Ashley's point of view.>Ashley's Relaxation Center“Where's your wallet?” I nodded at his pants pocket, hoping to find some identification that could lead us to his family or friends. “Maybe we can know who you are if we check your ID” He stared blankly at me for a moment, then sighed and slowly, or perhaps I should say reluctantly, searched his pockets. I felt a glimmer of hope as he searched his pockets. Perhaps we could know who he was if we checked his ID. But as he searched his pockets, his expression grew more despondent.But every glimmer of hope that arose in me, flew out the window the moment he spoke.“I don't have any IDs on me” he said, displaying his empty pockets. My mouth stayed slightly opened, and my brows raised as I gave him a dismayed look. He doesn't even have an ID on him – Oh no, this is bad. “You don't know your name, so, definitely, you don't also know where you used to live. And now you don't have an ID, then how do we contact your family?” He remained
Third person's point of view.>Ashley's Relaxation Center– he was still leaping a bit, though. But just when he was about jumping through the only window in the room, his body stilled as his ears caught Ashley's conversation with her friend on the phone, then he felt guilty for wanting to leave without thanking her for saving his life. He quickly retreated from the window and sat on the bed. Reaching in the inner pockets of his jacket, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a number, then waited impatiently for the receiver to pick up.“Hello?” the receiver finally picked up after a few rings.“Nathan” he called quietly.There was a brief pause. “Boss?” the receiver (now known as Nathan) called in a surprised, and somewhat relieved tone. “Where are you, boss?” he asked.“I'm f
Ashley's point of view.>Ashley's Apartment“Wow, I just created a masterpiece!” I heard Ben's excited voice from inside our apartment, immediately I reached the door.Monique scoffed mockingly, “Your masterpiece is nothing but pure poison” she badmouthed.My lips subconsciously curved into a smile because I already know what's going on inside, Ben must have created a new recipe and Monique doesn't think it's safe to eat it.“Poison?” There's a brief pause, and I could imagine he's trying to find the right words to use. “I wouldn't create a new recipe if I wanna poison you, that will be an utmost insult to my talent” he snarled.“You… You… Bastard!” Monique exclaimed.Knowing it's about to go down between them, I took that as my cue to step in, or I will definitely have a lot of cleaning to do after their battle. I quickly grabbed the knob, pushed the door open and stepped in.“Hey, guys, I'm home” I announced my presence, halting their movements. Monique was already lunging at Ben
Ashley's point of view.>The Next Morning“... I'll be there right away, sir”My eyes snapped open when I heard Monique talking to someone on the phone, but they quickly flapped shut when they couldn't handle the bright light in my room. With furrowed brows, I slowly opened my eyes again, until they adjusted to the brightness. “... just five minutes, sir” she said.Five minutes to do what? I couldn't help but wonder.“Yes, sir” she spoke up again.Not wanting to guess what's going on, and also didn't want to be in a suspense, I hopped out of my bed and dashed out of my room barefooted as I headed straight for Monique's room where her voice was coming from. She was just done with her phone call, and was packing up what seemed to be a shawl in her luggage when I entered her room. I don't know if she knew I was there, or maybe she knew, and she's purposely ignoring me because she didn't even look in my direction… After all, our fight last night was pretty intense. Anyway, I cleared m
Today was a special day. It was my boyfriend's, Nike's, birthday, and I couldn't wait to surprise him with a celebration at my apartment. Together with my best friend, Monique, we had spent hours meticulously planning every detail, from the decorations to the cake. It was going to be perfect.I let out a sigh of relief as I put the final touches on the decorations, my excitement grew. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he walked through the door.“Someone's feeling excited” Monique said in a singsong tone, and I giggled.“Yeah. I'm excited and kinda nervous at the same time, you know this is my first-ever surprise party for him”She threw an encouraging arm around my shoulders and pulled me into a side hug.“He's definitely gonna love the surprise” she said.“Are you sure?” my eyes darted around as if I'm looking for something or anything that's missing. “Do you think I did good with the decorations and everything?”“Of course" she reached for my apron's pocket and pulle
“Beside this knife, did you find anything suspicious when you got here?” the police, inspector Kingsley, asked me as he studied the bloodstained knife.I feel numb. Although I heard his question, but my brain couldn't process it and I simply shook my head. My eyes were focused on Nike's lifeless eyes.“You mean, you didn't see any suspicious person lurking around when you arrived?” he asked again.I shook my head again, and he sighed.“Don't worry, Miss Peterson, we'd take care of everything concerning your boyfriend's murder case” he told me. “And we'll contact you for further questioning, but first, we need you to go home and get some rest” he looked behind him and called a police officer over. “Officer West will walk you home for protection because we don't know if your boyfriend's murderer is going to come after you”He's a wise man, he knew I'm not in the right state of mind to give him any useful information…not that I have any, though.My lips quivered tremendously as I silentl
Third person's point of view.Daniel Anderson stood in a dark corner, hidden from the chaos unfolding in Nike's house. The dimly lit room was filled with the sound of police officers scurrying about, their footsteps echoing off the walls. Their flashlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the space in sporadic bursts. Daniel's eyes darted around, observing their every move, as they meticulously searched for clues relating to Nike's mysterious death.A small crowd was starting to form as people couldn't help being curious about what's going on in Nike's apartment.In the midst of the commotion, a petite lady suddenly collided with him, causing him to release an offended growl. She stumbled back, her eyes wide with surprise, and fear.He glared at her as he contemplated whether to get rid of her or not, but his heart softens when he locked eyes with her big, round blue, teary eyes.His eyes traced the direction she came from, then he realized she must be Nike's girlfriend. He cl
“Hello?” Ashley called as she looked around frantically, squinting her eyes and trying her hardest if she could see anything.“Hello? Anybody here?” she called again when she didn't get any response.It's pitch black everywhere, the darkness enveloping her like a suffocating blanket. The air was frigid, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. With her arms hugging herself tightly, she tried to generate some warmth, but the cold seemed to seep into her bones. Fear gripped her heart, paralyzing her body, rendering her unable to move.Feeling a sense of desperation, Ashley mustered the courage to call out for the name that gives her comfort. “Nike!” she cried, her voice echoing into the abyss. But there was no response, only the sound of her voice reverberating back to her. “Where the hell am I? Nike?” she called again, her voice trembling with uncertainty.The silence that followed only served to intensify her growing anxiety. It was as if the stillness itself was taunting her, amplif
Ashley's point of view.>The Next Morning“... I'll be there right away, sir”My eyes snapped open when I heard Monique talking to someone on the phone, but they quickly flapped shut when they couldn't handle the bright light in my room. With furrowed brows, I slowly opened my eyes again, until they adjusted to the brightness. “... just five minutes, sir” she said.Five minutes to do what? I couldn't help but wonder.“Yes, sir” she spoke up again.Not wanting to guess what's going on, and also didn't want to be in a suspense, I hopped out of my bed and dashed out of my room barefooted as I headed straight for Monique's room where her voice was coming from. She was just done with her phone call, and was packing up what seemed to be a shawl in her luggage when I entered her room. I don't know if she knew I was there, or maybe she knew, and she's purposely ignoring me because she didn't even look in my direction… After all, our fight last night was pretty intense. Anyway, I cleared m
Ashley's point of view.>Ashley's Apartment“Wow, I just created a masterpiece!” I heard Ben's excited voice from inside our apartment, immediately I reached the door.Monique scoffed mockingly, “Your masterpiece is nothing but pure poison” she badmouthed.My lips subconsciously curved into a smile because I already know what's going on inside, Ben must have created a new recipe and Monique doesn't think it's safe to eat it.“Poison?” There's a brief pause, and I could imagine he's trying to find the right words to use. “I wouldn't create a new recipe if I wanna poison you, that will be an utmost insult to my talent” he snarled.“You… You… Bastard!” Monique exclaimed.Knowing it's about to go down between them, I took that as my cue to step in, or I will definitely have a lot of cleaning to do after their battle. I quickly grabbed the knob, pushed the door open and stepped in.“Hey, guys, I'm home” I announced my presence, halting their movements. Monique was already lunging at Ben
Third person's point of view.>Ashley's Relaxation Center– he was still leaping a bit, though. But just when he was about jumping through the only window in the room, his body stilled as his ears caught Ashley's conversation with her friend on the phone, then he felt guilty for wanting to leave without thanking her for saving his life. He quickly retreated from the window and sat on the bed. Reaching in the inner pockets of his jacket, he pulled out his mobile phone and dialed a number, then waited impatiently for the receiver to pick up.“Hello?” the receiver finally picked up after a few rings.“Nathan” he called quietly.There was a brief pause. “Boss?” the receiver (now known as Nathan) called in a surprised, and somewhat relieved tone. “Where are you, boss?” he asked.“I'm f
Ashley's point of view.>Ashley's Relaxation Center“Where's your wallet?” I nodded at his pants pocket, hoping to find some identification that could lead us to his family or friends. “Maybe we can know who you are if we check your ID” He stared blankly at me for a moment, then sighed and slowly, or perhaps I should say reluctantly, searched his pockets. I felt a glimmer of hope as he searched his pockets. Perhaps we could know who he was if we checked his ID. But as he searched his pockets, his expression grew more despondent.But every glimmer of hope that arose in me, flew out the window the moment he spoke.“I don't have any IDs on me” he said, displaying his empty pockets. My mouth stayed slightly opened, and my brows raised as I gave him a dismayed look. He doesn't even have an ID on him – Oh no, this is bad. “You don't know your name, so, definitely, you don't also know where you used to live. And now you don't have an ID, then how do we contact your family?” He remained
Ashley's point of view.>Ashley Relaxation Center“Jeez, business is too slow today” I grumbled mentally as my eyes glanced at the wall clock right above the entrance door. My café was eerily quiet this morning, with only the soft hum of the air conditioning breaking the silence. The clicking of the clock seemed to echo in the space, annoyingly reminding me of the passing time. My eyes narrowed as some wicked thoughts crossed my mind – could it be the man I saved last night brought bad luck to me? Is he the reason people aren't trooping in like every other day?But I quickly shook those thoughts off and scolded myself for being paranoid. Tiredness from last night kicked in, and I released a yawn, not getting a good sleep last night is telling on me because I'm feeling quite sleepy right now.As I leaned against the counter, my mind wandered back to the injured man and I gasped in worry. I had completely forgotten to check up on him, what if he's up and thinks he's gotten kidnapped?
Third person's point of view.>The Anderson Family Mansion– her name was Charlotte Albert.Sitting beside her, was a woman in her early fifties, with gentle eyes and silver-streaked hair, who's trying to console her. This woman is Amelia, her would-be mother-in-law. “Last night was supposed to be our engagement party, Amelia” Charlotte cried. “I was so excited because it was meant to be a very memorable day for us, and he…" she choked on her words as tears endlessly streamed down her porcelain skin. “Yes, I know, Charlotte, I know, but don't cry,” Amelia consoled her while patting her back tenderly. “I'm sure Daniel has a perfect reason for standing all of us up”“A perfect reason? I'm now officially a laughingstock, what perfect reason can he possibly have, Amelia?” Charlotte ret
Ashley's point of view>The Next Morning“You scared the living daylights out of me, Monique” I chided her, my voice still trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush.Monique's once widened eyes narrowed at my words, and she averted her gaze from me towards my bed. Another scream escaped her lips, louder and more piercing than before.“WHAT THE HELL IS A STRANGE MAN DOING ON Y
Ashley's point of view.>Ashley's Relaxation Center– it's too much hassle.Hold on a second, if he's on the run from the law, doesn't this mean I'm helping a criminal escape punishment? Wouldn't I be considered an accomplice? Never mind, I'll just trust my instincts and save him first.I rushed back to my cashier desk, gathered all my money – because I'm not losing my money to anyone – shoved them in my purse and rushed back to the wounded stranger. I hurriedly locked my door, then tried to help him up, but realized he's too heavy since he's passed out.Then, deciding on getting a cab first, I walked away from the door to the road to catch a one.But for some reason, this evening doesn't seem as bus
Ashley's point of view.>The Next Morning – Ashley's Apartment“Someone is in good spirits today” Monique said when she stepped into the kitchen.I threw a quick glance at her, and smiled weakly. “Yeah” I replied.“Yeah?” she asked, sounding surprised at my quick recovery.I paused the music, turned to face her, and sighed while leaning against the counter.“Nike was my fiancé, he was the love of my life, and he treated me right in his short lifetime, but he's gone, and I believe he wouldn't want to see me losing myself and crying my eyes out because of him” I paused and studied her expression.Her brows furrowed as she looked carefully at my face, searching for any form of sadness. “Huh… aren't you just trying to be