpack of my brother's that was totally black and looked like something a spy would use.I grabbed my flashlight again, and Jane insisted on bringing a bag of gummy bears, "for emergency energy," she said. I secretly thought she just really liked gummy bears.We met Jake at the park, near the old gazebo. He looked super freaked out, like he hadn't slept all night. His hair was all messy, and he kept looking around, like he expected Dr. Albright to pop out from behind a tree.He was a good friend of Jeffrey’s, he kept telling us he knew they had to do something, and that he wished he had noticed that something was going on. I could see that he was upset."Okay, show me everything," he said, his voice all shaky. I handed him the USB drive and the photos, and he started looking through them,
The files on the USB drive were a mess. Like, seriously disorganized. There were Word documents with weird titles like "Project Nightingale" and "Operation Sunset," a bunch of photos of random places I didn’t recognize, and a couple of video files with names like "Meeting 1" and "Meeting 2." It was like Jeffrey was trying to make his own spy movie.“Okay, let’s start with the documents,” I said, clicking on "Project Nightingale." A Word file opened up, filled with super technical stuff about some kind of… well, I wasn’t totally sure what it was, but it involved weird chemical formulas and codes. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie.“Ugh, this is boring,” Jane groaned, tapping her pen on her notebook. “Is this all about science? Where’s the action?”I scrolled through it quickly. It mentioned something about "a new compound," "enhanced performance," and "high-risk investment." That’s when I saw a name, hidden in a paragraph: "Dr. Albright." The name sounded vaguely
My heart practically jumped out of my chest and started tap-dancing. Someone was definitely outside the door, and it was not Jeffrey. We had to think fast. Jane dove behind the overflowing laundry hamper, almost knocking over a stack of dirty socks.I quickly shoved the metal box under the bed, hoping no one would look there. I grabbed the USB drive and shoved it into my back pocket, making sure it wouldn’t fall out if I moved around.The keys jingled again, and this time, the door started to open. I scrambled behind the bookcase, trying to make myself as small as possible. I could see the front of the door from the small gap behind the books. It creaked open slowly, and a man walked in. But it wasn't just any man. It was Detective Rourke!My stomach did a triple flip. What was he doing here? Had he followed us? Did he know we broke in? I held my breath, trying not to make a sound. He stepped inside, his face all serious and… I don’t know, kind of tired looking. He didn’t seem to noti
The police dudes were gone, finally! But the noise outside was even worse now. Those reporters were like a pack of wild dogs, barking questions about me. "Is Miss Caroline a suspect?" they yelled. "Did she hire a hitman?" Ugh, it was like a really bad soap opera. I pressed my head against the door, trying to block out the sound of them saying my name with that nasty, suspicious tone."I didn't do this," I whispered, tears dripping onto the wood. I felt like I was starring in some horrible crime movie, and everyone thought I was the bad guy! Even those detectives, Rourke and Lane, looked at me like they didn't believe a word I said. Like, hello, I used to babysit kids, not plan murders!I needed to prove I was innocent, pronto. I couldn't just sit here and wait for everyone to decide I was a criminal. I had to find the real shooter. Like in a Nancy Drew book, but way scarier.Then, my phone buzzed. It was Jake, Jeffrey’s friend. He picked up right away. "Any news?" he said, his voice a
Caroline tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her heart hammering against her ribs. The city lights flickered past, blurring as she sped through the near-empty streets. Jane sat beside her, arms folded, her face set in a skeptical frown."Jane, this isn’t normal," Caroline said, her voice quieter now. "Detective Rourke wouldn’t be here unless something was seriously wrong."Jane shifted in her seat, sighing. "Okay, but what does that mean? That Jeffrey just… vanished? That someone took him?"Caroline swallowed hard. "I don’t know. But I do know that if the police are looking at me, I need to figure out what really happened—before they decide I did something I didn’t."Jane exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "This whole thing is insane. First, Rourke ambushes you at your own house, now Jeffrey’s missing? And let’s not even talk about Maria stirring up trouble. You know she’s behind all this, right?"Caroline clenched her jaw. "I wouldn’t be surprised."Maria had been a thorn in
Caroline paced the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. "Jane, we need to go. Jeffrey hasn’t answered any of my calls today. This isn’t like him."Jane, lounging on the couch with her legs crossed, glanced up with a tired sigh. "Caroline, maybe he’s just busy. It’s late, and I’m exhausted. Can’t this wait until tomorrow?""No, it can’t," Caroline said firmly, her voice edged with worry. "Jeffrey doesn’t just ignore us like this. What if something’s wrong? What if he needs help?"Jane groaned, stretching her arms over her head. "Fine. But if we’re going, you’re driving. I don’t have the energy for this.""Deal," Caroline said quickly, grabbing the car keys from the coffee table. She was already at the door before Jane could protest further.Outside, the night air was crisp, and the neighborhood was silent except for the faint hum of streetlights. Caroline unlocked the car and slid into the driver’s seat while Jane reluctantly climbed into the passenger seat.As Caroline