Jakob's POV. Next morningI came out of my room for breakfast. I was already getting hungry and couldn't bear the hunger anymore. I decided to call Martha but she was nowhere to be found. Luckily, Brenda was on her way to my room, so we almost collided. She shot me a sheepish smile. "I'm so sorry sir. If I had known, I would never have come in contact with you." She apologized, bowing her head. I waved her apologies off. I didn't care for them as long as I was fed. I didn't want to waste my time discussing issues that were not profitable, to say the least. I had more pressing issues to attend to. "Where is Selene?" "I don't know anything about that, sir. I thought she was in her room. Did she go anywhere?" She asked stupidly. I didn't want to unleash my anger on her for she was not the cause of my problems. It would be wrong for me to do so. "Right. Check her in the room and give me feedback. I want to have a word with her." I explained to her, tapping my feet impatiently.I w
Selene's POV. I woke up with my head pounding like I had been run over by a truck. I tried to open my eyes but squinted immediately as the sunlight assaulted my vision. I couldn't believe that I was in such a situation. The room was smelly, too bright for my eyes to comprehend and I kept on bending to avoid its rays."I knew you were going to act funny and that's why I came prepared for you. Have you ever imagined what it would look like to be in such a situation? I know you were planning to have everything at your disposal but now you don't have any. Do you have anything to say to me before I go on with my plans?" I kept on staring at the man who had portrayed himself as a good person but ended up turning out to be the worst I had ever met. "I hate the fact that I came here on my own." I told him. If only I had informed one person even if it was Julie of my whereabouts, then I wouldn't be in this mess but here I was wishing that I could turn back the hands of time but it was not
Selene's POVThe scratchy ropes digging into my wrists held me in place, so every move I made caused pain. I struggled against them, shifting, but there was no give. I was stuck, helpless. Logan stood casually in front of me, leaning against the wall with that smirk on his face that churned my stomach. I hated him. No, more than that, I was scared. Terrified, actually."You think you're some kind of hero, huh?" His voice was mocking, reeking of venom. "Just take a look at yourself, bound like some kind of criminal. And if you want to hear something sweet today, you can and will never be free." His grin was terrifying as much as his smirk was.He leaned away from the wall and paced about the little spade left in the room, his eyes fixed menacingly on me. "You thought you could stop me. Show me I'm not as powerful as I think I am. But look at you now." Closer, he stepped, his movements circling me like some predator. "You're nothing, Selene. You always were. You are going to regret ev
Jakob's POVI couldn't sit still. Like, my mind just won't let me rest and no matter how hard I tried to shift my attention to something else, my mind went back to Selene: Where was she? Why hadn't she come back yet? What's wrong with her? She would never just disappear like this; I knew her too well. She would never disappear without telling me, at least not without some kind of warning. Not even a phone call; if it were important to her, she would have left a message or called me at least to warn me,, but no, she didn't. It's unlike her to behave in this manner. So something had to be wrong, something that kept her away.I had looked again and again on my phone, with the hope that there might be some message from her, some sort of hint that she was okay. But there was none. The silence was a weight inside my chest, compacting with every tick of the clock.I tried to push the panic away, I tried to toss it at the back of my mind and believe that she was fine somewhere and was pro
Search for LoganJakob's POVLogan was gone. There one minute; gone the next. Not part of our lives; not there, period. He had disappeared as if the sun had suddenly dived behind an eclipse of sorts. I found myself looking at the clouded sky with foreboding lurking within my steps. All along, I thought, Where might he be? All they kept saying was that he was out of the country, but I knew well enough that's not where he's at. After Sean checked all the airlines, no one could confirm that he'd left. So where the hell was he?My mind turned to Selene, and I couldn't help but imagine what trouble she could be in. And then there were her parents.I was aware of how they would look at me. After all, everything that had happened to Logan-well, I felt some guilt for part of it. I knew how much they adored Selene, and seeing their daughter in this kind of situation must have been devastating.How could they let me take their trust again? Was I the one they would send to prison? I wasn't sure
The EscapeSelene's POVI couldn't sit here anymore. The ropes wrapped around my wrists were biting into my skin and my hands were quickly going numb, but I would not just stay here and hope that someone was to find me.And no one would ever find me because I couldn't tell Jakob where I was going, there was no message or call; how the hell would he help? And my friend, help me. The latter only knows about the outing between me and Logan but I am afraid that's enough to help me. Something had to be done. I had to get out.I tried freeing myself again, this time tugging with all my might against the ropes. The knot was tight, and no amount of twisting my hands seemed to loosen it any.Sweat was dripping from my face and my heart was thumping in my chest. I was in such trouble it hit me as I tried harder.He had left the room some time back saying that he is going to return for me and complete what he said and God have mercy on me, I won't be here when he does come back; I couldn't bear
Jakob's POV My phone was vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and didn't recognize the number calling. Something in my gut debated answering for half a second. Then that little something in the pit of my stomach yelled out loud and clear, Do it. I swiped my finger across the screen and hit the phone to my ear.Hello?" I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. Already my heart was pounding, and I didn't have any idea why."Jakob…" A soft, shaking voice came through, and my heart stopped."Selene?" I asked, almost unbelieving. "Is it really you? Ohh my goodness, how are you doing; I have been worried sick about you.She sounded breathless, as though in a rush, but I could feel the relief in her voice. "Yes. Jakob, I need your help. I… I've been kidnapped by Logan."Those words struck me like a blow in the gut. Something had smelled wrong, but to hear her say it. was even worse than I could have imagined. My hands grasped the phone harder, my pulse quickening.Where is Selene, wh
Selene's POV. I heard a bit of commotion downstairs and quickly rushed to see what was going on. Upon my arrival, I was shocked to see something beyond my imagination. I would never have imagined that my parents would be going head-to-head with Jakob all in the name of fighting for me. I didn't send them to do all of that, and if they felt it was right, then it was on them instead of me. "Mom, Dad, I am trying to get some sleep. Why are you yelling?""This man has refused to acknowledge his mistakes. I understand that it might be hard for people to go ahead with their words but this is even borderline worrisome. I don't mind whatever happens as long as I am sure that none of us are going to experience any kind of mishaps, then I don't have any problem." My mom said shooting me a wicked stare. Okay... I cocked my head, trying to understand where all of this was coming from because it was quite strange, to say the least. "I still do not understand what this means. Are you trying to
Epilogue(Author’s pov) The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting golden lights across the room. Selene sat on the bed, her laptop was open and her fingers flew over the keys as she responded to emails. Her work demanded her attention too much these days, but it was difficult to concentrate when Ethan was running around the house like a whirlwind. The little boy had energy that never seemed to run out. He kicked his small red ball against the walls and let out triumphant cheers when it bounced back, then ran after it with wild excitement. Selene had gotten the ball for him on his 3rd birthday and ever since, the boy had turned it into his companion and his father hadn’t stopped talking about how he was going to be the best football player in the world. His tiny feet thudded against the floor and along with his squeals of excitement, Selene was frustrated. She didn’t know how else to caution him and had already gotten tired. "Ethan, slow down!" Selene called, he
Selene’s Pov; I kept hearing voices, some were familiar and others, unfamiliar, but what enraged me was that I couldn’t tell whom the voices belonged to. My eyes fluttered open slowly after a while and I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the blinding light in the room. The room was unfamiliar and I glanced around, trying to recall how I got here. The ceiling glowed with the harsh fluorescent light. The sharp scent of antiseptic burned my nose, the rhythmic beeping of a monitor filled the silence around me and my body ached, as if I had been torn apart and stitched back together. I tried to move but my legs didn’t respond and panic rose to my chest. I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands moving to my thighs. My fingers trembled as they pressed against my thighs and then my knees, nothing. No sensation, no movement. Nothing at all! A strangled noise escaped my throat as I tried again, harder this time, but my legs remained dead weight beneath me. No, no, no. My heart slammed
Author’s Pov; Logan glanced around quickly, his breath came in ragged gasps as he sprinted through the prison corridor. His palms were slick with sweat, and his heart raced, but that didn’t stop him. This was his moment. This was the perfect opportunity and this time, he was going to ensure that he was successful. But fate had other plans for him.Just as he reached the gates, someone yanked him back. "Going somewhere?" The warden’s voice was taunting. He had been watching the man and knew that he was up to no good. Turns out he was right. Logan gritted his teeth, trying to pull himself out of the man’s grip, but it was useless. Within seconds, two more guards tackled him to the ground, pressing his face into the cold floor. "Son of…" Logan growled, struggling against their grip. "Shut it," one of the guards barked, twisting Logan’s arms painfully behind his back. "You really thought you could buy your way out this time?" Logan chuckled darkly, despite the pain. "Do you ev
Selene's POV The doors opened, and the soft melody of the piano filled the small chapel. My heart pounded so hard I thought everyone could hear it. I took a deep breath, but it didn’t help much. My hands felt empty without someone holding them. I had dreamed of this day since I was a little girl, but in those dreams, I never imagined walking down the aisle alone. I had imagined my father to be the one ushering me down the aisle in my glistering and beautiful wedding gown and then into the hands of my husband but I guessed everything happens for a reason. I gripped my bouquet tighter and took my first step. My mother sat in the front row, smiling at me with teary eyes. Jakob’s parents sat beside her, their faces warm and kind. Martha gave me a thumbs-up. Sean nodded, his face serious, but I knew he was happy for me. Julie was grinning, whispering something to her boyfriend, everyone looked at me with love and support, but the empty space beside me was too loud, I was not supposed
Author's POV Two weeks had gone past since they returned to the country. It had been a hard time, keeping memories of sorrow; joy, however, was to remain valid for this night. Jakob and Selene’s parents sat together for dinner, sharing laughter and memories in a great camaraderie of friendship. Summer warm, one could hear names and clinking of glasses and rejoicings. Jakob surveyed the table. He breathed in once. “I want to say something, there is something very important I would like to say.” The attention of the room shifted to him. Selene appeared sweetly and placed her hand on his. He lifted his glass. “But before I say what I have to say, first of all let us take this toast,” he paused as they all took their glass of wine, " To family.” “To family!” Everyone chimed in and raised their glasses. Jakob looked on smiling. “I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for all of you. You have been my backbone, my strength. You pulled me out of the deep waters. Selene’s father..” J
Author's POV Mia planted herself on the cold bench within the jail cell and tapped her fingers against the metallic bars, letting out a huffed breath as she pulled out the tiny phone she had hidden in her pocket and moved her fingers quickly to dial Jacob's number. She needed to act fast before the prison guards on duty came to check on her and caught her, being without a phone was the worst thing that could ever happen to her in this cruel place. She cleared her throat and she mentally went on the words she was going to say to Jakob. The phone rang: once, twice, three times, and then he finally picked up, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want, Mia? How were you able to call me anyways?" She swallowed hard, pressing the phone closer. "Jakob, listen, I don't have much time so you have to listen to me attentively. I need you to get me out of here." Silence. Then a small chuckle. "You need me to do what?" Mia clenched her teeth. "Bail me out, Jakob! I shouldn't b
Selene's POV The TV had been on for some time, but my focus had wandered off entirely. My mind had been busy wandering amidst all the things I had to do when my name rang a bell.I blinked."Selene Carter’s art collection is making waves throughout the industry!" said the host, announcing. "People are talking, and the demand to see the owner herself is growing loud."I froze.Jakob must have been scrolling through his phone. "Did they just say your name?"I nodded slowly. "I think so."Jakob raised the volume. The host continued: "Collectors and critics are raving about the unique style, and emotion behind every piece. The name Selene Carter is being whispered about in art circles, and they want to know who she is?"My phone buzzed again, and a notification popped up, someone had mentioned me in a tweet."Where is Selene Carter? We need to see her! #ArtGenius #Masterpiece."Another tweet appeared."This woman’s art speaks to my soul. Who is she? Someone tell me!"I swallowed. This co
Jakob POV I breathed out the moment the plane touched down. It was a lengthy flight. Selene shifted beside me, stretching her arms. She didn't look at me, nor had she for most of the flight. I cared little, not my problem anymore. "We're here," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. She sighed. "Yeah, we are here finally. The journey for me is so tiring, I need a cool bath and a soft bed to lay on." "Hmm,” I hummed, nodding in agreement to what she wanted. We got our bags and walked out from the plane. The airport was teeming with people; I barely noticed. My eyes straight went to the front where our parents stood awaiting, they spotted us instantly. My mother waved cheerily, and my father grinned beside her. Selene's mother stood there, too, blood-shot but relieved. I expected just a simple greeting, maybe some hugs but as soon as we stepped closer, laughter broke out. My parents were laughing so hard I had to blink, "What's so funny? Is there something on us or did we do something
Jakob's POV. At this point I knew that I was in for some huge ride and I needed to prepare myself for the reality of the situation. This was absurd for me to say the least, but even at that I was only hoping that I will be able to do what I should. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered myself so much with her situation when I should have been able to decipher that she didn't think of me in such a manner. It was more like a thing of convenience for her and even though I didn't want to accept it I guess I found myself doing that already. It didn't mean that I loved it, but I had no choice. "She was going to fight tooth and nail just to have her freedom, or what she considered freedom and I needed to be wise about fighting someone like this. It almost never ended well. I picked up my phone and called my friend. He was the only one who could tell me the truth without hiding. "I need your help because I think I am running mad. I need your help because this woman is about to make me into som