SILVIA'S POV "Okay, so this is going to sound strange, but I think I dreamt about you yesterday."A shiver went up my spine as a familiar voice infiltrated my ears. I shut my locker and was met by a pair of dorky eyes and the silliest smile I had ever seen. Gerald stood by my side, leaning against the lockers situated beside mine. "It’s nice to see you are feeling better." I said, speaking for the first time today. Unlike yesterday, I didn’t get the chance to speak to Josiah.I called yesterday evening several times, but he wouldn’t pick up. I didn’t even know how I was feeling right now. It was a mix of sadness, disappointment, and hurt. But most shocking of all, I felt lonely.Gerald’s eyes widened for just a fraction, and his lips formed an O. "It was not a dream, you were there. In my room playing with my face." He said, or squealed rather. I scrunched my nose at the last part and shook my head with disbelief. I turned my back to leave, but he grabbed my arm and forced me to face
GERALD'S POV I stood in front of my mirror staring at my outfit with uncertainty. Now that Paula and I weren’t on speaking terms, I wasn’t completely sure about what I was wearing. Usually, I wouldn’t care what I wore, especially if it concerned important occasions regarding my father. But this time was different. I was going with Silvia. I had to look good.I checked my diamond-encrusted watch and decided to leave. It was getting late. I took my black blazer and left my room. I came to a stop in front of Paula’s room, and just as I was about to knock, her door flew open. Her eyes aligned with mine, and they were not happy. My eyes trailed down her body, and I could not lie: she looked amazing. She was always in shorts and jeans; it was almost impossible to catch her in a dress.The light blue material hugged her body like a second skin. It stopped at her upper thigh, revealing her perfectly tanned legs. Her stilettos and makeup matched the color of her outfit, and her dark hair fell
GERALD'S POV "Luckily, none of her vital organs were damaged. But she lost a lot of blood and will have to spend a few days under supervision." I think that's what the doctor said because I wasn’t even listening. I didn’t give a damn about anything. All I wanted was for Silvia to show me those pretty eyes of hers and look at me like she always did. Like I was the craziest person in the world.But that was too much of a dream, and the facts still remained. I was the one who brought her out tonight. She was on this fucking hospital bed because of me. Why in hell did I think it was a good idea to get close to her? Apart from Paula, everyone I have ever cared about ended up six feet beneath the earth before I even got the chance to tell them I loved them.And no, I don’t love Silvia.I just… I don’t know. I like her a lot.My grip on her hand tightened a bit, but not enough to hurt her. Paula was outside speaking to the head of security at the ball. They better find out who did this and
GERALD'S POV The regret in Silvia’s eyes as I pulled away turned those few seconds of bliss into a nightmare.She shut her eyes as though she could not bear to look at me; it hurt a lot more than I wished it did. I pulled my face away from hers and sat beside her on the chair. We stayed together in awkward silence, and I would occasionally shoot her a sideways glance. I really wanted us to talk about the kiss, but the way her eyes inspected every inch of the ceiling told me she wanted to forget it as soon as possible.But surely she should have felt what I felt when our lips met. Or am I just sick again?I sighed before deciding to ask, "Do you want some food?" Instead of giving me a verbal response because I really wanted to hear her voice right now, she nodded. I shot to my feet and walked towards the door. I did not want to leave her alone for even a second, but I had to get her something to eat or I would end up watching over a corpse.I shut the door behind me and was surprised
SILVIA'S POV After Gerald showed up at the hospital with a bruise on his face with the rest of the team, we quickly finished up everything we needed to do. Gerald refused to tell me about how he got the bruise; as a matter of fact, he seemed to be avoiding me. I tried briefing him on what we did in the first half of the project, but he said he preferred Jessica to tutor him.Whatever the hell that meant.And to be honest, I didn’t really ponder much about it, especially with the never-ending questions Jessica kept throwing at me as to why I was lying on a hospital bed. The girl never did shut up. It was like the more I answered her questions, the more curious she became. What annoyed me the most was that I knew she didn’t care about me. To others, it might look like she did. But Paula was not the only one who could read people.Eventually, Jessica let it slide, and we put the finishing touches to our project. I occasionally caught Jessica staring at either me or Gerald, like she was
GERALD'S POV "Hey, Paula, there’s something I need to tell you." was the first thing I said as I entered my apartment. I was beyond exhausted after the events of the day. After Silvia had seen Jessica and I kissing, she vanished once again. She really was a master at that. I couldn’t even look at Jessica once she pulled away from me. I don’t know what made me not push her away. Maybe it was the comfort or the surprise of her actions. Or maybe I was just too stunned to move.I have kissed many girls, but with Jessica it felt different. It felt wrong.I couldn’t get the image of Silvia’s teary eyes out of my head. Why was she crying? Maybe she…. No, she couldn’t have feelings for me. She had a boyfriend, right? God, when did my life get so complicated?"Sure, what’s up?" Paula said, turning around on the high stool before the counter. I couldn’t help but admire how calm and relaxed she looked. She wore a pair of dark baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. Her hair was down and tangled, but she
SILVIA'S POV I groaned after hearing the knock on my door. I really did not want to move, I like where I am. Today has been nothing but a tornado of emotions, and all that is left is the damage. And I mean literal damage. The second I got home, I practically threw everything that I had on me. That included my bag, keys, clothes, and underwear. Then I just sat in the warm bathtub and played with the bubbles.Best stress reliever in the world, I’ll tell you that.And whoever was outside my door only wanted to give me more stress, both physically by getting up to answer the door and emotionally from whatever nonsense was going to come out of their mouth. They didn’t seem like they were willing to leave anytime soon because they have been hammering on my door for the past twenty minutes. My skin was beyond soaked now, and the water was getting cold.With a sigh, I took my time before getting out of the shower and putting on my favorite white, fluffy robe. I made sure to waste as much tim
Silvia’s PovInhaling sharply, I raised my hand and knocked on the familiar white door softly. I don’t know what I was doing at Gerald’s place at the tenth hour of the evening, but it was one of those very few things I did that I just could not explain. Maybe it had something to do with the other night when he showed up at my apartment. The way he looked at me, it hurt. I tried texting him several times but he wouldn’t pick up; he wasn’t in school either, so here I was again. Making sure he was okay.The door flew open, and I was met with a pair of deep blue orbs, but what surprised me was the redness at the corners. His hair was a mess, and he seemed to have more bruises than the last time I saw him. "Are you by any chance an underground boxer?" is what I found myself asking."Something like that," he chuckled as his lips lifted slightly. There was a brief pause between us. The silence was not awkward, but it wasn’t exactly comforting either."Uh, you came to my apartment wanting to
SILVIA'S POV Gerald Owens’ company was even more magnificent than I had imagined.As I stepped into the grand lobby, my eyes trailed over the high ceilings, the polished marble floors, and the towering glass windows that allowed golden morning light to flood the space. Everything about the place screamed power and wealth. The people who worked here walked with confidence, their expensive suits and skirts tailored to perfection.For a moment, I felt out of place.Then I straightened my shoulders and kept walking.I approached the front desk, where a young woman with sleek blonde hair and sharp green eyes was typing away at her computer. She didn’t even look up when I stopped in front of her.“I’d like to see Gerald Owens,” I said, keeping my voice firm but polite.The clack-clack of her manicured nails paused for only a second before resuming.“Mr. Owens is busy.”I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes.I leaned forward slightly. “Tell him Silvia Carter is here.”That got her atte
SILVIA'S POV A week had passed since Gerald had let me go.I had returned to my duties at the coffee shop, blending into the mundane routine of a life that didn’t belong to me. The old manager, ever so kind and oblivious, had asked why I hadn’t shown up that day. I had lied, telling her I had been sick, and she had believed me without hesitation.No suspicion. No questions. Just a gentle smile and a warm pat on my back.She had no idea that her newest employee had once been one of the deadliest assassins alive.I carried on as if I were just another woman trying to make ends meet, but the truth was, I was fading.Each day, my body betrayed me a little more.The weight continued to fall off me at an alarming rate. My reflection in the cafe’s kitchen window revealed hollowed-out cheeks, lifeless eyes, and skin so pale it looked almost translucent. I had lost so much strength that I sometimes struggled to carry heavy trays.It was only a matter of time.The alley behind the shop was qui
GERALD'S POVI paced the length of my study, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. My head throbbed, not just from the whiskey I had downed hours ago, but from the truth I had just learned.Silvia was dying.It should have been music to my ears. A victory worth celebrating.So why did my chest feel like it was caving in?I gritted my teeth and ran a hand through my hair, yanking at the strands in frustration.She had to be lying.It was a trick. A game. A way to mess with my head, just like she always did.But people don’t cough up blood like that for no reason.A scream tore from my throat before I could stop it. I drove my fist into the wall—once, twice, three times—until my knuckles split and blood smeared against the cracked surface. The pain barely registered, drowned beneath the chaotic storm brewing inside me.I had waited years for this. Imagined it. Dreamt of it.And yet…It didn’t feel the way I thought it would.My breaths came out in ragged gasps, my vision swimm
SILVIA'S POV The streets were quieter at night, the occasional flickering of streetlights casting eerie shadows on the pavement. I moved like a ghost, my steps silent, my presence undetectable. I had been doing this for years—blending into the darkness, becoming one with it.Tracking Josiah and Chloe had been laughably easy. Some people never learned.Even after five years, Josiah was still predictable—still reckless, still believing he was untouchable. He and Chloe walked hand in hand, their laughter cutting through the silence of the night as they strolled down the empty sidewalk. Their bodies leaned into each other, lost in their little world.Disgust curled in my stomach.The sight of them together was almost amusing in a twisted way. The same people. The same scenario.It was like déjà vu.I stayed in the shadows, following their movements, watching as Chloe tugged Josiah toward a dark alleyway. The urgency in her steps, the way she pulled him against her—it was obvious what the
GERALD'S POVThe realization hit me like a brick wall.Both Don Casillas and Silvia had infiltrated my security on the same day.It was unacceptable.I refused to be caught off guard again.The next morning, I took immediate action. I fired half of my security team—anyone incompetent enough to let two of my worst enemies stroll into my property undetected didn’t deserve to work for me. In their place, I hired professionals. Ex-military, former intelligence agents, men who understood the weight of their responsibilities.More security cameras were installed at every possible entry point of my mansion and office. My guards now operated on shifts, ensuring there was never a moment of vulnerability. I added motion detectors, reinforced doors, and even had a few hidden weapons installed in key areas.I also got more guard dogs.Rex was a companion, not a protector. He had been trained for loyalty, not aggression. But the new dogs? They were bred for security—large, powerful, trained to sni
GERALD'S POVThe afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting golden light over the expansive garden of my estate. The scent of freshly cut grass mixed with the lingering fragrance of the roses lining the stone pathway. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the ancient oak trees standing tall like sentinels, their branches swaying in a lazy rhythm.I rolled the ball in my hand, feeling the rough texture against my palm before tossing it across the yard. "Go get it, Rex," I called out, watching as my dog, a massive black German Shepherd, bolted after it with powerful strides. His muscular frame cut through the grass, a blur of black and tan against the green.For a brief moment, I allowed myself to relax. This was one of the few times in the day I could clear my mind. The company, the board meetings, the endless responsibilities—they all faded into the background when I was out here with Rex.But then, the minutes passed, and Rex didn’t return.A knot formed in my stomach. He never took
GERALD'S POVFive years. It had been five years since the night I watched Silvia being dragged away, a mere shadow of the woman I had once known. The weight of the years hung heavy on me, though I had spent that time making something of myself, something unimaginable in high school. I had gotten my degrees, my MBA, my accounting credentials, and had taken control of my father’s empire, tripling the company’s worth in a fraction of the time it took most people to find their footing. Now, I was one of the wealthiest young men alive.I just know that wherever Paula was right now, she was smiling. Not only had I taken down the bitch who had killed her, but I also achieved her dream.I graduated high school, got my degrees and made a name for myself.Yet despite all that, despite all the success, the emptiness gnawed at me. It was a quiet, insidious thing that lingered in the background of every achievement, every financial transaction. The emptiness grew louder every time I looked at
SILVIA'S POV The music faded into a distant hum, drowned out by the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears. I stared at Gerald as we danced, his hands firm on my waist, his grip colder than ice. The warmth that once lived in his eyes was gone, replaced by something hollow, something dark.“You’re a good liar,” he murmured against my ear, his voice laced with quiet venom.His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I didn’t break eye contact. I knew this Gerald was different—the man standing in front of me wasn’t the same person who once held me close, whispering sweet promises in the dead of night.“What are you talking about?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Gerald chuckled, the sound bitter and empty. “Look at you, Silvia,” he said, spinning me slowly. “Dressed up like the perfect student, pretending to be just another normal girl at her high school prom. But we both know what you really are.”I swallowed hard. “Gerald, please,” I said, gripping his arm. “I don’t want that li
SILVIA'S POV Weeks had passed.Weeks without Gerald.Since that night—since the moonlight had illuminated his cold, distant eyes as he nearly ran me over—I hadn’t seen or heard from him. No messages. No accidental run-ins. Nothing.It was as if he had vanished again.Only this time, I knew it was intentional.I had killed his father.I had given him what he wanted—what he should have wanted.George had been a monster. A cruel, manipulative excuse for a man. Gerald had hated him more than anything. He should have been relieved.But deep down, I knew the truth.He wasn’t happy.And he never would be.Because despite all the pain George had caused him, despite all the nights Gerald had spent drinking away his rage and dreaming of a life where his father no longer existed—it was still his father.That kind of hatred runs deep, but so does the connection. No matter how much you want to sever it, there’s always a part of you that remembers.I told myself I would leave him alone.For now.B