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Although New York City is more crowded than Dallas, Texas, the minimalist design of the building still gives a breath of fresh air to Hannah. It symbolizes the new beginning of her life and the first step in the plan to end the Millers. She stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of the Thompson International CEO’s waiting area. She was waiting patiently for more than an hour for the CEO, Charles Thompson, to speak to her for her final interview as a senior business analyst for the main branch.As she glances around the area, she can’t stop reminiscing about how she left the Dallas International Airport.She did book most of the flights that night but instead of boarding one of those flights, she boarded a private jet owned by Zane’s friend that was bound for New Jersey, and from there she took a bus to New York.Right now, not even Clarise is sure where she is and that keeps her friends safe. Hannah was well aware that Xander hated being left behind, especially when it happened too ab
CLARISE opened the public forum to check on the post she made and saw a smiling face emoji from a user named @user03221995red. She knew that that user was Hannah, as the number on the username was Clarise’s birthday—March 22, 1995, and red was the nickname Clarise gave to her.She let out a light chuckle and then posted another message.“Little Red should have fun while it's away from the wolf. Happiness is the best cure.” She posted. She's hinting that Hannah should meet new people.After sending the message, she heaved a sigh of relief and continued with her work. It's been a busy week for her. She is planning to expand the Texas branch and intends to launch new influencers to boost Genesis Media sales.“I need to gain more power, so I can protect Hannah and the others from the Millers in case she decides to return to Texas.” She mumbles as she stares blankly at the portfolio in front of her. Her hands are shaking as she can still remember how powerless they felt during the custody b
HANNAH had been working at Thompson International for more than a week, but soon she felt that something was amiss.She's the senior analyst but can't seem to have access to bigger projects. She sighed deeply and mustered the courage to march to the CEO's office to confront Charles Thompson. She knocked on the door and soon entered.Charles was busy reading the paperwork for a specific land in Texas that the Miller Group had been looking at for a while. He wants to know if the land has huge benefits or if the Miller Group was just making a diversion. Something that they always do. They create rumors about a land or project when Thompson International fights for the said land or project The Miller Group would suddenly withdraw and soon purchase or take a different project. Leaving Thompson International stuck taking a less profitable option. "Why are you limiting my access? If you are not going to trust me, why bother hiring me?"She pointed out"Because you are not telling me everyt
It’s been almost a year since Hannah got divorced, more than 7 months since Bridget died and exactly 6 months since she left all her friends in Ardmore, Oklahoma. After Clarise's numerous cryptic messages suggesting she should go out and meet new people. Hannah finally gave in and created an account on the dating app Clarise sent. She used the new dating app called MatchM3uP, and it took her a whole month to finally be matched with someone.The app is like the old blind date but digital. The users are anonymous, and the names and the avatars are AI-generated based on the information they provide upon signing up. The user also can not send any personal information via built-in chat, such as photos, phone numbers, and email addresses, as the system will automatically delete it. There’s also no video call option. Once both parties agree to meet, the App will set the location of the place. The meeting place is usually owned by the App programmer; it’s basically a money-making app for th
HANNAH stared at Ashton intently with a faint smile on her face. She put her hand on the table and began to tell the tale…~More than four years ago, Hannah went to California with her batchmates to celebrate their graduation.At that time, Hannah had already submitted all her paperwork to finish her master's Degree in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics. She only took the trip as a quick break before heading to Las Vegas and taking the full-time job that a well-known software company offered her.By nighttime. They went out wearing skimpy outfits, they went bar hopping and drinks were pouring— definitely a night to remember, and indeed it is. At the last bar that they went to she felt dizzy and didn't want to continue, so she bade her batchmates goodbye. She took a cab and went back to their hotel.As she entered the elevator, she saw a familiar face. It's the person that soon will leave her in despair. It's Xander Miller, a business magnate from Dallas, Texas. Most people idoliz
HANNAH'S eyes widened when Ashton moved towards her to wipe her tears.She blushed, “Why is he being so nice all of a sudden?” she asked herself. A part of her feels guilty since she was thinking of using him against Xander earlier.While Ashton continued looking at her, “If what Hannah was saying is true... She is in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He mumbled under his breath.He finally understood the whole story and felt embarrassed about how he had treated her in the past. “I need to be more observant and control my emotions or else, I will misjudge people and situations again. In the end—I... Ashton Monroe will be used like a fucking fool.” He thought to himself. She smiled in relief, she felt that a heavy weight was lifted on her shoulders, her breathing became steady, and she felt that tomorrow would be brighter for her. He noticed that her face lit up a bit after finally sharing her side of the story. “How about you? What's your story?” She asks with a curious tone. He
ASHTON and Hannah started drinking together at 10 pm, and it’s now 3 am the next day. The bar is about to close, and they are the only people inside; the chairs behind them are now neatly tucked on the tables. The waiters are mopping the floors and the bartender is arranging the clean glasses on the shelves. For the last time, Ashton summoned the waiter to pay. Shortly, both of them are standing in front of the restaurant silently waiting for the first person to say goodbye. Hannah broke the awkward silence. “I never thought that I’d say this. I really enjoyed talking to you, Ashton.” She says without looking at him.He grinned softly, “Likewise.”“If I met her in different circumstances, would we be friends?” He asks himself while stealing glances at her. She was about to walk down the stairs to leave when heavy rain came pouring down. She immediately walked back to where Ashton was and sighed deeply.“Where are you planning to go? I’ll take you there.” He asks while showing his c
AFTER spending more than 24 hours with Hannah in New York, Ashton traveled back to Texas. When he got home, his sister Bella was waiting for him in the living room.The moment she saw her brother she jumped at him.Startled, Ashton almost stumbled. "What the fuck Bella? Do you think you're not heavy?" He cried out.Bella laughed. "Congratulations." She screamed in glee."Congratulations? For what?" He asks in confusion."You have a girlfriend in New York!" She mumbles in glee while showing the photo on her phone. The photo shows Ashton and Hannah inside his car. From the way it was taken, it looked like they were kissing. "Kiss. Kiss." She added while making a smooching sound.Ashton's eyes dilated in horror. "Where did you get that?" He asked worriedly. He was thinking that Hannah might be in danger because of him."My friend from New York saw you getting out of the Hotel with this girl. She's not sure if it's you, so he took a photo and sent it to me." She explained casually. "So whe
In the blink of an eye… Months had passed and Ashton still hadn’t proposed. He started to become busy with his company, despite that not even once did the ring leave his pocket.During that time a lot of things happened. Charles had successfully dominated the shipping business and ended Hannah’s contract. She’s free to work for any company she likes. Toby continued to visit Xander and was happy to know that he was starting to respond to psychotherapy.Lani is still in maximum prison, and she is treated like a slave by everyone. She never thought in a million years she would be pushed around like trash by women half her age. That she needed to massage someone's callus feet just to have protection from other inmates.Aside from the hellish treatments, no one had visited her ever since she moved there. Ron even stopped sending her letters. She never felt alone and helpless in her life.Meanwhile, for Clarise and Zane, the day they had been waiting to arrive. It's a love story more than a
In Hannah’s ward. It was already 8 pm when Ashton returned. When he got to Hannah’s room, only Heidi was in there. “You’re back,” Hannah uttered in glee. She could sense that he was a bit calmer than before.“Have you eaten?” Heidi asked Ashton. He shook his head.“I’m buying us some food. Hannah wants some pasta. How about you? Anything particular you want?” Heidi asks. “Let me buy the food for us,” he suggested.Heidi shook his head, “You stay here. You should be resting not roaming around.” She insisted. “You kids stay here.” She added as she headed outside.He smiled and swiftly walked to Hannah to hold her hand. “I asked Clarise to buy me a hair clipper.” She blurted out while showing them to him.He narrowed his gaze, “Why?”“To cut my hair. So it will grow back the same length as my bald spot, and it would be all-natural. My hair grows back fast and it would be presentable enough at the time of Clarise and Zane's wedding. Would you help me cut my hair?” She asked as she ha
At Texas Southwestern Medical Center...“Ashton, where are you going?” Cyrene asked as she watched how his son got up from the bed and headed outside.“I want to see her. Where is she?” He replied in worry.She sighs, “She’s in the next room. Her friends are in there, and she’s still asleep. So calm yourself down. You just had 14 stitches on your chest and leg,” she explains.He shook his head, “I’m fine—”.Before he could finish his sentence, beeping sounds from the other room roared in the air, followed by shouting and cries.“Nurse!” “Nurse!” He heard Clarise and Zane’s voices in the hallway.He stood up immediately and checked what was happening.“Ashton!” Cyrene yelled, but all she could do was follow him.He entered the room next door and there she was being coaxed by Clarise and Zane to calm down.She’s having nightmares. Keeps seeing that she'll wake up in captivity and seeing a hospital ward is not helping her condition. She felt like she was still trapped in the cabin.She
After lunch, Zane and Clarise drove to one of their vendors.Zane couldn’t stop staring at his soon-to-be wife. She tried her best to smile, but she could not hide the uneasiness in her movements.He could no longer take it and finally voiced out his concerns. He closed the binder he was holding, "Do you want to postpone the wedding and wait for Hannah to return?" He asked in a soft voice.She shook her head, "She won't like that. She would hate to know that we delayed our wedding because of her. Aside from that, we have already paid for our vendors," she explained.He sighs, “I don’t want to say this... You know that... I love Hannah. She’s like a sister to me but… What kind of friend leaves her friends like that? She knew we were getting married, and she just left.” Her hands trembled. He felt fear in her. She inched close to him and glanced around the room, “The type that’s been abducted.” She said in a low voice.“Abducted?” He repeats in a louder tone.She covered his mouth imm
~Toby and I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer.~Ashton’s voice woke up Hannah from her slumber.“Ashton?” She called out. Her eyes expressed glee to hear his voice. She glanced around only to realize she was still trapped inside the room. ~You know I need to go back to dating~~You know I need to go back to dating~His recorded voice kept on repeating for a few more hours. Shortly, Xander arrived with a smug look on his face. “You’ve heard the recording. Ashton is back to his old ways. Drinking and partying with a random woman in the bar, like the filthy animal that he is. He'll sleep with anyone available.” He says mockingly.“Do you still think he is better than me?” He added as he caressed her face.She evaded his touch by hiding under the blanket. She remained silent. There’s a part of her happy that he is moving on with his life, but she can’t ignore the fact that it hurts so badly. It's like confirmation that she has already lost her chance to be happy.“How long am I i
Hannah woke up with the smell of savory food in the air.She could feel her stomach gurgling. “Are you hungry?” Xander asks her. She nods. He smiled eerily, “I made tomato soup and salad. Come get your food.” He suggested as he motioned at the table. She slowly rose from her bed, but before she could take her first step she noticed one of her feet was chained to the bed. There was confusion on her face. She slowly turned her head to him.“What games are you trying to play this time?” She asks with a trembling voice.He shrugs, “Say ‘Please’ and I'll move the table near you.” He uttered. “I will even throw on a piece of bread if you sound a little sweeter.”She doesn't want to do it, but she's hungry, thirsty, and weary. She lowered her head to hide how annoyed and angry she was, “I want to eat, please.” She uttered in a low sweet voice.He moved the table near her and then patted her head, “See, that’s not hard, is it? I knew you just needed to be retrained to be obedient. If you
Ashton’s hands are sweating. Now that his and Clarise’s suspicions were proven correct, he needed to act fast to look for Hannah. Despite that, everything must remain in secrecy as one wrong move might alert Xander, and he might move her somewhere farther away. As he stopped his car at the intersection traffic light, he began to utilize Galvin and his team to help him search for her. He dialed Galvin and he was soon answered. “Galvin, how are we on the list of Xander's properties?” “Check your email. I just sent it to you.” He replied.“Good. I want you to do something for me. Station a person in the Miller Mansion and document any movements.” Ashton demanded.“Sure, anything else?” Galvin uttered. Ashton sighs. Something is bothering him. First is the letter, then Xander is staying in the Miller Mansion, while Hannah is in Asia.It doesn’t add up and it doesn’t make any sense. A dozen questions are inside his mind. “Did Xander threaten her to write the letter, and she chose to l
“Come on, eat your pancakes,” Xander suggested as he pushed the paper plate at her.She began stabbing her food with the plastic pork in exasperation. “What did I ever do to you for you to treat me like this? You already know the truth that I’ve saved your life and this is the thanks I get. Imprisonment in this place…” She yelled at him. He raised his arm, and she flinched in fear and shielded her head with her hand. He lowered his arm and sighed deeply. “Why won’t you just be obedient? Like before?”She laughs mockingly, “And where will it take me? Years of misery? Whatever I do, you end up hurting me.” She remarks.“You don’t understand I’m just protecting you from making more mistakes in your life.” He explains.“How about you protect me against yourself? Let me go and never show yourself ever again,” she suggested.He shook his head, “I can’t. I won’t.” He held her shoulders firmly, “You’re the only one that genuinely cares for me, and you’re the only one I have.”“I used to car
Ashton effortlessly carried the boxes of Hannah’s files inside his room. Searching for anything that might point to where she is.But all he could find were the documents about her research into Denise, Lani, Ron, Donnie, and Hector Reese and the crimes they committed.On how she will convince Donnie to bring down Hector and Denise. While reading through the mountain of paperwork she had, he felt so proud of the effort she put through.“You are so amazing,” he mumbled.He then remembered Clarise’s words.~Someone might have threatened her.~“Xander,” he thought to himself.Soon he decided to message the investigator to get him a list of all of Xander’s property as he might have her held captive. “If he took her, could she be in the Miller Mansion?” He asked himself.Soon Toby’s statement lingered in his head.~He locked himself inside the mansion.~He starts pacing back and forth as he questions everything that has happened.“But… If that’s the case, how did he get her? If she’s in A