Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.
The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly her. He stared on in amusement as she tried and failed woefully to extricate her bag from his grasp. She would fucking sue him.“This is harassment.”“Making unsolicited videos of strangers while they shop is harassment,” Vanya replied. He had an accent, but she couldn’t place it. Faye never mentioned that. “Are you going to give it to me like a sane woman, or do I need to force it from you? Your choice. You seem to love the chase.”It took a nanosecond for Camilla to decide. She let go of the bag, and his lips twitched. He grabbed the bag from under and emptied the content to the floor. Camilla winced as her makeup, dollar bills, phone, and packets of bubble gum rolled out of it. That makeup was expensive. Her phone, too. He sifted through the mess with his leather shoe, and she internally died. So classless. So brutal. So senseless. So rude.“Can you be more careful?” Camilla said. He crouched to pick up her phone. “Did no one tell you not to search a lady’s bag?”Vanya scoffed, rising to his feet with her phone. “Lady? You obviously don’t know the meaning of that word or how to be one. Ladies don’t snoop. Ladies mind their business.” Her lips parted in a rebuttal that never came because he said, “Password.”“No.” She tipped her chin back. “Nope.”The first sign of emotions flashed across his face. “Are you always this adamant? It’s getting boring. What’s the password?”“Give me the phone, and I’ll put it myself.”Vanya handed it over, and a small sound of shock escaped her. She couldn’t believe he gave it up that easily. He clicked his tongue at her expression, and she glared in return.“I’m bigger, faster, and stronger than you. You’re only leaving here if I let you,” he said. It was the only reminder she needed to know not to mess with him. He nodded at the phone. He was so close. “Password.”After unlocking the phone, Camilla didn’t return it to him. She held it close to her chest. “What are you going to do with it?”“Phone,” he commanded.Her hands shook as she handed it over. She bobbed on the spot as he scrolled through her photos. Maybe she should have left as soon as he walked in. But this only proved her point. Vanya wasn’t good for Faye. He finished and exhaled. She licked her bottom lip, her mind blank from worrying.Vanya looked up and stretched his hand.“What now?” she asked.“Earring.”Camilla blinked in shock. However tiny the earrings looked, they were expensive. If he wanted his, he could get it himself instead of demanding hers. “My-my earrings?”Vanya continued staring, and she unclipped the first one. “One is enough,” he muttered.“This-this is harassment,” Camilla repeated. But he said nothing to her. She had no choice but to drop the earring on his palm. “You could be arrested for this. You have ruined this boutique because I’ll sue every single person in this building.” Camilla might as well have been talking to a human statue. Vanya was quiet until he had ejected her SIM card tray and the SIM. What-what was this man doing? He offered her the earring alongside the SIM card and tray. Camilla didn’t know why she stepped back, but she backed away from the man.“Van—” Camilla stopped mid-statement, a scream tearing out of her lips as Vanya smashed her phone on the tiled floor. She charged for him, her hands aimed at his face. She would scratch out his eyes. “Are you insane? You are ruining my phone.”His foot came down on the screen, and it shattered even more. “Exactly the point.”Camilla fisted her hands and let out a soundless scream. God. Her chest caved, and she struggled to let out air. She wasn’t a violent woman, but she wanted to hurt this man. To walk over him with her heels.Vanya finished packing her stuff into her handbag and handed it to her. She glared at it. No way she wanted to touch it. Not after his filthy hands were all over it. “Next time, kot, mind your business. Is that clear?”““I’m not kot,” she spat out. “Or whatever that is.” Vanya shoved the bag to her chest, and she staggered. She grabbed it before it could fall, and the foolish man had the audacity to bare his teeth to her in what she interpreted to be his triumphant grin. “Oh yes, you are,” Vanya told her. “Only cats sneak up on people like that.” Seething was the only thing Camilla could do. Vanya walked away, stopping at the top of the stairs to give a curt nod. Animal. He disappeared, and she looked around for her phone. It could be fixed. She would fix it. He couldn’t stop her from telling Faye who he really was. Her search was futile. The bastard must have taken the phone.Camilla rushed to the stairs, but Vanya was downstairs. Seeing the man on a call, so relaxed after how he treated her, made her chest constrict with anger. She removed her shoe, hoping to God her aim today was accurate as she swung it in his direction.Laughter burst out of her lips as the shoe connected with the back of Vanya’s head. He turned, his eyes narrowed as he found the culprit. She stood straighter, her smile so big her cheeks ached. Vanya picked up the black heel, holding it up by its strap.How was that for being a sneaky cat?He ended his call and pocketed the phone. “Good throw,” he told her. Camilla’s smile slowly wiped off her face. “I’ll keep this.”She stared at her bare foot. “No. No way.”Vanya lifted his hand in a brusque wave, and soon he was gone. No, no, he took her shoe. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Camilla was in deep shit. There were two options: limping out of the boutique or walking out barefooted. Both options were displeasing, especially for someone of her calibre. The paparazzi would have a feast at her expense. Her parents would disapprove. She had gone months without getting into trouble. She couldn’t do this to herself now.Slipping the other shoe off her foot, Camilla began the shameful walk to the door. She ignored the receptionists in the lobby. They would so get sued. All of them, including the man who opened the door for her. How would she get to her driver? Stepping out of the boutique, she hugged herself as the cold air rustled her jacket and dress. There weren’t many people around now, but she stayed close to the cars lining the street so people wouldn’t notice her bare feet.“Faye, your boyfriend is a terrorist,” she sang as she passed cars. “A terrorist.”A car door slammed shut in front. The car looked familiar from here, but she needed to get close to confirm it was hers. Her parents just gifted it to her for Christmas. A tall man exited the black Mustang. Alvin looked back, and Camilla almost cried in relief. Her driver. Finally. Someone to help.Camilla waved frantically until he noticed her. He frowned, his confusion not as cute as she always found it. She beckoned on him to come. The moment he appeared in front of her and noticed her feet, he picked her up bridal style.“I didn’t say carry me,” she muttered into his chest, thankful for the reprieve. At the risk of sounding spoilt, this was one of the harshest things she had been subjected to.“You have no shoes, ma’am.”Neither did she feel like trekking. They got to the car, and Alvin tucked her into the backseat. “Thanks, Alvin,” she told him before he left for the driver’s seat. “Don’t tell anyone. Not even my parents, okay?”“Understood.”Camilla’s parents had recommended Alvin to her, so a part of her suspected he was spying on her for them. She couldn’t blame them for not fully trusting her. Among their three kids, she was the most reckless and probably the brattiest. But she was trying now. She had kept her current job for six long months. And she could continue if she remained on track. Filming would begin next month. She might have gotten the position because of her twin brother, Calvin, but she had proved her importance.“Where to, ma’am?” Alvin asked.Camilla placed her feet on the seat. They ached. She was sure blisters would form soon. “I lost my phone. Can you call Faye? We are supposed to meet up somewhere.”“Will do.”“I also need to make a stop for a new pair of shoes. Or maybe I’ll get some slippers.”“Noted, ma’am. Anything else?”Camilla shook her head and stopped. “Just so you know, Faye’s boyfriend is a terrorist.”Alvin held her eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded. “Right. I’ll give her a call in one minute. But just to be clear, ma’am, you understand the definition of terrorist?”“Right, Alvin.” Waving off the remark, she flashed him a fake smile. “Ignore me. Just call her.”“Calling her now.”While they both waited for the call to connect, Camilla spent that time imagining the many ways she would end Vanya’s life. * * * GLOSSARY * * * Kot: CatSomeone was watching Hana. No, not one. Three men were watching her. She quickly finished her tea, shoved her notebooks into her purse, and stood. The men didn’t move, and her shoulders sagged in relief. It must have been her overactive imagination. Her mother would tease her about having a mind too active for her age, but it was the price she had to pay for being a writer.An upcoming writer. She wasn’t at the point she wanted to be just yet.The coffee shop was almost empty except for the four of them and the staff on duty. Leah, an old friend, was behind the counter when Hana went to pay. Taking out money from her wallet, she pouted when her friend refused to accept it. This was one reason she hated eating here when Leah was on a shift. She never let Hana pay.“Come on, you have to let me pay,” Hana said.“You can pay when you become a bestseller.”Hana’s smile faded. Her strict father considered her writing a useless hobby and was waiting for the right time to… She shook off those
Hana hurried her steps, but the men behind her seemed to do the same. From the corner of her eyes, she saw one of them slip a hand into his pocket, and her heart sank to her stomach.Her blue eyes scanned the alley for the nearest escape, but there was none. If she could get to the other end of the alley, she might get help or an Uber. Her arm shook as she tried to remove her phone from her purse.Their footsteps closed in on her. She turned to them briefly to yell, “Fuck off! Leave me alone.”They laughed but didn’t stop walking. Hana hadn’t expected them to stop, given how shaky her voice had sounded, but she had hoped that for once something would work in her favour.“We will leave you once we get a taste,” one of them said. The voice was louder above the rain. Fear tattooed a sharp line in her chest, and she almost missed a step. “What do you think about that, Arnold?”Arnold, or whoever it was, answered, “I concur.”The rain was pouring harder, making navigating in the dark or se
Someone was kissing Calvin. Not just anyone. The pretty stranger who yelled like a banshee from across the street. He only came out of the restaurant to call Diane. She was supposed to meet him here. Who was this? Why did she call him baby? Wait, what if Diane had sent her to him? No, she wouldn’t. It didn’t make any sense. The strange girl moaned against his lips. She was too loud, too eager. Her reactions felt scripted because he wasn’t kissing her back. Was she okay? Calvin knew he had to end this if he needed answers and also avoid possible issues with Diane, but the girl only wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into her embrace like they were lovers catching up. She was wet to the bones, but she smelt nice, and he almost forgot that he should be putting an end to this. Thinking of Diane gave him the courage to peel her off him. His lips were poised to reprimand her, but she shook her head. “Please, play along.” Damn. She sounded like an angel. And Calvin wanted to make
Getting Angel into the car was easy. The hardest part was getting her to reply to Calvin with more than one-word answers. His angel had not spoken to him since his driver came around to pick them up. Calvin wanted to hear her voice again. “How old are you?” he asked. No reply. His angel curled against the window, and her arms wrapped around herself. Tapping on a button by his side, a black screen rolled up to provide them some privacy from the driver. The silence was starting to get to him. Calvin was a loud man like the rest of his siblings. He loved noise, music, and talking. As a businessman, he knew how to work the crowd in his favour, but this woman was difficult. “What’s your favourite colour?” Nothing. “What’s your favourite food?” Her head snapped to him. Unmasked anger burned beneath her gaze. “Can you stop?” she croaked out. She shivered violently, and her whole body shook. He wished he could do more for her than offering an oversized jacket, but the only option was t
Kyle. Hana rolled the name on her tongue, and a small smile lifted the corners of her lips. She liked the name. She liked the owner of the name. And maybe she even liked this place. If he let her, she would jump over the long couch, watching as the city slept. “Thanks, Kyle.” Kyle’s grey eyes blazed with something intense, and Hana tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say his mind was straying to indecent places. But in his case, the thought didn’t disgust her. The only thing that mildly nauseated her was his familiarity with the hotel receptionist and his flimsy excuse afterward. If the young man wanted to sleep around, that was his business, but lying to her would do nobody any good. Someone like him would never lack female attention. “Um, so… you were going to show me to the room.” “Right.” Kyle laughed. They continued to the main bedroom, and a small gasp left her lips when they entered. The curtains
“What?” sputtered out of Hana’s lips. “If you lie, I’ll kiss you. So, don’t lie.” Hana’s heart skipped a beat. She backed away from Kyle until her back hit the sink. Kyle’s grin only widened. He took slow steps towards her until he was right in front of her. This chase was different. Her body welcomed it. A part of her wanted to know what it felt like to be kissed by him. To be kissed willingly, not due to a situation. “How will you know if I’m lying?” she asked. His eyes lowered to her hands, and she balled them into fists. Hana hated lying because her hands were a giveaway. His hands came on either side of the sink, trapping her between his body and the cool surface behind her. The truth was that she liked this position very much. His eyes were greyer up close, his lips poutier, and she almost gave in to the urge to kiss this man. “I’ll know,” Kyle whispered. “I have my ways.” Hana didn’t doubt this sexy man for a second. If seductio
Hana had fast learned that lying was a terrible idea with Kyle. She didn’t know how he found out her tell-tale, but she couldn’t deny the butterflies that exploded in her stomach each time he kissed her. She had agreed for him to stay in the room with her, but the tension was palpable. It also didn’t help that she wasn’t feeling sleepy. Kyle pointed at the flat TV on the cream wall. He had been silent for longer than she thought possible. While she sat, he stood. “Do you want to see a movie? Anything?” “No, thanks.” Running a hand over her dress, she replied, “This is fine. Thanks.” “Are you sure you’re not hungry?” Kyle asked. He had asked more than once, and she had given him the same answer. He backed away from the door to sit on a chair further from the bed. Hana didn’t like the distance between them, but it helped to keep her thoughts clean. “Even a bite?” “You can get something if you’re hungry.” The words were hardly out in the
The room was deathly still, same with the two occupants on the bed. Calvin had not moved an inch since he switched off the lights, and Angel rolled off to the other side. It was past midnight, and the rain had only worsened. He couldn’t sleep. How could he with an angel in his bed? Angel was stiff, but her light snores told him she was asleep. Calvin wanted to hug and kiss her. Even in her sleep, she wasn’t completely relaxed. What could she have experienced that made her so standoffish? Was it the incident with those bastards? That alone was enough to make anyone wary, but he suspected there was more to Angel’s behaviour. She was guarded. And he wanted to be let in. To take away her pain, and that alone made him worry for himself. He wasn’t the type to get attached to anyone. His sister would tease the hell out of him if she knew he had a crush. Diane Ross wasn’t permanent. A fuck buddy who had forced her way into a less temporary position. S
Footsteps pounded behind Camilla. How the heck was he so fast? He sounded close, but she didn’t look back to confirm her suspicions. A sudden pressure on her hair made her screech to a stop. Pain spread through her scalp, and she bit into her lip to stop herself from screaming. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth. She placed both hands on her head to ease the pain.The pressure finally reduced, but the pain lingered. Vanya stopped in front of her, the ends of her long ponytail wrapped around his fist. Her breath rushed out in ragged pants. Tears pricked the back of her eyes.Camilla took one step back, but the tug on her hair reminded her she wouldn’t get far. She had always prided herself on her long hair, but now she wished it wasn’t lengthy.“Let. Go,” she whispered, her voice shaky.“The phone.”“No.”Vanya reached for her handbag, his hand tight around the strap. She tried to yank it from his grip, but it was nearly impossible. His grip was steel. They struggled, mostly her
Deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.Camilla May McKenna could do it. She could handle the simple task of taking pictures of a cheating lover and prove to her best friend that Vanya, her boyfriend, was a scum. KJ, her youngest brother, always told her evidence was key. He was the same one who told her men hated shopping and never went on that adventure without a woman unless sex was involved. So, the second Vanya walked into the boutique, she had rushed to the bathroom to call her best friend Faye. If Vanya was at the boutique, then he was with someone else. Faye was in class. All she had to do was get evidence, so Faye would leave the cheat.Retrieving a tube of pink lipstick from her purse, she reapplied it and fluffed her hair. From the mirror, her hair was flat on the sides from her consistent touching. Wasting no more time in the bathroom, she smacked her lips and walked out. Vanya hadn’t met her. He wouldn’t recognise her, so there was no need for her to use a disguise. Cold air r
Sweat rolled down Calvin’s forehead. He hid a frown as he dabbed on the evidence of his anxiety. This was a regular date with his wife. He shouldn’t be nervous, but unlike other dates, this one was special. Different. It was an anniversary date. Last month was the one-year anniversary of meeting Angel on that rainy night. His wife had suffered an abrupt illness, so he couldn’t take her out. They had rescheduled it for today, making sure it fell on the same day. 10th day of the month. Instead of celebrating a one-year anniversary of knowing each other, it would be a thirteen months celebration. Calvin adjusted his suit in front of the mirror and ran a hand over the front of his jacket. He had no reason to worry. Life was good. His babies were fine. His wife was awesome. The cast of season two were already getting ready for production. A smile took over his lips as those thoughts solidified even more.The bedroom door opened, and Calvin stopped fussing with his tie. Angel strutted in,
Calvin waited in the car while his wife and sister-in-law visited their mother’s grave. His fingers drummed on his knee as the seconds went by. He couldn’t understand what they felt. Losing both parents would drive him insane. But the ladies had taken it in stride. Cara seemed to be the most affected.It was only a few days after the new year. Cara had spent it with them but returned to school the next day. These days, she spoke more often without prompting. The cast of season two had already been selected, but he wanted to give her a spot as an extra.IfLance agreed. But Lance would have to.Browsing through his phone, Calvin sat up when he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up to see Cara and Angel. Cara’s eyes were red with tears, and Angel looked to be consoling her. They stopped a few feet from the car and Angel hugged her sister. He waited behind, not sure his presence would be wanted in such moment.Soon, both lad
Christmas was a big deal for the McKenna family, but that wasn’t always the case with Hana. She adjusted her dress a few times, and her husband scooped her up before she could tug on her sleeves one more time.“Baby, you need to stop that,” Kyle warned. She hugged his neck, her eyes closing as she let out a breath. “Everyone already loves you, there’s no need to be nervous.”“Well, yeah, I guess.”Hana’s stomach grumbled. He frowned and placed a hand on her stomach. “Hungry?” “No. Just a bit nervous.”“Don’t be, okay?” he said in a patronising voice. “I love you, and my family loves you.”Hana wasn’t only nervous for herself, she was for her sister too. It was the first family dinner with Cara, Hana, and the entire McKenna clan. After her discharge from the hospital, Cara had gone cold. Or should she say,
Night rolled by without Kyle showing up to the guestroom. Hana curled under the sheet, her eyes filling with tears. Should she have been upset about the loss of their child? Yes, she was. She was hurt. Her heart was shattered for their child, but at no point did she blame her husband for that.If any one should be blamed or punished for it, it was Baba. But Kyle was driving a wall between them with his constant self-blame. They lost a child and should grieve together not push each other apart. She meant what she said about not wanting a fight with him. She had missed him too much to let what was supposed to be a shared suffering drive them apart. He was seeing it as a loss, but she saw it as a gift.Maybe others wouldn’t see it that way, but that was her. Baba pushed her. She fell on her belly but lost only one baby. What if she had lost all? She had so many more positives to be thankful for. One, her sister. Two, her babies. Three, her husband. He mi
Calvin should be a happy man since his kidnapped wife was back home, but he hadn’t gotten the courage to tell her about the babies. He also couldn’t get rid of the guilt that had taken over his chest. No matter what anyone told him, it was his fault. His stubbornness brought them here.Someone tapped him. He looked up, and a fake smile took over his lips. It was his wife.“What are you thinking?” she asked.“Nothing. Just getting ready.”Angel placed a hand on her waist. “Really?”Calvin hadn’t heard his beautiful wife enter the bathroom. She must have caught him staring into space. He tended to do that more often these days. They were getting ready to head to the hospital for their evening checkup. Cara was still there, but she was feeling better than she did last week. His wife had formed a habit of reading a chapter from her favourite romance book to her sister.
Hana’s eyes peeled open slowly. She had gotten so used to her new home that the change had her shutting her eyes again to be sure this wasn’t a dream. This… this didn’t look like where Baba kept her.Where was he? Where was Cara? Each time she tried to remember everything that could have led her to this point, her head throbbed. Someone squeezed Hana’s hand. Groaning softly, she turned to the side and saw Kyle. A minute or two passed. That, that couldn’t be real. Was she dreaming? Was this heaven?“Baby,” he whispered, his fingers brushing her cheek. He was real. Wait, were both of them dead? Did Baba kill her? How did he get here? The heart monitor beside her beeped out of control, and Kyle palmed her cheeks. “Hey, princess. Relax, it’s me. Your dragon prince.”“Kyle?”“Yes. Yes,” he whispered. “I’m here.” Hana winced as she tried to sit up. Her h
They found her. It had been a week since Calvin’s mother gave them the tip about the tracker in the pendant. In that time, they had all worked tirelessly to find Calvin’s wife. Within that time, Calvin experienced too many breakdowns to count. This ordeal wasn’t one he would wish on anyone, not even people he loathed. He sat in his wife’s office, phone in his hand, waiting for a call or something that would take him to her. His heart was broken and hollow, and had stopped beating right a long time ago.This was pain. This was torture.Coming to the office wasn’t actually for him to work. Her absence was driving him insane because her scent was everywhere. He was tired of his whole family fussing over him, so he had promised them he would show up at work to use it as a distraction. That didn’t work. Because he found himself in her office, sometimes just touching all the things she touched, staring into space or pacing the