GERALD'S POV Where were these women?!Why was it, when I finally won, that the two of them left? They didn’t even stay to watch my victory. Now I was hauling a three-foot teddy bear all over the park and looking like a lost cow. Where the hell did they go? Were they together? That was highly unlikely, and even if they were, they would probably be killing each other by now. Actually, it would be more like Paula is killing Silvia. She didn’t exactly like Silvia, and she was stronger than her. I had to find them fast.I searched the entire park, and after thirty minutes my feet were killing me, and this teddy bear might as well be half my size. I considered getting rid of it, but then all my hard work would go to waste. Yes, it took a hell lot of concentration to actually hit those bullseyes.I felt a lot lighter when my eyes aligned with a familiar pair of silver eyes. I practically ran towards her; as I got closer to her, I realized that her eyes didn’t stay in one place. They were gl
SILVIA'S POV I haven’t been able to shut my eyes for the past two days.It’s been two days since I did what I did. I couldn’t even admit it to myself. It felt so wrong after I did it. It wasn’t the first time I had done something like that, so why was I feeling this way? Her hatred filled her eyes, and her last words were still embedded in my memory."He will never forgive you for this."He will—that’s if he ever finds out, which he won’t. Whatever it was I was feeling would go soon. I hope.Josiah rubbed my back in an attempt to be comforting, but it wasn’t working. I called him last night and told him I couldn’t sleep, and despite what happened between the both of us two nights ago, he still came. We did not fuck or anything. He just hugged me and told me everything would be fine. He didn’t bother to ask what was wrong with me, and I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. It felt nice knowing that he would always be there for me regardless of our situation.But I just could
SILVIA'S POV How was this old man Gerald’s father? He looked almost eighty years old. Maybe he adopted Gerald? But they look very much alike. Maybe he was his grandfather? But what was the point of Gerald calling him his father? Maybe he didn’t know his biological father and thought of his grandfather as his father.That was a lot of maybes.It was just so hard to believe. But that doesn’t make it impossible."What are you doing here?" Gerald asked, and I was surprised by the hostility behind his voice. He looked at the old man with so much hate, and although it wasn’t directed at me, it terrified me.The man pursed his lips and gestured around the room with his hand. "I thought I would just drop by and pay a visit to my son and see how he is fairing after his only friend’s death. And from what I see, you seem to be doing just fine. Maybe you just never cared about her as much as everyone thought you did. You really are my son in that aspect, huh?" The man made a terrible sound. I re
GERALD'S POV I am still speechless about what happened. Why the hell did Silvia have a gun? How did she get the courage to throw herself out the window knowing that one bullet was all it took to kill her? And how did she learn to shoot so well? She only shot at them like twice, and they were perfect hits. Something was going on, and I did not like it.That's why I decided to fuck the ball and invite Silvia to my house to talk. I didn’t feel comfortable questioning her on the road, where another one of those goons could just come out and start busting up my glasses with a LED. So here we are, in my living room, with a baseball bat in my hand and a ten-foot distance between Silvia and I."Why do you have a gun?" I started, and I saw her take a step towards me; I raised my bat, and she immediately stopped. I saw the surprise in her eyes, but I wasn’t really going to use it on her. I could never hurt her. But I needed answers.Now."For protection, obviously. Ever since I got shot, I bou
SILVIA'S POV "So, how is it going?" I heard an all-too familiar voice say: I shut my locker to come face-to-face with a familiar pair of green eyes. Josiah was leaning towards the lockers beside me, and he wore a pair of black skinny jeans, a Chelsea boot, and a plain white top.He was giving Harry Styles vibes.I cocked my head to the side and asked, "How's what going?"He smiled at me and slapped my shoulder playfully. I watched him with bewilderment because the last time I saw him, he was storming out of my apartment with a face redder than a tomato and fury that could surpass that of a bull’s."You know, with your job and everything. Exams are coming up, which means Yale is coming up," he said, and whatever expression I had on my face before he said that was wiped away.Wow, he really cared about this, huh?"The job is fine," was all I could say to him before turning my back and heading down the hall.I felt a hand wrap around my wrist, and I turned to find Josiah looking at me wi
SILVIA'S POV "I am not yours."That simple sentence seemed to have torn his entire world apart. The way he looked at me like I had just dragged out his heart from his chest and stepped on it mercilessly it hurt. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it quickly as though he were unsure of what to say. I heard a sniffle but I refused to believe it was from him. Surely he wasn’t going to cry because of me, right? That’s not the Gerald I know.He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath while shutting his eyes. When he opened them I was surprised by what I had found. His blue eyes were outlined by a bloody red, it looked like he was holding back so many emotions he was about to burst. His neck snapped towards me and he was stalking towards me, I stumbled back surprised by the determination and power in his stride. He took my hand in his and placed it above his chest, his heart was beating frantically.Too frantically if you ask me, it was like he was about to have a heart at
SILVIA'S POV ~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~This was my first day at a new school, and I had to look exceptional. I'm not sure if I'll be able to make any friends, as I didn't have any at my previous school, but hopefully this one will be different.This time, I get the chance to reinvent myself. And the best part is, I have a banging job and no parents to tell me what to do! Maybe if I make enough friends, we can throw a party at my new apartment.Everything is going to be so fun!But first, I need to make sure I look good and attractive to both boys and girls. I heard there are lots of cute boys in this school; I wonder if any of them will like me.I don’t know how long I have been staring at myself in the mirror. I think I didn’t put enough make-up on, but I don’t want to look like I am overdoing it and just begging for attention. I mean, I did want attention, but not the bad kind. I bought this extra short red skirt that stopped just below my ass, but I was suddenly feeling insecure, so I
GERALD'S POV I groaned when a bright light tried infiltrating my eyelids. The sun’s warm gaze kissed my skin, and I just was not in the mood for any romantic gestures. I felt something move around my chest and froze. I do not remember buying a pet, and Paula does not sleep in my room.But that’s when it hit me.Paula’s gone.Silvia hates me.I don’t have a pet.So what the hell is on my chest?My eyelids flew apart and my eyes fell on a mop of dark brown spewed across my chest. Soft snores filled my ears, and a bony, well-manicured hand moved across my chest; she was caressing my body as though I were some kind of pillow.Who the hell was this woman?And that’s when it hit me again.The events of the past few hours: Silvia telling me to fuck off; me realizing how much shit my life has become and deciding to be irresponsible; me kissing some random woman in a bar whose name I do not even know.Fuck.A weird feeling began dancing within my chest. It made me feel nauseous, and I had thi
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