Emily's POV."I'm really sorry about this Emily, Elisha is insane," Adrian apologized for the umpteenth time as we walked towards the car.The ball ended a while ago and I couldn't be more glad. After the incident, the rest of the ball went on pretty well, though I couldn't find my comfort till it ended. I wanted to leave right away, I wanted to lock myself up in the room and exhaled an incredible amount of breath. She was really close to ruining my life.I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. I thought that was the end. I was going to be humiliated right before the influential folks at the ball. I wouldn't have stayed a day more in New York if that happened"It's not your fault Adrian, stop apologizing to me already," I groaned. It was getting annoying how he kept apologizing to me at every second that passed."I feel bad for not being able to protect you, despite my promise to do that," he replied. "There's nothing you could have done Adrian, Elisha had everything done s
Emily's POV. As I burst through the door, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of Adrian lying on the floor, his face drained of color. Panic took hold of me as I hurriedly ran to his side, my thoughts racing a mile a minute."Adrian!" He suddenly flickered his eyes open, staring weakly at me. "What happened?" I asked, my voice quivering with concern. "Are you okay?""I'm fine," he replied weakly, attempting to sit up. "I was just taking a short nap," "Nap? On the floor? Really?" I shook my head, my expression stern. "You are overworking yourself huh? what's going on?""It's nothing," he mumbled. "You passed out on the floor Adrian, it's not nothing," I scolded, leaning closer and gently helped him to his feet, guiding him to the bed. He protested feebly, but I was not having it. I covered him with the duvet, my hand lingering on his forehead as I checked for signs of a fever."I'm going to make you some soup," I said turning towards the door. "And then I'm calling the doctor
Emily's POV.As I walked towards the door, my gaze suddenly fell on Adrian's work laptop, discarded on the floor where he had passed out. A thought sparked in my mind, perhaps I could help with his presentation, somehow. I turned to steal a glance at him on the bed, and seeing deep him asleep already, I made my way to the laptop, grabbing it and quickly ran off. I relaxed back at the couch, my focus narrowing as I opened the presentation software. As I scrolled through the slides, I felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over me. I have seen Adrian work on these before, the carefully crafted charts, the well researched details and the compelling ideas were quite familiar. I realized that I could understand the core of it if I tried.A surge of determination settled over me. If I could finish the presentation for him, it would be one less thing for him to worry about.Then he could concentrate on getting better.I was well aware why he was overworking himself this much, he has
Liam's POV. It's been a few months since Nichole claimed to be pregnant for me. And she has moved into the house as well. That didn't in any way ixmply that I have forgiven her or taken her back.I allowed her move in so that she and the child would be taken care of, and after that, a place would be prepared, where she and the child would live far away from me. This decision was made from constant bugging by my mom.I had no plans of getting married to her, it is no concern of mine if she doesn't find a husband for her lifetime due to her condition, she never thought of that while sneaking into my bed, did she?There's only one wife for me and that is Emily, and since she's gone, no one has the right to that. I was determined to stay single till the day I take my last breath. It was my punishment for what I did to her.My hatred for Nichole grew with each passing minute, she was a huge part of the reason why I made the biggest mistake of my life, . Because of the selfish love I had
Emily's POV. I made my way to Adrian's room, balancing the tray of hot soup and the laptop carefully in my arms.My steps were light and quick, eager to show him the results of my contribution to his presentation.I could see his eyes lit up with curiosity as I approached him on the bed."Is it my favorite pregnant lady again?" He teased and I bursted into laughter. "Adrian stop,""What's that you've got there?" he asked, gesturing towards the tray. "Well, you requested and I delivered," I smiled, setting the tray down beside him on the bed. "Your newest favorite soup,"It was my mom's special soup recipe that I had made for him the previous day. Adrian took a liking to it and kept requesting that I made more. "Here," I passed it to him.He scooped a spoonful into his mouth and smiled. "Perfect,"I couldn't hold back my blush as I watched him eat so healthily, flashing me a warm smile of gratitude at intervals.I watched as he gulped it to the last drop. "This will always be a
Emily's POV.With Adrian's guidance, I immersed myself in the world of business, delving deep into the nuances of the industry and the company's subsidies. I poured over the slides, committing each word and statistic to memory, asking him questions and listening intently to his explanations. I was grateful for the insights and strategies that had taken him years to learn which he shared with me within minutes.As the hours passed, my confidence grew, and my understanding of the concept deepening.As I continued to absorb every detail Adrian offered, our dynamic began to shift. I could say we fell into a rhythmically effortless flow.I would pose a question, and Adrian would respond with the experience and expertise of a seasoned professional. Then I would offer an insight, and he would consider it with an open mind, sometimes even altering his own approach.It was at this moment that I truly realized the depth of Adrian's knowledge, and the breadth of his wisdom. I began to unders
Emily's POV. In the fading light of dusk, Adrian escorted me to the car, his hand resting lightly over my back.It was already dark but since I was going with his car, I had nothing to worry about. "Again, don't take whatever they say to heart," he said as he pulled the door open, holding it out for me. "I promise not to," I smiled, in a bit to calm his worried gut. He looked way too worried, it was evident all over him. "Thank you again, for doing this," he gently kissed my cheek."It's fine Adrian, I'm tired of saying it already," I scolded playfully. "You should get back inside before your head starts to hurt again," I turned to him more seriously. "I don't know why you insist on seeing me off despite your poor health,""Emily please..."I quickly waved at him and climbed into the car before he said any more word and broke down with more worries.As I settled into the car, my gaze met his through the open window as he waved me goodbye.The look on his face as he waved was as
Emily's POV."I'm Detective Perkins. Mind if I have a word?"Mr. Gonzalez straightened his posture, his face hardening with seriousness. "Of course, Detective.Detective Perkins stepped further into the room, his eyes quickly scanning the entire space before settling on Mr and Mrs Gonzalez. "I'm here to give you an update on the attack on your daughter, Emma," he began, his tone calm and measured. "Luckily for us, some of my officers were close by during the time of the attack, which aided her rescue." "I can't thank you enough for that, detective, I was going to come by the office later," Mr Gonzalez cut in."It's fine, we are only doing our job," detective Perkins continued. "However, that's not why I'm here,""We managed to apprehend one of the attackers, he has confessed to the crime and provided us with some valuable information."Mr and Mrs Gonzalez exchanged a tense glance, Mrs. Gonzalez's jaw clenching. "And what information would that be?" she asked, her voice sharp with an
The restaurant was warm, the golden lights casting a cozy glow over the sleek wooden tables. Soft jazz music played in the background, mingling with the murmurs of the other diners, the clinking of silverware against fine china.I sat by the window, stirring my drink absentmindedly as I watched the city move outside. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was alone. No responsibilities pressing on my shoulders, no demands clawing at my time. Just me, a beautifully plated meal, and the illusion of peace.I let out a long sigh, sinking into the plush chair, allowing myself to bask in the moment. Life had been... exhausting. For years, I had been running. Not literally, but emotionally, mentally. Running to fix things, to prove myself, to erase the shadows of the past. And on top of that, I had a daughter now—a beautiful, sweet little girl who meant everything to me. She had Ryan’s piercing eyes, his lips, but my face. Every time I looked at her, it was like seeing pieces of him
Aria's POV. It had been two years since everything changed... since the scandal that turned my world upside down. And then my parents had it fixed. Christie, Josh and I were done with highschool and now in our first year in college. And just like every other day, we were laughing about some stupid class project as we made our way down the sidewalk.Suddenly, my phone tucked in my pocket and I quickly fetched it from my pocket, I didn't recognize the number, but it was an unknown area code, and something about it made my stomach drop.“Hold on, guys,” I said to Christie and Josh before picking the call “Hello?” “Is this Aria Liam's?” a calm voice on the other end asked.“Yes,” I replied, getting confused now. “This is city hall hospital. We need you to come in immediately. Your presence is required.”My mind raced. The urgency in the voice sent a chill down my spine. “What happened? Is everything okay?”“I’m afraid I can’t give you any details over the phone,” she said. “But it’s
Aria's POV.I had never been so relieved to return to school. Two weeks off, two long weeks of hiding away in my room, avoiding the pitying stares from neighbors, and the whispers of strangers who thought they knew everything. But today, today I was going back. I wasn’t going alone either. My parents were walking beside me, I didn’t know exactly what they had planned, but I knew they were going to do something about the scandal. Something that would either make everything better.. or make it worse.I adjusted the strap of my bag, glancing at my parents as we walked through the front gate of the school. Mom was standing tall, shoulders squared, walking with a determined pace. Dad, on the other hand, had his hands jammed deep into his pockets. They looked like the same parents I had known my whole life, though today felt different. They were on a mission.The moment we stepped onto school grounds, I could feel the tension. The eyes. People were still talking about us.. about the scanda
Aria's POV.The moment I broke the hug, a strange sensation crawled through my body. It wasn’t pain, but something that felt like an overwhelming wave, an unsettling force pulling at my insides. My stomach twisted, and a sudden wave of nausea surged up through my chest, catching me off guard. My vision blurred, and I swayed, struggling to keep myself upright. I gripped the edge of the chair, my fingers digging into the hard surface in an attempt to ground myself. But her body wasn’t listening to me. It felt like it had betrayed me, as if it had no control of its own."Hey, Aria, what's wrong?" I heard distant voices but I couldn't make out who they belonged to.My head spun, the room seeming to tilt at an impossible angle. The world around me began to dissolve, the sounds muffled as if underwater. I gasped for air, trying to steady myself, but it was as though the air itself had become thick, too heavy for me to breathe. My chest tightened, and my pulse raced, the noise of my heartbea
Aria's POV.The days dragged on, each one stretching endlessly without Ryan. The grief was a living thing, wrapping around me, suffocating me. I missed him in ways that words could never capture. It wasn’t just his presence; it was the way he made me feel, the way he could make even the worst moments bearable. Now, everything was unbearable.I hadn’t left my room much, only stepping out when my body physically forced me to. I barely ate. I barely slept. When I did sleep, it was restless, haunted by dreams of Ryan... his voice, his touch, his warmth. Only to wake up to the cruel reality that he was gone.Christie and Josh had been my lifeline, visiting almost daily. They would knock, call my name softly, and even if I didn’t answer, they would sit outside my door for hours, talking about everything and nothing at all. I didn’t deserve them, but I needed them. Even if I could barely acknowledge it.It was a week of my suspension today, after spending hours lying in bed, staring blankly
Ryan's POV.It had been days. Days since Ryan had disappeared from my life, leaving nothing but an empty hole where my heart used to be. I could still feel the echoes of his presence, haunting the corners of the house, in the space where his laughter used to ring, in the quiet that used to be filled with his voice. But now, everything felt hollow. I hadn’t heard from him since that video, that live confession. And with every passing moment, the silence grew louder, consuming me more and more until I couldn’t tell where I ended and the emptiness began.I sat on the floor in the far corner of my room, my knees drawn up to my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them as if I could protect myself from the overwhelming emptiness that consumed me. The walls felt like they were closing in. The quiet, the stillness, it suffocated me. My mind wouldn’t let me escape the thoughts of him. Of what he said. Of what he did. Of what he could have done to escape this nightmare.My heart kept trying to
Aria's POV.I didn’t think. I just ran.My feet slammed against the cold floor of the hallway as I hurtled down the stairs, my heart racing, pounding in chaotic rhythm. It was as though my entire body was trying to escape the terror and helplessness that consumed me, trying to outrun the suffocating fear that had taken over my mind. My thoughts were a blur, a haze of desperate urgency, but they all had one single, overpowering focus: Ryan.I had to find him. I had to stop him.I absolutely don't know where he is or where to find him but one thing was sure, I will get him back.The words from his confession echoed in my head, over and over again: “I’m leaving. I’ll disappear.”No. He couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave me. Not after everything. Not after the bond we shared, the love, the years of quiet, stolen moments that had built up between us. Ryan was my everything. He was my protector, my constant, the one person who had never looked at me with judgment, never turned his back on me,
Aria’s POV. my heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat echoing in my ears like a warning. Something felt wrong... deeply wrong. I couldn't quite place it, but it clawed at my insides. The silence in the house was unnerving, oppressive, like the air itself had thickened. The usual heated house filled with laughter and happiness was absent since the day Ryan and I got outed, but today's emptiness felt different. It was as if the whole house had been drained of sound, leaving behind only an unsettling stillness.My eyes darted nervously over the hallway as I reached Ryan’s door. My hand trembled slightly as I pushed it open, the door creaked softly and I stepped inside, expecting to find him lounging on the bed, headphones in, oblivious to the world as he has been doing since the whole scandal. But when I looked around, my stomach sank.His room was completely… empty.The bed was made finely as though no one has laid on it for a while, the edges of the blanket smooth. The chair at h
Aria's POV.I laid lifelessly on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. I could tell my eyes has gotten swollen and red from crying, but no matter how much I tried, the tears wouldn’t stop threatening to spill over again. I curled up tightly under my blanket, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume mr. It's the second day of my suspension and it felt like it had already lasted a lifetime, and the thought of enduring this for two weeks was unbearable.The silence in the house was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. I have been replaying every moment of the ordeal in my mind, trying to understand how things had spiraled so far out of control. I wanted so desperately for things to go back to how they were, to have my parents' love and trust again, and for the world to stop feeling like it was closing in on me. Each time I thought I had run out of tears, a fresh wave of sorrow would crash over me, leaving me sobbing into my pill