Daniel’s POVThe message on my phone from the unknown number still haunts me. “Daniel, if you want to see Emma alive, stop what you’re doing.” Michael knows. He’s onto us, and now Emma’s life hangs in the balance.I take a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands as I call David. "We have a problem," I say as soon as he answers. "What's going on?" David asks, his voice tense."Michael knows about our investigation. He just threatened Emma’s life if we don’t back off."David is silent for a moment. "We need a new plan. Immediately. We can’t let him intimidate us. Emma's safety is our top priority.""Agreed," I respond, my mind already racing through possibilities. "We need to be smarter, more careful. I think Michael is moving Emma around to avoid detection. We have to anticipate his moves.""Let's start by mapping out all possible locations Michael could use," David suggests. "We’ll need to get creative. He won’t use obvious places."We spend the next hour strategizing, compili
Emma’s POVI wake up to the scent of something familiar, something comforting. As my eyes flutter open, I see a tray on the bedside table filled with dried beans, rice, and oven-baked chicken wings—my favorite dishes. The sight takes me back to a time when things were different, when Michael and I were in the best days of our relationship. I remember the day I told him, half-jokingly, that if I were stranded on a deserted island, I could live a normal life with just dried beans and rice without feeling desolation. I look at the food now, mocking the absurdity of it all. My hypothetical predicament has become my reality, orchestrated by the man I once trusted. I feel a bitter laugh bubbling up inside me, but it dies in my throat.I’m famished, so I devour the food in a matter of minutes, eight at most. The gnawing ache in my stomach eases, replaced by the warmth of being full, but it’s a hollow satisfaction. I could eat four times this amount and still feel unsatisfied.I push the tra
Emma’s POV**Diary Entry:***I don't want to write this. I don't want to remember it, but I have to. He did it again. Michael raped me. But this time, it was worse... so much worse. He called me names, mocked my legs, said I was worthless because I can't walk right. I never thought he could be so cruel. I never imagined he would stoop this low. I will never forgive him for this.*---The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stare at the diary, my hands shaking, unable to comprehend the depth of Michael’s cruelty. I knew he was dangerous, that he wasn’t someone to trust, but this... this is beyond anything I could have imagined.How could he do this to her? How could he look at someone as fragile and vulnerable as Scarlet and decide to break her even further? It’s sickening, revolting, and it makes me question everything I thought I knew about him.I try to make sense of it, but I can’t. The Michael I knew—the one who once showed me kindness, who seemed to care about me—how could th
Emma’s POV**Diary Entry – Zurich:***Zurich is breathtaking, with the lake shimmering under the sun. As I stand by the water, I hear a familiar voice—David. My heart warms at the sound, even though I know he’s forbidden to me. David, with his kindness and the way he makes me feel special, is someone I can’t truly have. I’m not worthy of him, and I fear what Michael might do if he finds out about our connection. When David confesses his feelings, I’m torn. I tell him I’m not good enough, that I can’t give him what he deserves. But when he asks for just one date, I can’t say no. I want to feel cherished and loved, even if just for a day. The time we spend together is magical—he shows me what true love can be. As we stargaze and share a deep kiss, I know that in another lifetime, we might have been together. I treasure this day and the way he made me feel alive and loved. It’s a memory I’ll hold close.*---Scarlet’s final entry about David is poignant. Her struggle between love and sel
Michael’s POVI step into the mansion, phone pressed to my ear, barking orders at Stanley about Jessica’s condition. He tells me she’s still unconscious, hospitalized with no signs of waking. I hang up with a nod of satisfaction, my mind already racing with the next steps.Pushing open the door to Emma’s room, I’m momentarily taken aback by her improved appearance. She’s pale, yes, underfed, but there’s a spark in her that wasn’t there before. It irritates me. Her resilience. Her defiance. She’s supposed to be broken, not quietly defiant.The empty tray catches my eye next. She ate everything? That’s new. Before, she’d barely touch the food unless it was to avoid punishment. I recall her stories of past anorexia, her struggles with control and expression. It seems she’s finding new ways to assert hers. No matter, I think, I’ll just find new ways to break that spirit.“Enjoying the menu, Emma?” I ask, my voice dripping with mock concern as I close the door behind me.She flinches sligh
Emma’s POVAfter Michael leaves, I remain motionless, gazing at the ceiling with a numb detachment that feels like a precursor to oblivion. Twelve years ago, I endured abuse, but it was cloaked in remorse—an apology that did little to cleanse the stain of self-loathing but offered a semblance of closure. I had believed I deserved punishment for my inability to shield myself. If not for Daniel, my penance of starvation and exhaustive exercise might have persisted until it consumed me completely.Now, the sense of defeat is absolute, and the need for self-punishment has evaporated into a profound resignation. Is there a way out of this torment? I wonder. An image of Daniel bathing Lily floats into my mind, a reminder of enduring innocence and love. A wistful smile crosses my lips; Lily is in capable hands. Daniel could forge a new family in my absence. He's never been one to endure solitude, and he would prioritize our daughter above all. Perhaps it's my destiny to fade from their narra
Michael’s POVAs I close the door behind me, leaving Emma's room, the weight of our confrontation hangs heavy in the air. The echo of her accusations and the raw fear in her eyes stir a tumultuous sea of memories. With each step away from her, I'm pulled deeper into the past, to a time when life was simpler, and Scarlet was still a part of my world.**Flashback: 2 years ago, the day after Emma’s and Michael’s movie date** It was just after Emma and I had taken our relationship beyond casual dating, a time marked by laughter and lightness, starkly contrasting the darkness that now shadows my every move. On my way to the mansion where I've kept Scarlet hidden for years, I try to shake off the remnants of Emma's desperate gaze, focusing instead on the less complicated days that feel like a lifetime ago.I stand outside the mansion, phone pressed to my ear as I finish a call with Emma. "I'll talk to Dr. Ellen Hart for you," I assure her, a flicker of genuine concern crossing my thoughts
Daniel’s POVThe neurology ward is quiet as I walk through, a stark contrast to the turmoil swirling inside me. I've just left Jessica's room, where she lies unconscious but stable. Her condition is a complex puzzle; despite some improvement, she's been oscillating between the ICU and the neuro ward. Surgical interventions are necessary, yet her increased risk of bleeding coupled with her father's insistence on waiting for Michael's return has left us in a medical stalemate.After leaving Jessica's ward, I make my way to Laura's office. The weight of the last few days hangs heavily on my shoulders, a physical manifestation of the relentless pursuit and the haunting fears over Emma's safety. Laura looks up as I enter, her expression shifting from focused to deeply concerned. She can read the exhaustion etched on my face, a clear sign that the situation is dire. "Any news about Emma?" she asks, her voice a mix of hope and dread.I settle into the chair opposite her desk, running a han