Author’s POVHannah’s steps quickened as she moved down the long corridor, and then suddenly stopped, realizing she didn’t know where she was going.Ethan had instructed her to stay in his mansion tonight and then have her things packed the next day, to ensure her safety.Much against her will, she finally gave in to his instruction, but now she realized she didn’t even know which room she was supposed to stay.“Let me show you to your room,” Reginald said,- approaching her with slow measured steps.He stopped in front of Hannah and a warm smile appeared on his face,“This way, Ms. Young.” He said and walked away, leading her to her room.Hannah heaved a tired sigh and then followed him.Her heart was still pounding in her chest as she followed him, the words from the mysterious text still echoing in her mind. “Midnight, the old pier. Come alone.”Hannah was unsettled. All she wanted was to get to her room and then sneak out before midnight, but with Ethan’s suspicions and watchful ey
Author’s POVThe possessiveness in Ethan’s voice made her stomach turn, but she swallowed down her disgust and nodded in response.“I understand,” she said softly, her fingers trailing down his arm in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture.Ethan let out a slow breath, his grip on her wrist loosening slightly. He stared at her for some time and then muttered softly, “Good. I expect you to be ready for tomorrow’s event. I need you to not embarrass me or do anything stupid.”Hannah nodded, forcing herself to meet his gaze, “Of course, Ethan.”With that, he slowly released her hand and stepped back, his cold demeanor slipping back into place, “Get some rest.” He said in a tone that seemed more authoritative than concerning, then turned and walked down the hall, his footsteps echoing as he walked away.As soon as he was completely out of sight, Hannah let out a relieved breath, her hand trembling as she rubbed her wrist where his fingers had gripped her.She couldn’t let him control her l
Author’s POVHannah’s breath hitched, her body frozen in place as the figure’s words played in her mind. She felt every instinct telling her to run, but her legs refused to move. She couldn’t, not without information about Lily. It was after all the only reason she came out here tonight.“What do you mean?” She demanded, her voice although shaky, she was determined, trying to hide the fear surging through her body.“Where is Lily? Tell me!”The figure’s grip tightened for a moment, and then released her and took a step back. The figure chuckled ominously for some time in a way that only irritated Hannah more.“It’s quite ironic that you’ve been searching the whole world for her and she has been closer than you think the whole time.”Immediately Hannah heard this, her eyes widened in surprise.‘Lily is close?’ She thought to herself, finding it hard to believe.She quickly searched her purse for her phone, fumbling with it to find her way out of the Pier. Clearly, she had wasted her t
Author’s POVThe figure took a step back, seeing how unsettled she was. “Why?!” Hannah yelled, and a dark sinister smile appeared beneath the shadow of the hood.“Why?” He repeated.“Because dear Hannah, this is just the beginning. You thought marrying Ethan was the solution to your problems, but it’s only led you into more danger.”“He’s not the man you think he is.” Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the air, startling both Hannah and the mysterious figure.Hannah quickly shifted her gaze toward the direction of the footsteps, but before she could turn back, the figure had disappeared into the shadows, just as a pair of headlights illuminated the Pier.Scanning her eyes in confusion, Hannah turned to see a black car pulling up slowly. Her pulse quickened as she glanced at the car, unsure of who was behind the wheel. Was it Ethan? Did he follow her? Or was it someone else entirely? These questions filled her mind as she cautiously walked toward the car, her h
Author’s POVThe closer Ethan got to her, the faster Hannah’s heart was beating. But she knew she could not allow her nervousness to show or else Ethan might feel more suspicious of her activities.“I just needed some air,” Hannah said, her voice wavering as she spoke.Hearing this, Ethan’s lips curled into a faint smile, almost as if he had her right where he wanted.“Air, at this hour?” He asked, circling her slowly with a scrutinizing gaze.“You really think you can sneak out without me knowing and then try lying about it? Do you take me for a fool, Hannah?”Hannah’s her started becoming shaky, but she clenched her fist, trying to hold her ground, “I didn’t do anything wrong.” She replied, her voice firmer this time.“I just needed to think. Alone.” She said and then locked gazes with him,“What? I can’t even do that?”Ethan suddenly stopped in front of her, his gaze piercing into hers, “You think I don’t know what’s going on in your head?” He asked softly, his hand brushing a stra
Author’s POVFor a short moment, Hannah did not move. She did not understand how a man who had just made her whole body yearn with desire a few moments ago, could suddenly turn so cold.She stared at him unflinchingly, her mind running wild with thoughts.‘What happened to him?’ She finally asked herself, trying to see another side of Ethan.She had heard so much from different people about him but had never formed her own opinion of him. Not that he had given her a chance to with how cold and controlling he acted toward her most times. At this point, Hannah did not know what to believe. Reginald had told her that Ethan was not as bad as he seemed, but then there was the hooded figure at the Pier, warning her that he wasn’t what she thought he was.“Did you hear me?” Ethan’s voice sounded, breaking her out of her thoughts.“Yes, Ethan.” She whimpered.Immediately she turned to leave, her feet shaking as she walked away, but then Ethan’s voice suddenly stopped her, “And oh, Hannah.”H
Author’s POVHannah held her breath, waiting for Grace’s response. She already knew how Grace felt about her marriage with Ethan and was not expecting her to jump to her aid, but the silence on the other end of the line was deafening.“You want me to investigate Ethan Ford?” Grace finally asked, breaking the silence, her voice laced with shock. Hannah bit her lip, her heart racing as she contemplated this idea again, doubts creeping in.‘Was this the right thing to do? Was she about to cross a line she couldn’t come back from?’ she wondered, staring blankly at her bedroom wall. Ethan did not seem like the kind of man she should mess with, but she had to know the truth. There was too much at stake, too many unanswered questions that left her intrigued.“I need to know who he really is Grace,” Hannah replied in a low tone.“There’s something… something dark about him. I can feel it.” She continued, her voice cracking with fear.Grace remained quiet for some time, processing the weight
Author’s POV The bustling sound of lawnmowers awoke Hannah by 8 a.m. that morning. She had spent some hours in the night, stuck on Lily’s picture, her mind filled with many thoughts and questions until eventually she drifted off to sleep. Stretching her arms, she glanced at the alarm clock by her bedside and sprang up immediately after she saw the time. Today was the party Ethan had been preaching about and if she was late or unprepared, he was going to kill her. She ran towards her box of clothes, searching for anything decent she could wear, which seemed a lot harder than she thought. Ethan had stretched the importance of this party so much, but in all those times he never mentioned what the party was really about, making her choice of outfit difficult to make, not as if she had anything suitable for an occasion as this. This was going to be her first ever party, surrounded by a set of wealthy class she only saw on TV broadcasts and read about in books. Certainly, even her most
Author’s POVHannah's heart raced as she stared at Ethan, her thoughts drifting away. His large arms and ripped back left her in a trance, and slowly as if in a trance, she approached him.Ethan suddenly turned around hearing her footsteps, “Hannah.” He blurted in shock, his face flushing with humiliation.He quickly picked up his shirt and threw it on, “What are you doing here?”“I-uh…” Hannah stammered, her eyes still glued to his toned packs and rounded chest.“I came to check in on you.” She finally said.Ethan quickly dressed up, “I’ll be out in a minute.” He said dismissively.Hannah remained quiet for a while and then replied, “Right. I guess I’ll see you out there.” She turned to leave but then suddenly stopped at the door, turning back. She could not tell what came over her, but everything in her fought the urge to forget the party and throw herself on him right now. And for the first time, the thought of it did not make her uncomfortable. Ethan was buttoning his shirt w
Author’s POV“What is a letter doing here?” Hannah wondered, still staring at the letter curiously. After a while, she approached the dress, gently picked it up, and observed the intricate designs, and then her gaze shifted back to the letter. Hannah heaved a deep sigh, glancing at the door. At first, she thought it was Ethan, but they shared a room and Hannah could not imagine what it was he had to say that he just couldn’t say to her. Slowly, she picked up the letter and tore open the seal. However, as soon as she noticed who it was from, she froze in shock and the letter fell right out of her hands. Without thinking, Hannah turned and ran out of the room into the hallway, scanning her eyes around hoping to find the waitress from before, but she was too late, she was already gone. After some more time searching the hallways and trying to describe the waitress from earlier even though she had barely gotten a good look at her, Hannah finally gave up and returned to her room.She pace
Author’s POV“You want me to do what?!” Hannah exclaimed, the weight of the words still hanging in the air.She could feel her heart racing already from the thought of it. Her relationship with Ethan was already rocky enough as it was, the last thing she wanted to do was to complicate that with a kiss. “Come on, Hannah, this shouldn’t be difficult to do. All I’m asking is that you kiss your husband. How difficult could that be?” He replied with a hint of sarcasm.Hannah paced around the room frantically. She was afraid when she came to this party, knowing she’d have to act unnaturally close to Ethan to sell off their act as a real married couple, but she never expected that she’d have to kiss him.Things had just escalated quickly. “I can’t do it. I won’t.” Hannah replied sharply.A deep sigh returned on the other end of the line, and then went silent for a while. “Hannah, look we both have to do things we don’t want to do to get what we want. You of all people should know that. Yo
Author’s POV“You want me to do what?!” Hannah exclaimed, the weight of the words still hanging in the air.She could feel her heart racing already from the thought of it. Her relationship with Ethan was already rocky enough as it was, the last thing she wanted to do was to complicate that with a kiss. “Come on, Hannah, this shouldn’t be difficult to do. All I’m asking is that you kiss your husband. How difficult could that be?” He replied with a hint of sarcasm.Hannah paced around the room frantically. She was afraid when she came to this party, knowing she’d have to act unnaturally close to Ethan to sell off their act as a real married couple, but she never expected that she’d have to kiss him.Things had just escalated quickly. “I can’t do it. I won’t.” Hannah replied sharply.A deep sigh returned on the other end of the line, and then went silent for a while. “Hannah, look we both have to do things we don’t want to do to get what we want. You of all people should know that. Yo
Author’s POV“How do you know Liam?” Hannah repeated, sensing a hidden truth there. Julienne hesitated for a while, and then said, “Liam? He’s just my brother’s annoying old friend.” She replied.Hannah was not convinced but she accepted Julienne’s explanation.“What did you say Ethan was doing?” Julienne asked curiously.“He has been staring at his old friend as if he wants to drill a hole through his head, and he’s not subtle about how he feels about Liam either. I’m afraid he’s going to ruin this deal he’s trying to sign, and spend the rest of the trip making it uncomfortable for everyone, which just so happens to be only me,” Hannah complained.“Can you talk to him, get him to bury this Liam thing before the party? It’s in a couple of hours and I’ll appreciate if Ethan isn’t cranky the whole time.”Julienne remained quiet for a while, as if thinking over it, and then said “Alright. I’ll see how I can help.” But before Hannah could say anything, she quickly added, “Do you know wha
Author’s POV“Okay, what’s this thing with you and Liam?” Hannah asked as soon as they stepped inside.“Can we not talk about it? I’m not really in the mood.” Ethan said dismissively.“We can drop it if you stop acting like a jerk around him.” She sneered.Ethan took one look at her and threw up his arms in frustration, “How do you even know that loser?”“What? Liam? He worked with me at the Nightclub.” Hannah replied.When Ethan heard this, his eyes widened in surprise. “Did you say he worked with you at the nightclub?” He repeated.“Yes, what’s the matter?” “Nothing,” Ethan gave in and went to the room, grabbed another duvet, and brought it back to the living room. “Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. You should get some rest, Hannah.” Ethan said and laid on the couch. Hannah remained frozen, staring at him for a while, and then sighed and walked away.She returned to the room and looked without checking her phone, she went back to bed.***The next morning, Ethan was awoken by th
Author’s POVHannah stormed out of the room with no hesitation. Her mind was racing uncontrollably, and all she wanted was a little break to just process everything. She strode towards the balcony, overlooking the view of the river behind it. Liam stood at the corner of the hallway, watching her intently, and then summoned a smile, and slowly approached her.Hannah gasped in shock when she suddenly saw him,“Liam,” she exhaled.“What are you doing here?” Liam ignored her and just slowly approached her with a smile on his face,“Sorry, Hannah. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He paused and stared at her deeply as if trying to note something.“Why are you looking at me like that?” Hannah’s brow raised uncomfortably as she looked at him.“Does he know?” Liam asked with curiosity.Hannah shot her gaze away, confused by what Liam was asking. Seeing her perplexed expression, Liam smirked and stepped closer to the balcony, tracing his fingers along the cold metal rail.“Your husband, Ethan. I
Author’s POV“Liam?” Hannah called, still in shock. “What are you doing here?” She added as Liam suddenly stopped in front of her. “It’s nice to see you again Hannah, you didn’t even inform us at the nightclub that you were quitting your job,” Liam said teasingly.Hannah look flustered. She still couldn’t believe that Liam was standing in front of her. How did he even get into an exclusive event like this?‘Liam must have scored a very sweet gig here.’ She thought, looking around the place again.“I’m sorry Liam, it all just kind of happened so fast,” Hannah said and quickly added, changing the conversation, “So are you here on a job?” She asked and a wry smile appeared across Liam’s face. However, just as he was about to say something, Ethan emerged from the other end of the hallway and became instantly furious, “You!” He sneered angrily, approaching Liam.Immediately Hannah saw the stern expression on Ethan’s face she could tell something was wrong. She quickly got out of the way,
Author’s POV“Allow me to show you the inside,” Ethan said and led Hannah into the jet.After they entered the jet, Ethan gestured and the air hostesses brought a bottle of champagne.Ethan shifted his gaze to Hannah again and a smile flashed on his face. He could sense the shift in tension and the ease that was quickly settling in between them.“I know this week has been tense and difficult, but can we try to be relaxed around each other? We might just have a good time if we give it a try.” Ethan said earnestly.Hannah hesitated for a while, unsure what to say. Ethan drove a good bargain – the jet, the expensive wine. If she didn’t know better she would think that he was flirting with her. Hannah decided to temporarily ignore the rift between them, at least for the entirety of their flight. Surprisingly, the atmosphere of the jet suddenly changed. Hannah and Ethan engaged frequently in casual conversations, Hannah occasionally taking notes of certain things she liked about it.The w