Emma's POV Next, he made me sit on a garden chair and made Ryan sit by my feet with his head on my lap, my fingers were in his hair. I got conscious of this as it was quite intimate. As the morning sun climbed higher, we changed outfits and locations. From the picturesque garden, we moved to a quaint café downtown. I wore a flowy sundress, and Ryan donned a crisp white shirt. George directed us to a cozy corner table by the window, where we sipped lattes and shared a pastry. The atmosphere was charmingly romantic, and for a few fleeting moments, it was easy to imagine we were just another couple in love with any person but me. I was a bit stiff. "Lean in closer, Emma," George instructed, his camera lens trained on us. "Rest your head on Ryan's shoulder."I hesitated for a second before complying, feeling the warmth of Ryan's body against mine. The scent of his cologne was comforting, and I closed my eyes, trying to immerse myself in the role I was playing. George's shutter continue
Emma's POVFinally, only a few more photographs were to be clicked, though I was not in a mood, so we went to another location. After the pictures were clicked. George went to do some other assignments, while Ryan and I thought of coming back to our office. Ryan wanted to go back to his hotel to pack his stuff so that he could vacate it. So he decided to go back after dropping me at the office. ********We were coming back to our office when I thought of the perfect gift for Eva and I smiled. I had a hobby of buying very rare and designer jewelry, and I had bought some very beautiful pieces a few months back, but since they were very expensive, I kept them in my bank locker because I lived alone on the outskirts of the city. Eva had always liked my collection, and these pieces were the most recent additions to the collection, she had not seen them as I kept them in the back immediately after buying them. My bank was on the way and I could get some of the designs out of the locker.
Emma's POV I had left for work at the right time in the morning as I always did; I liked to arrive at the office at the same time as the other staff; my father arrived later, his chauffeur dropping him off outside the office premises at about 9:30. The bank was situated inside the city, and the manager greeted me. Though he was my senior, everyone knew that I was my dad's heir, so I was usually being handled cautiously with kid gloves, not just by my fellow workers but also by my superiors, all of whom were very conscious of the fact that I was the chairman's daughter. It was not an enviable position despite what the sum of the contemporaries thought... I had overheard one of the other girls making Katy remarks about me in the clock room, I felt set apart from the other girls alien to them. I never got the privileges they seemed to think, I had. I was all too conscious that my dad was expecting me to do well.In the evening, while other girls used to enjoy themselves, I used to rep
Emma's POV " We should take her upstairs to the boss," the other gunman instructed the first one. And I was taken there to the boss. " Boss, she is the chairman's daughter." He informed the powerfully built man with the coldest, shrewdest eyes I had ever seen. " Really? " He asked with a raised eyebrow. " Yeah, I thought we could get a good ransom, " the first gunman said; a quick turn of Boss's head silenced him. " Good, we will take her with us, she can be our insurance to go out. " The boss said and they took me with them. And whatever happened after that, still haunted me in my nightmares. They gagged, blindfolded tied me, and took me out in a vehicle. Though they all were silent, I could feel the presence of other people being around.The bank was supposed to open in five minutes now, and by the time they realized what had happened, these goons would have taken me far away. I was sitting on the floor of the vehicle, bound, blindfolded, and gagged. My body ached from the
Emma's POV The whole nightmare had left me close to the edge of a complete mental and physical breakdown with the result that I had finally told my parents that I would never return to the bank. My parents tried to make me understand, but I was so scared of it that I wanted to leave all that and take the career of my choice and live a quiet and safe life. My parents protested, especially when they learned that I wanted to move away from the home. They tried everything to keep me there, even got me engaged to the man my dad thought was best for me and fixed the date of my wedding to Daniel, but I didn't want to stay there, though I could not say no to getting married to the man. I had never liked him but my parents would have ignored the fact even if I had told them more firmly. The city had become a place that terrified me, I could not walk down a busy street without being overcome by the feeling that someone was walking behind me, stalking me, without the fear I had known in that
Emma's POV We reached my home, and he helped me to get out of the car. " I think you should let me carry you inside; you are still looking a bit shaken. " He said, and before I could say anything, he picked me in his arms. I wanted to protest but felt too weak to argue. My next-door neighbors were in the garden; the elderly man was walking while the lady was watering the plants when she saw that Ryan was carrying me in his arms. They asked me what happened and Ryan told them everything. They were shocked to hear that and asked me if I needed any help but I smiled and shook my head. " I am fine, please don't worry. " I said. " Do you want me to stay with you in case you need anything?" The elderly lady asked. " Oh, no! I am absolutely fine! " " But you... " " It is okay, ma'am, please don't worry, I will stay with her. " Ryan replied to her politely. She nodded and smiled back at him and told him to ask for help if we needed anything. He carried me to the door, unlocked it,
Emma's POV The doctor left and we were alone again. " I think I should go and sleep, or I might sleep here. " " Do you want me to make a bedtime drink for you? Something hot and milky, spiced with something alcoholic as the doctor suggested? " He asked but I shook my head. " I don't want your help in this matter, I can manage. " " Okay, since you can manage, I will go, but do you mind making me a cup of tea or coffee? " He asked. I tried to get up, and though I winced with pain, I managed to go to the kitchen. But when I picked up the kettle to make tea, I winced. " Did you just see, you can't even make a cup of tea at the moment, so stop being stubborn and let me help you. Shall I carry you upstairs? " He asked. I shook my head immediately. " No, the sofa in the kitchen is as comfortable as my bed. " I said, he nodded and took me to the couch and put me on it so gently as if I was a porcelain doll and made me sit there. His hands were slightly calloused, the strength in his
Third person's POV "You are safe in your home. You had a bad dream just because of the incident... " He was saying when Emma stiffened. "Not this morning... Something that happened... before." She managed to whisper. He got tensed hearing it. "Do you want to talk about it? " He asked. She came to her senses and tried to withdraw herself from his arms. But he held her against him as she really needed it. Her throat ached probably as a result of the screams. She swallowed against the pain. She had to tell him the truth; otherwise, he would think that she was a coward. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to." He whispered against her ear and somehow she felt the temptation to turn towards him and wanted him to kiss her senseless.The thought made her forget about her dream. But the very next moment she realized what she was thinking and was shocked. " I want to tell you... I need to tell you. She told him the story of the raid at the bank and about her
Emma's POV We headed back to our suite, but Ryan had one last surprise waiting for me. When we entered the room, the lights were dimmed, and the air was filled with the scent of jasmine and vanilla.A path of rose petals led to the bathroom, where a luxurious bubble bath had been drawn, candles flickering around the edges of the tub.“Ryan…” I gasped, turning to him with wide eyes. “Did you—?”He grinned, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my cheek. “I figured after a day like today, you deserved a little pampering.”My heart swelled with love for this man, who knew exactly how to make every moment special. He led me to the tub, helping me slip into the warm, fragrant water before joining me. The bubbles rose around us, and I leaned back against his chest, closing my eyes as his hands massaged my shoulders.We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sound of the gentle lapping of the water and the soft flicker of the candles. It was peaceful, intimate, and everyth
Emma's POV After several hours in the sky, we began our descent, and I noticed a glimmer of turquoise below, almost like a hidden jewel nestled in a sea of endless blue. As we got closer, I could make out an island ringed with pristine beaches, the sunlight casting golden highlights across the sand. My heart skipped a beat as I took in the scene—the untouched beauty of white sand, palm trees swaying gently, the promise of secluded beaches.“This is…all yours?” I asked, a sense of disbelief coloring my words. It felt almost unreal.Ryan laughed softly, wrapping an arm around me. “Not just mine. Ours. Consider this our private retreat.The thought of it—an entire island, untouched and serene, where we could simply be together—sent a thrill through me. Once we landed, a small team greeted us, but they quickly disappeared after helping us settle in. It was just the two of us, alone in paradise.Ryan wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me close against him. I leaned into his c
Emma's POV Once we were certain that Daniel and Evan were safely behind bars, I felt like I could finally exhale. It was surreal to think that the shadows of their crimes—murder, kidnapping, so many lives shattered—were now confined, unable to reach us. The damage, though, still lingered, especially in Eva’s life.Daniel’s conviction allowed her to obtain a swift divorce and full custody of their son, Danny. But while she had her freedom, she deserved a chance at happiness too.Eva had been through unimaginable hardship, and now, with a young son, Danny, to care for, her life was far from settled. Thankfully, the charges against Daniel made it relatively easy for her to get a divorce and secure sole custody of Danny. Still, she was young and had lost much; it wasn’t right for her to face the future on her own.Ryan, in his characteristic way of looking after people, was the first to offer support. It was Ryan who first suggested a way to help her move forward. He introduced her to on
Ryan's POV As the officers secured him in handcuffs and began reading him his rights, I turned to Emma. She was still trembling, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as though trying to shield herself from the horrors she’d just endured. Her eyes, red and puffy from tears, met mine, and I saw a mix of relief and determination there.“Ryan,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “There’s something you need to know.”I stepped closer, my hand brushing against hers in a gesture of comfort. “What is it?”She hesitated, glancing at James, who clung to my side, his small fingers gripping my shirt. I knelt, cupping his face gently.“It’s okay, buddy,” I murmured. “Everything’s going to be fine now.”I turned to one of the officers. “Can someone take my son outside? He doesn’t need to hear this.”An officer nodded, extending his hand toward James. “Hey, champ, why don’t you come with me? We’ve got some juice and snacks in the car.”James looked at me, uncertainty flickering in his wide
Ryan's POV With a swift kick, the door slammed open, the sound reverberating like a gunshot through the room. Evan spun around, startled but not surprised. He stood over Emma and James, both bound to chairs. My heart clenched as I took in their faces—pale but alive, their eyes widening in shock and relief at the sight of us.“Emma,” I murmured, my voice low but filled with urgency. “It’s alright. I’m here.”Relief seemed to flood through her, and she nearly collapsed in the chair as if she had been holding her breath, the tension finally breaking. But there was no time to rest. Evan was already recovering, his face twisted with rage.“You,” he spat, his voice dripping with hatred. “Always ruining everything.”“This ends now, Evan,” I said, “You’ve done enough.”Evan laughed, “Oh, you think you’re the hero now? After everything you took from me?”My jaw tightened, and my fists clenched at my sides. “I didn’t take anything from you, Evan. You did this to yourself.”Evan’s face twisted
Ryan's POV Just ahead, I saw tire marks in the mud, leading away from the area. I crouched down, examining them, my mind racing. I followed the impressions of the tires in the mud and was shocked by what I saw ahead.I saw a car, just like mine, with the same number.What the hell?He used this to make them think it was me, not him, so they’d believe him.I saw a candy wrapper lying there—a Swiss chocolate candy I’d bought for my son. I picked it up, frustration coursing through me, a flood of helplessness rising with it. I was used to solving problems with precision, but here, every step felt like I was grasping at shadows. Emma and James were out there somewhere—alone, scared, with that monster.Gritting my teeth, I swore I’d kill that man. For the first time in years, I felt powerless, as if everything I valued was slipping through my fingers.Finally, the team managed to pinpoint Emma’s phone’s last ping just outside an abandoned cottage—the perfect hiding place. A surge of deter
Ryan's POV Then, the final revelation, the one that sent a chill through my veins. “Evan doesn’t just want to ruin you, Ryan,” Daniel said, his eyes glinting with perverse satisfaction. “He wants to be you. He’s been planning this for months. Changing his look, studying you—down to your bloody mannerisms. He’s got a way out, a clean record. No one would question it if he walked right back into your life, because no one would know.”The room fell silent, his words hanging in the air, heavier than anything I’d imagined. Evan planned to kill us, to eliminate every trace of my existence, and then live as me—he’d done everything necessary to erase his old life and assume mine, seamlessly.The realization gripped me like a vice. Emma and James were in the hands of a man who was not only ruthless but methodical, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill them just to ensure his twisted plan played out perfectly. I could feel the rage, the cold, calculated fury that settled deep in my bones, overriding t
Ryan's POV A message from James’s school with a link to James’s tracker. My heart pounded as I opened it, the pulsing dot representing my son, my little boy, out there in the unknown, moving farther and farther away from safety. It took everything in me to keep my breathing steady.The dot moved slowly, indicating a car, but it was erratic, stopping occasionally before starting again. I relayed the location to my security team, ordering them to monitor it, and I contacted the authorities as well. Every second counted.The location kept shifting. It was going away from the city and then stopped at a filling station then surprisingly it started coming back towards the city. After about 5 minutes, it stopped on the way, and it started moving away from the city again. What the hell was happening?? I was nearly thirty minutes behind them, a lifetime in situations like this, but I pushed forward, my focus razor-sharp. I was halfway to the edge of the city when the dot stopped moving, fi
Emma's POV " What do you want from him?? " " Now that I have you and your son tucked away in this secluded, abandoned house in the jungle, it feels as though everything is finally aligning. I could practically taste the power—the empire I would inherit, the life that had always been promised to me yet repeatedly snatched away. I would use both of you, Emma and James, to get exactly what I wanted. And if it meant sacrificing you along the way, so be it. I would do whatever it took. You would see soon enough that your darling, Ryan wasn’t the saint you believed him to be. And when all was done, when I'd hollowed out everything he cherished, Ryan would finally know what it felt like to lose everything. And in the end, he’d have no one to blame but himself." Just then, a flash of movement caught my eye—a shadow slipping between the trees. I dared not look too closely, afraid of giving anything away, but hope flared within me. Ryan. It had to be him. He must have tracked us here.But I