The ocean stretched endlessly before them, its deep blue waters shimmering under the afternoon sun. The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, filling the air with the scent of salt and freedom. The soft hum of distant laughter, the occasional cry of a seagull, and the warmth of the sand beneath his feet made Ethan feel something he hadn’t in a long time—at peace.He lay back in his beach chair, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he took in the scene before him. Hannah and Lily were walking along the shoreline, their bare feet sinking into the wet sand with each step. Hannah’s laughter carried over the breeze, light and unguarded.Ethan couldn’t stop staring at her. It had been years since he’d seen her this carefree. No worries, no burdens—just pure, unfiltered joy.Lucian, lounging beside him, sipped his drink and smirked. “Didn’t think you were the vacation type.”Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t think I’d get a second chance at this kind of peace.”Lucian nodded slow
Hannah“If you bend over a little bit more, I might just give you a bigger tip.” A huge guy in a red leather jacket said loudly as I cleared the table opposite his.“Damn girl are you on the menu too? I’d order you anytime.” His friend added whistling as they broke into raucous laughter.Those words weren’t new to me anymore. Catcalling was a regular thing with the men in Earthly Paradise nightclub. I’d heard it too many times and learned how to shove it all down instead of getting affected by it. Lately, I just flash a smile and move along whenever a customer makes a flirtatious advance about my beauty or crosses a line with an inappropriate sexual comment.I hated working here and did not want to entertain any more of their antics, but I did not have any other option. It was the only place I could find that would hire a college dropout with no degree.For years I blamed my sister, Lily for how our lives turned out. She tore our family apart. Years ago, our father won a contract de
HannahI felt a sharp headache as I slowly blinked my eyes open, wondering where I was.The room felt unfamiliar, decorated with tall ceilings, artworks, and designs as I scanned my eyes around.I tried to sit up, but a painful knot twisted in my stomach, forcing me back onto the bed. That’s when my eyes caught him, standing with arms crossed behind his back in front of the wide glass windows.Immediately, I panicked and my heart started racing, fearing the worst. He was wearing a black suit, with beautiful brown hair slicked backward.Suddenly he turned towards me and his gaze met mine instantly. I was struck by his features; blue eyes as deep as the ocean, a stubble jawline, and high cheekbones. It felt oddly strange. I wasn’t one to swoon easily, but something about this man made my heart skip.“Oh good you’re awake,” he said with a smile that sent chills down my spine.“Wh-who are you? Where am I?” I asked, forcing myself up from the bed, but before he could say anything, I sudde
Ethan‘After all these years, why am I still hung up on you?’ I sighed as Clint drove back home.I now realize why I was infatuated by her. She reminded me of Lily; her grace, her calmness, these were all things that Lily had, things I loved about her. But now that feeling had been replaced with something I wanted to let go of, but still couldn’t – resentment.A part of me despised and hated her for what she did to me, but another part of me still held on to her, wanting her despite the pain she’d caused me.Seeing Hannah that night stirred some conflicting feelings inside me. Feelings about Lily. I wanted her to suffer, to be trampled with nothing but pain. To feel torn the same way I did when she left me. I wanted to be the one to cause her tears, but also dry them and love her softly as she dealt with that pain.Her betrayal stung so deeply. She was the last person I expected to ever do something like that to me, which was why I found it hard to get her off my mind. Lily wasn’t li
Ethan“How long?” I asked, my finger tracing the edge of the envelope.“How long have you had this?” Jane glanced at Reginald nervously and the latter avoided her gaze.“How long, Jane?!” I bellowed angrily, causing her to tremble in fear.“I’m-I’m sorry Master Ethan, I didn’t know how to tell you. I found the letter about a month ago in Ms. Young’s room.” Aunt Jane said quickly and breathed out as if a heavy load had been lifted from her chest.A soft scoff escaped my lips. It took a while to process what she had said. I couldn’t believe it, I didn't want to. This entire time, I imagined the worst had happened to her, but it turned out she wasn’t lost, she just didn’t want to come back to me. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks as a wry smile parted my lips.Slowly, I tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter, my heart beating faster as I unfolded it.“Ethan, I’m sorry I have to say goodbye this way. You deserve more than a piece of paper, but it’s the only way I can
HannahI rushed through my door and immediately headed to my bedroom, my mind still reeling from that strange offer.I couldn’t believe I was even still thinking about this. Five million dollars was a huge amount of money, but it wasn’t worth getting married to someone I did not know.Wiping my forehead nervously, I sat down and opened my laptop, glad that I had at least made it back home in time for the Screenwriter examination. Immediately, an email notification popped up on my screen from Royal Group, and anxiously, I clicked on it.My eyes widened in horror as I read the mail, “Rejected?” I blurted in disbelief, slumping into my seat.“But I haven’t even taken the examination yet.” I thought, trying to process what was happening. Soon as the realization set in, my whole body weakened and tears welled up in my eyes. This was my dream, my only hope of taking care of my mother’s medical bills. I’d done everything right, and followed all the application rules, so why was I rejected?
HannahI thought signing my signature on that contract would be the toughest thing, but walking back home, legally married to a man you did not know topped it.My mind shook still as I walked back home. My thoughts racing, a mix of disbelief and fear. I didn’t even know my husband’s name, but judging from everything he did just to get me to sign this contract, I surmised he must have been a big-time figure. Still, for all I knew he could have been a cold ruthless man. Any man who gave tough ultimatums on the condition of a marriage had to be.‘What did I get myself into?’ I muttered to myself as I continued walking down the street, tears welling in my eyes.I tried to look at the bright side of things. I now had five million dollars to my name, but the cost of it made it more difficult to feel good about it.For years, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t fall victim to the games of another man, or bare my heart so open to the point it gets broken, but he had left me no choice.Here
Hannah shrieked at the sound of the voice and recoiled immediately, scanning her eyes around to find the source of it. As soon as her face landed on the small figure, she patted her forehead in relief, holding her chest in her hands.“Don’t do that Grace.” She said in relief, tossing her bag over a chair.Grace was Hannah’s best friend, or at least she called herself that. In the actual sense of it, she was Hannah’s only friend since she came to the city. Despite having other friends, and trying to introduce them to Hannah. She found out it was a futile attempt, and decided to just let it go. “Do what? Walk into my best friend’s house when she’s not around? How else am I supposed to find the man she’s been hiding away all this time?” Grace teased with a warm smile and stood up.“What man?” Hannah suddenly asked, her brows arching in confusion.“C’mon Hannah. You know that act doesn’t work on me. A man left you flowers at your doorstep with a letter. Why didn’t you tell me you were s
The ocean stretched endlessly before them, its deep blue waters shimmering under the afternoon sun. The waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, filling the air with the scent of salt and freedom. The soft hum of distant laughter, the occasional cry of a seagull, and the warmth of the sand beneath his feet made Ethan feel something he hadn’t in a long time—at peace.He lay back in his beach chair, sunglasses shielding his eyes as he took in the scene before him. Hannah and Lily were walking along the shoreline, their bare feet sinking into the wet sand with each step. Hannah’s laughter carried over the breeze, light and unguarded.Ethan couldn’t stop staring at her. It had been years since he’d seen her this carefree. No worries, no burdens—just pure, unfiltered joy.Lucian, lounging beside him, sipped his drink and smirked. “Didn’t think you were the vacation type.”Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t think I’d get a second chance at this kind of peace.”Lucian nodded slow
The evening air carried the soft scent of roses and freshly cut grass as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the garden. Strings of twinkling lights hung above, flickering gently in the breeze. It was simple, intimate—exactly what they needed.Ethan adjusted the cuff of his suit, taking a deep breath. He never thought he’d be standing here again, vowing himself to Hannah, not because they had to, but because they chose to.Lucian clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Nervous?”Ethan scoffed. “Since when do I get nervous?”Lucian smirked. “You’re literally sweating.”Ethan wiped his palms against his pants, rolling his eyes. “It’s just hot out.”Lucian chuckled. “Sure it is.”But the truth was, Ethan was nervous—not because he doubted what he was about to do, but because of how much it meant.He glanced around. The guest list was small, just their closest friends and family. Noah stood in the corner, ever the watchful guardian. Lily adjusted Hannah’s bouquet, whisper
Ethan sat across from Hannah in their bedroom, the quiet between them stretching long and heavy, filled with everything they hadn’t yet said. The past few days had been a storm—one they had barely made it through. And yet, in this moment, it wasn’t the past battles that scared Ethan the most. It was this. Sitting here, looking at Hannah, knowing he had nearly lost her in more ways than one.Hannah sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped together in her lap. There was no anger in her eyes, but there was something else—something deeper. A sadness. A weariness. And maybe, just maybe, a little hope.Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing his hands together as if that would ease the tension in his chest. “I should’ve told you everything from the beginning,” he admitted, his voice quiet but firm. “I thought keeping things from you would protect you, but all it did was push you away. I was scared of losing you.”Hannah sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Ethan, I knew you had secrets. I c
The explosion was deafening. A wave of heat and force slammed into Ethan, knocking him off balance as shards of debris flew through the air. The ground beneath him trembled. Smoke curled into the night sky, filling his lungs with the acrid scent of burning metal and dust.Ethan coughed, trying to steady himself as his vision swam. He turned his head and saw Anderson slumped beside him, barely conscious, his breathing shallow.A few feet away, the man in the tailored suit—his enemy, his nightmare—stumbled back from the force of the blast. But even through the chaos, he recovered quickly, brushing the dust off his expensive jacket. A smirk tugged at his lips, as if none of this fazed him.Lucian, always the fastest to react, grabbed Ethan’s arm. His grip was firm, urgent. “Move!”Ethan didn’t waste time. He wrapped an arm around Anderson and hoisted him up, supporting most of his weight. Anderson groaned in pain, but he didn’t resist.Flames crackled from the black SUVs parked nearby. T
A thick silence fell over the room. Ethan’s breath hitched in his throat, his pulse thundering as Anderson’s words settled in. “You should have left things alone.” What did he even mean by that? Ethan wondered.Lucian exchanged a glance with Ethan, his body shifting uncomfortably. He took a step toward the door, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his waist. Something was wrong. Very wrong.Ethan turned back to Anderson, whose face was pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His breathing was ragged, his chest rising and falling with effort. But it wasn’t pain that twisted his features—it was terror.“Anderson,” Ethan pressed, his fingers tightening around Anderson’s cold wrist. “What do you mean? Who did this to you?”Anderson tried to move, but his body was too weak. He clenched his jaw, forcing out a whisper between his shallow breaths.“They know.”Ethan’s blood ran cold.Before he could ask what Anderson meant, Lucian moved abruptly, shoving Ethan back.“Get down
As Ethan entered the room again, his heart sank as he saw Anderson. He looked even worse than he was before. Ethan hesitated for a moment, and then pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, gripping the armrest tightly.This time around, Lucian stood by the door, arms crossed and his eyes scanning the room like he expected danger to come crashing through at any moment. Somewhere deep down, he knew Anderson was not in the clear yet. Not while he was still in this hospital.Ethan barely noticed, Lucian’s demeanor. He reached out, hesitating before lightly grasping Anderson’s wrist. It was cold. Too cold.His throat felt tight. “You have to wake up,” he whispered. “You have to tell me who did this.”Anderson didn’t move.Ethan exhaled shakily, his grip tightening. “I thought you were dead. Do you get that? I—” His voice wavered, and he clenched his jaw. “I grieved you. And now you’re back, but you’re barely here, and I—”He shook his head, frustration burning beneath his skin. “Damn
The hospital room felt smaller, like the walls were closing in, pressing down on Ethan’s chest as he watched Anderson convulse on the bed. The shrill beeping of the heart monitor filled his ears, drowning out everything else. Nurses and doctors shouted, moving quickly, but all Ethan could focus on was Anderson—pale, shaking, slipping away right in front of him.“They know.”The words echoed in his mind like a warning, a scream he couldn’t ignore. Lucian was still gripping his arm, holding him back, but Ethan barely felt it. His entire body was tense, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts.A nurse shoved past them, her voice sharp and urgent. “We need to stabilize him now!”“BP’s dropping fast!” another called.“Charging to 200!”Ethan flinched as the defibrillator paddles pressed against Anderson’s chest.“Clear!”Anderson’s body jerked, then slumped.Ethan’s stomach twisted.“Again!”Another jolt. Another lifeless slump.Panic gripped Ethan so hard his pulse pounded against his
Lucian paced. He couldn’t help it. His body was too charged, his mind too overwhelmed to stay still. His breaths came in sharp, measured inhales as he kept his eyes on Anderson.Ethan hadn’t moved. He was still kneeling beside his cousin, gripping his arm as if afraid that if he let go, Anderson would disappear again. His lips moved in whispers, too low for Lucian to hear. Maybe he was apologizing. Maybe he was making promises.Lucian clenched his jaw. He could hear the distant wail of sirens now, cutting through the silence of Greenville’s ruins. Help was coming. But was it fast enough? He didn’t know how Anderson had managed to survive this long, but one thing was sure, if he hadn’t gotten any help soon, he might not make it much longer anymore.His eyes flickered to Ethan. The man had barely reacted to anything else since they found Anderson. The emotions flickering across his face were too raw to name, shock, disbelief, agony, relief. All tangled into something indescribable.Luci
The drive to Greenville was short, but every mile stretched on like an eternity. With each passing second, Lucian’s hand gripped the wheel tighter, his mind caught in an endless loop of Ethan’s chilling words.“The earthquake should’ve taken me, not him.” Those words replayed once again in his mind, followed by guilt, regret and pain.Ethan had been drowning in it, and Lucian had missed all the signs. This weighed heavily on him considering his welfare was one of the main things he was supposed to look out for. How could he have been so blind? Lucian groaned.He should have stopped him. Should have made him stay. Should have—He exhaled sharply. “No. No more should-haves.” He muttered. He was here now, and in a matter of time, he would find Ethan before it was too late.As he looked at the place now, the road cracked at the edges, debris scattered across the pavement like fallen memories. The photos had not done it justice, the ruins of this place was more than what was shown. Buildin