Annie Peter and I ended up having to go to an inn because it was late at night and my father's men were scattered throughout the city. We needed to stay hidden and wait for those men to leave so they could give us a drink so we could continue our journey. The room was average with rough decor and
Annie Peter and I had to leave that guesthouse because the men sent by my father were already almost at our door with the intention of coming to get us. “How the hell did they find us?” Peter asked, upset, as he and I ran out of the inn. I was also so confused, and I was sure we didn't leave an
Laura I was sitting on my bed while staring at my cell phone in my hand. I was making yet another call to Annie, another one of hundreds in fact. She refused to answer all my calls; her cell phone was out of range, but I still kept calling because if I didn't, I would feel completely useless. I h
Annie I was leaning over the toilet in the restroom, regurgitating everything I had eaten that day. My stomach was all upset, and I was shaking all over, feeling so terrible. I really shouldn't have drunk so much. So I heard the knock on that cabin door. “Ann, do you need some help?” It was Peter
Laura We were in front of the Davies mansion while Jason and I said goodbye to the kids and our Moms. As agreed, Jason and I were going to look for our daughter, and Roseanne and Vivian were happy to help by taking care of the twins. “Please, Mommy. Don’t go, it’s too dangerous...” Stephen asked a
Annie I was staring at the white ceiling of that hotel room as I lay on my back on the bed, the annoying noise of the fan disturbing my thoughts. I was bored. Peter had left a few hours ago, saying he needed to take care of something important, so I was left alone in that hotel room. I had already
Annie “I can't believe it; it's not true. Peter would tell me something like that if it were true,” I said in denial, my voice breaking. The surrounding town took its course as I stood there at the payphone with the phone to my ear. Peter's psychologist had just told me something that was shaking a
Annie “I thought you were the only one who understood me. So now you can’t blame me for being attracted to the monster that I am.” Peter's words weighed on me. When I found out about his secret, it was as if the world around me woke up in its most naked and raw colors; it was as if I now realized
As we walked, I thought about what Abby had said. It wasn't Caleb who mattered; it was the betrayal of a friendship I thought would last forever. The pain of losing that trust was still fresh, and perhaps that was why I didn't want to think about Caleb at all. But at the same time, there was a part
Annie POV I watched my parents' car drive away with a sense of sadness; part of me wanted to go with them and give up on everything, but I was also excited to start a new life at Oxwell. The sound of the engine fading into the distance seemed to carry away a piece of my childhood, leaving me with a
Jason POV We were in the Oxwell campus parking lot, giving our final hugs before heading back home. Annie was practically engulfed in our embrace, hugging us tightly and saying she would miss us, even though she knew she could come home every weekend. Her hug was a mix of farewell and beginning, so
Jason POV "Look here, boys, this is the central courtyard where your mom and I spent many afternoons studying for exams," I said, my voice echoing with nostalgic pride as I showed Stephen and Daniel around the Oxwell campus. "And that building over there, that's where I had my first economics class
Annie POV When I saw Abby walking into the dorm, I recoiled, all the happiness of that day cooling instantly. So Abby would be the girl to take the third room? My mother and Abby's mother went to have a private conversation, leaving us girls alone. Abby and I stared at each other impassively, with
Laura POV After helping Annie arrange her new room, we went together to help Summer as well. The flat was starting to feel like a home, full of personality and expectations. We finished up and sat in the living room while I waited for Jason and the twins to return. Summer, with her natural enthusi
Laura POV The next morning, the sun was shining brightly as Jason and I prepared the car to take Annie and Summer to the campus of Oxwell University. The air was thick with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. It was an immense pleasure for both of us to accompany our first daughter on the same path
Annie POV After dinner, Summer and I returned to my room. Night was falling, and a fresh sense of expectation seemed to settle in with the darkness. The lamp next to my bed gave the room a soft, almost magical glow. "Let's do a skincare session before we go to bed?" Summer suggested, already getti
Annie POV We were called for dinner, and as we went downstairs, I found my parents in the dining room with the twins. "Sit here next to me, Summer," Daniel invited with a little smirk, patting the chair beside him. "No, sit next to me; it's better, beautiful," Stephen also invited her, making poo