ADELINE’S POVI couldn’t stop the tears. Clarissa was driving to the hospital, and I was grateful she was, because I might have gotten into another accident if she wasn’t driving. My hands were shaking, and my heart was racing. I felt like I couldn't breathe.“Adeline, it’s going to be okay,” Clarissa said, glancing at me with worried eyes. She squeezed my hand gently, trying to comfort me.“I... I can’t lose him, Clarissa,” I whispered, my voice breaking. The thought of Xander in the hospital, hurt and in pain or maybe even dead, was unbearable.“We’ll be there soon,” she assured me, her voice steady despite the tension in the car.The drive felt like it took forever, but finally, we reached the hospital. As soon as Clarissa parked, I unbuckled my seatbelt and threw open the car door. I ran towards the entrance, my heart pounding in my chest. The bright lights of the hospital seemed to blur with my tears.Inside, I rushed to the front desk. “Xander! Xander Devon! Where is he?” I as
ADELINE’S POVI sat in the small, cozy room of the hospital, the scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. My grandparents were with me, and it felt like old times, almost. I had missed them so much, but things were different now.My grandmother, with her soft, wrinkled hands, held mine tightly. She looked at me with her kind eyes, full of worry and love. My grandfather, on the other hand, had a stern look on his face. He had always been strong and silent. "I missed you both so much," I said, my voice breaking a little. "I wanted to come earlier, but everything was just so hard."My grandfather, who had been silent, finally spoke. His voice was deep and steady. "Why, Adeline? Why did you refuse to reach out to us for help? We saw all the fake news swirling around, and it was hard for us to just stand by and do nothing. But you made me promise not to help unless you asked for it. I was ready to step in when I heard you were arrested, but fortunately, you called and asked me to come
ADELINE’S POVI sat in the hospital room, the beeping of machines and the quiet hum of the air conditioner the only sounds. Xander lay in the bed, pale and still. My heart ached seeing him like this. I looked over at my grandparents, who had flown into Manhattan and come straight to the hospital. They looked so tired but I know they didn’t want to leave me alone in the hospital."Grandma, Grandpa," I said softly, "you should go to your hotel and get some rest. You've been here for hours."Grandma looked at me with concern in her eyes. "Are you sure, Adeline? We don't want to leave you alone."I smiled and took her hand. "I'll be fine. Please, get some rest. You need it."Grandpa nodded, squeezing my shoulder. "Okay, but promise us you'll clean up and rest too.""I will," I promised, even though I knew I wouldn't leave Xander's side. "I'll take care of myself."They hesitated for a moment longer before finally agreeing. "We'll be back soon," Grandma said, giving me a hug."I know," I
SASHA’S POVI woke up in my room, feeling like I was in hell. My head throbbed, and my heart pounded in pain and anger. I couldn't believe I had brought my own downfall on myself. I thought of that day in Xanders house with his mom when my mom came and broke the news that Adeline was Qyler’s heir.It was a hot afternoon and that day everything fell apart. I had discovered just how untouchable Adeline really was. My jealousy and frustration reached new heights after hearing that and I lost control."Mom! You don't understand!" I screamed at my mother, pacing the living room. She stood by the door, her face pale and worried."Sasha, please calm down," she pleaded, her hands trembling. "You're not thinking straight."I ignored her, my rage blinding me. “I can't keep living like this!"Xander's mom, Mrs. Devon looked at me with a calm, yet stern expression. I felt a pang of fear, but my anger was too strong to stop."Mrs. Devon, you need to know everything," I said, my voice shaking.
ADELINE’S POVI was exhausted. For three days, I stayed with Xander and his mom in the hospital and it had been a hard few days.I needed to go home to get a change of clothes and other things I needed.I walked out of the hospital, feeling the cool breeze on my face. My car was parked nearby. I got in and started the engine, heading home. The streets were very busy, and it took a while to reach my house.When I finally arrived, I felt relief. I went inside and straight to my bedroom. The house was quiet, and it felt strange after the chaos of the hospital. I went to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. The water felt good on my skin, washing away the stress and dirt of the past few days.After my shower, I stood in front of my closet. I needed to pack enough clothes to last a few more days at the hospital.I chose comfortable clothes, some pajamas, and a few pairs of jeans and shirts. I also packed toiletries and other essentials.Once my bag was packed, I went to the kitchen t
XANDER’S POVI woke up in the hospital bed, the beeping of machines around me reminding me where I was.My eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the dim light of the room. The first thing I noticed was the empty chair beside my bed. Adeline wasn’t there. Panic surged through me, and I sat up abruptly, my heart racing. Where was she? Did she leave me? Did she hate me now?I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room frantically.My mind was racing with questions. I wasn’t used to not seeing her. For the past few days, she had been by my side constantly, taking care of me, talking to me, and making sure I was comfortable. The thought of her abandoning me now was unbearable.Then, I saw it, a small piece of paper on the nightstand. I reached for it with trembling hands and unfolded it.Her neat handwriting filled the page. It read, “I went home to pick up some things. I’ll be back soon. Love, Adeline.”I sighed, relieved. She hadn’t left me. She was just getting some things. I sank bac
SASHA’S POVI woke up that morning with tears already streaming down my face. My life was a huge mess, and I couldn’t see a way out of it. Everything seemed to be falling apart, and I felt so alone. The situation at home hadn’t gotten any better. My dad wasn’t even coming home these days. He was always away, leaving me and my mom to fend for ourselves. It was like he had given up on us, on everything.That morning, my mom came into my room with a grave look on her face. She sat on the edge of my bed and gently touched my shoulder. “Sasha,” she said softly, “I have some bad news. Xander was at Adeline’s company when a bomb detonated. He’s in the hospital, and he’s badly injured.”My heart stopped. Xander. Injured. I couldn’t breathe. “What?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Is he… is he going to be okay?”“He’s in a critical condition, but he’s alive,” my mom replied, her eyes filled with worry. “You should go see him, Sasha. Maybe he can forgive you… maybe he’ll take you back. Pe
ADELINE’S POVI walked through the mall, thinking about Xander in the hospital. I needed to pick up a few things to make him feel better. My first stop was the bookstore. I picked out a couple of novels, knowing Xander loved to read. Then I went to the candy shop and bought some chocolates. Xander had a sweet tooth, and I knew this would cheer him up.I also picked up a soft blanket and a small stuffed animal, something cozy to keep him company.As I made my way to the checkout counter, I felt a bit tired but satisfied with my purchases. The cashier was a middle-aged woman with a kind smile. She greeted me warmly."Hello! Did you find everything you were looking for?" she asked."Yes, thank you," I replied, placing the items on the counter.She started scanning my items and then paused, looking up at me. "Have you heard about the bomb explosion in town?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.I nodded, my heart sinking a little. "Yes, it's terrible.""I pity Adeline, the owner of
ADELINE’S POV***I woke up slowly, feeling so groggy and disoriented. My body was so heavy and there was a dull pain in my side. I did not know why but the pain had my head hammering. I blinked against the bright light in the room and that was when I realised that I was not alone. A lot of questions ran through my mind as I wondered what had happened and why I was here. Someone was sitting next to me and there seemed to be a shocked look on their face when our eyes met. "Adeline?" The familiar voice came through. It was soft, like silk. I turned my head and sock Xander sitting right by my side. I felt an instant wave of relief and my heart swelled. I was so scared before this happened, so scared that something bad had happened to him but seeing him right here with me did a very good job with pushing off the pain for a little while. He was here with me, alive and okay. I blinked back the tears that were already starting to form. And that was the moment everything slowly started to c
FLORAL.I could barely breathe as I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles were already white. I knew what Tristan was planning and I couldn't let it happen because it opposed everything that we worked for. Yes, I knew he wanted to take revenge on those who put him in prison but if he was going to do that, he should go face Adeline's old man, not Adeline. She was innocent and did nothing to him. I was not going to let him hurt her, not after I'd met her. Of course she was going to be a problem if I wanted to get to Xander but she was innocent and she was a good woman. I had to stop Tristan no matter what it was going to take. The streets blurred past me as I sped down the road. My heart was pounding so loud in my ears that I drowned out everything else. Tristan couldn't kill Adeline. Not like this. Not over some twisted sense of revenge. I didn't know how I ended up in this mess. It wasn't supposed to be my fight. But here I was driving, driving madly towards the one person who cou
ADELINE'S POV***My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I dialed my grandfather's number. I could barely think straight now as my thoughts were all over the place. It felt like my mind was running a hundred miles per hour but I wasn't going anywhere. What was I going to do now that it was clear Xander was in danger. I didn't even know where I was going to start from. How the hell was I going to find him? And it was clear from the foregoing that Matt had had the one behind this whole thing. He had abducted Xander and his phone was enough proof for that. He had also put on a mask to make me think that was Xander. That son of a bitch really did all this only to die a very disgraceful death. That was exactly what he deserved. But what if he'd killed Xander? The thought brought back the fear that was already building up. I needed to do something, and I hoped my grandfather would be able to step in with his connections. If it didn't work then I had no idea what else would. All I could think ab
FLORAL’S POV***I didn't know Adeline was in the house when I stepped out of my room. The moment I saw her standing there, my heart dropped. I should have been more careful. What was I thinking, walking out like that? But it was too late-- she had already seen me so there was no need to do anything suspicious now. But maybe there was still time, I thought to myself, glancing at her before I tried to duck back into the shadows. However, Xander’s mother, ever the gracious host, was quick to introduce me once she noticed I was behind her. "Adeline, this is my daughter, Floral," she said, gesturing to me with a proud smile. "Floral doesn't come around often." Adeline turned to me, scanning my face for a second and I held my breath. This was very bad because if she ever got to remember who I was, that was if she didn't know already, I was doomed. My palms were starting to sweat as I braced myself for her reaction. Would she recognise me? Would she say something? But instead, she smiled
ADELINE’S POV***I couldn't stop thinking about Xander. He hadn't come back since the day he told me he was going to stay at his mom’s house and I was disturbed because it could be the place where all his problems had started. Him acting weird must have been from there. He had been complaining about his sister before he came back and then everything had changed. He rarely talked to me and now he no longer complained about her. A lot of things were going on that I should be told about. But nobody was saying anything and it worried me so much. I wished someone could just let me know what was happening. But Xander was the only person I could talk to. He was the only one who knew what his problem was. It wasn't like him to just disappear like this, especially now that there was nothing bothering him, well, nothing that I knew of. He should have checked in lately but I'd heard nothing. My heart felt heavy as I paced around the living room. If I hadn't called him yesterday to know if he
FLORAL’S POV***I watched from a distance as Matt got out of his car and entered the pub. My heart raced but I had to keep my composure because this was going to work. It was either this night or never. This was the moment I'd been waiting for. I needed to find out who he really was. I had suspected for a while that something was off about him, and now I was going to prove it. I quickly made my way to his car, careful not to draw attention. The street was quiet, and only the occasional sound of passing cars in the distance was the only thing I heard. I approached his car and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Then, I reached into my bag and pulled out the small hidden camera I had planted earlier. I couldn't risk leaving it there for too long, just in case he checked his car for anything suspicious. My hands shook slightly as I retrieved the camera, but I was careful to keep my movements steady. Once I had it, I slipped it back in my bag and quickly walked away, blend
XANDER’S POV***I tried to move but my body would not cooperate because every inch of me was hurting and it was starting to make me feel very dizzy. I was very worried because I did not want to pass out here because nobody would see me if I needed medical attention so I had to fight off every form of hazy feeling until I was sure that I was ok. My arms, my legs, my ribs- they were all on fire. I could not remember the last time I had eaten because my stomach was already growling and I was too weak to care. But do you think that terrified me the most was the fact that the room was very dark and there was nobody around. I could only help but picture that I had been left alone in some kind of Warehouse to die. My heart pounded very fast when I thought of that and as much as I told myself that his Men could be outside, there was still a possibility that they had left me alone here to die. I didn't even know if it was day or night because time had lost its meaning. I had tried to escape
TRISTAN’S POV***The weight of everything that had happened finally stayed to lift lift from shoulders. Sasha was dead. The hit man had done his job perfectly as there was no trace or evidence of who had done it. I felt so relieved because with her gone, there was no one left to testify against me, no one who could point fingers if things went wrong. That was the hardest mission so I guessed the rest would be very easy from here onwards. Now, I just had to take care of Adeline and Xander, before I could disappear. My time was coming, and I couldn't wait for it. I smiled to myself as I thought of my plan. Once they are gone, I'd be free to leave this place. But in the meantime I had to control everything from the shadows. I was happy that I had the capable hands. Sometimes I wished that this was the last mission, but then I was reminded that it was time to put my head down and do the rest. There was no promise of a better future if the rest were still alive. Thankfully, I had it all
SASHA’S POV***I sat on the cold, hard bed in my cell, staring at the ceiling. It had been a long day, just like every other day in this place. The routine, the noise and the walls closing in on me felt unbearable but that morning, something changed. My mother called. I was surprised when the guard came to inform me that I had a call. I thought they had abandoned me, that she had left me here to rot and die just like my father had abandoned us. And I wouldn't blame her for what happened because she was just as miserable as I was. The guard escorted me out of myself and walked me to the phone stand. My heart was drumming when I picked it up. Has something bad happened? Or was she going to just tell me that the divorce had been finalised? If it was the latter, I didn't want to hear anything about it. Since my father had decided to give up on me, I didn't want anything to do with him again. I listened in on the phone and her voice came through. "Sasha, honey." Her voice was so sweet,