Rima’s POVThe world around me feels like it's spinning, out of control, faster and faster. Images flash through my mind in a chaotic whirlwind. Jacob, lying on the ground, blood staining his shirt. George, my husband in name only, smiling cruelly as he forced me to play the dutiful wife. His body, lifeless and cold on the floor, my hands stained with his blood.Shooting Jacob... My heart clenches at the thought. It was a desperate act, a last-ditch attempt to save him. The memory of pulling the trigger, of seeing him fall, sends a wave of nausea through me. I had aimed for his chest, further away from his heart, I prayed to every god I could think of that I wouldn't kill him. That I wouldn't lose him like I'd lost so much before him.If I had let George pull that trigger, Jacob would be dead now. A bullet in his head, instant and unforgiving. But there was a chance, a slim, horrifying chance, that I could save him and I had no other choice but to take it.After George took me away, J
Rima’s POVJacob is moved to the ICU, and Lucas and I follow suit, staking out a spot outside his door. We're not allowed inside, but somehow, just being nearby feels like the right thing to do. Savas, who had been with us earlier, has disappeared somewhere, leaving Lucas and me in the sterile, silent corridor.My head snaps up when Lucas's phone rings, the shrill tone cutting through the hushed atmosphere. From the moment Jacob had been kidnapped, Lucas had called Alex, who had promptly booked the first flight to Toronto, along with Jenny and Diana.As Lucas speaks into the phone, describing our location and the path to take, it's clear they've arrived into the hospital. He ends the call and steps away, intending to meet them halfway and guide them here.Suddenly, the thought of facing the rest of his family is overwhelming. The thought of being questioned about what happened, potentially being blamed for Jacob's kidnapping without even knowing it was me who shot him, is too much. Pa
Rima’s POVAs the standoff between the doctor and me continues, Diana intervenes with a soft "Wait" She turns to me, her face a mask of concern and gentle reprimand "You don't need to do this" she says, her voice fervent but quiet."Enduring this pain won't absolve you of whatever guilt you're feeling. It won't change what happened. All it's going to do is hurt you"Her words ring in the silence of the room, but I remain rigid, my jaw set. I want to argue, to tell her she doesn't understand, but the words won't come. Instead, I just shake my head, a silent refusal of her plea."Please" she insists, her gaze never leaving mine "Don't do this to yourself. It won't help. It won't bring you peace. It'll only add to your pain"I can hear the desperation in her voice, see the worry in her eyes, but I can't bring myself to relent. The guilt is too heavy, the need for punishment too great. But even as I steel myself for the pain, a part of me is touched by her concern, her determination to pr
Rima’s POVThe hours roll on, morphing into a timeless void with only the periodic updates from the medical staff providing any sense of progression. Each report echoes the same sentiment – Jacob is stable, but not yet out of the woods.I ignore the pleas from Diana, Alex, Jenny, and Lucas to take a break, to eat something, to rest. Every fiber of my being is focused on Jacob, on willing him to wake up, to fight, to live.Jacob was granted only a single visitor, a harsh rule that felt particularly cruel in these circumstances. To my utter surprise, Diana offered her spot to me."Diana" I began, my voice choked with emotion "you should be the one to go in there. You're his mother, the closest person to his heart"Her suggestion had left me reeling. Of course, I cared deeply for Jacob, but Diana... she bore a bond with him that was irreplaceable, a bond born of a lifetime of shared memories, of joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures. She had nurtured him, loved him, stood by him throug
Rima’s POV"Jenny" I murmured, my voice cloaked in caution. My mind was a whirlwind of questions, chief among them being how much of my conversation she had overheard.She was a statue in the hallway, her wide eyes locked onto mine, her features frozen in a mask of shock. Her stillness was a deafening silence that spoke volumes, hinting that she had caught more than just fragments of my desperate plea.Without a word, I reached out and took her arm, my fingers closing around her wrist with a firm but gentle grip. I led her into the bathroom, the door clicking shut behind us with an air of finality. Enclosed within the stark white walls, we were in our own world, a world swirling with secrets and desperate decisions."Jenny" I repeated, my voice firmer now, a sharp edge hidden beneath the softness, intended to yank her back from the precipice of her shock.She blinked, her eyes clearing as she focused on me. Gathering herself, she found her voice “You’re not going anywhere, Rima. Jacob
Rima’s POVI found my gaze locked on Savaş, my mind whirling as I tried to sift truth from falsehood in the shocking revelation offered by the girl named Rosalie.For a few electrifying seconds, the room was held hostage by their silent confrontation, their eyes locked in a battle of wills. This tense standoff persisted until I, unwilling to let it continue, shattered the silence."Is it true?" I demanded, my voice hardening as I turned to Savaş.His stern gaze met mine, stripped of the dark fury that had seethed in his eyes when he'd looked at Rosalie "No""Sure, go ahead, believe him. Words are so easy to say, aren't they?" Rosalie shot back, her tone dripping with biting sarcasm."Go back to your room" Savaş commanded, his voice a dangerous growl as he closed the distance between them. The threat in his steps seemed to have no effect on her, her only reaction was the tightening of her fists at her sides."What's the matter? Y
Jacob’s POVI awoke to a kaleidoscope of blurred colors and vague shapes, my world spinning on an axis that I couldn't quite grasp. My throat was a desert of raw, scorched pain, and a malevolent drumming echoed within the confines of my skull.Struggling through the disoriented fog, my mind scrambled to piece together the puzzle of my surroundings, to decipher the cryptic jigsaw of what had befallen me. A silhouette began to take form in my murky vision, a familiar figure that moved with tender care towards me, placing a comforting hand on my fevered forehead.Blinking through the confusion, my eyes gradually adapted to the light, gradually revealing the tear-streaked face of my mother. Her mask was damp with tears, her gaze flitting between anguish and relief, a silent war of emotions dancing in her eyes."Thank god you're alright" she murmured, her voice choked with emotion, her fingers gently threading through my hair with a tenderness only a mot
Jacob’s POV"Demir!" The name erupted from my lips like a curse. As soon as I was told Rima had left, he was the first person who sprung to my mind. Demir had been our security, our shield since George had forced his way into our lives. Rima trusted him. She had to have gone to him for help, to aid her in disappearing from me.“I already tried calling him, he said he doesn’t know where she is” Alex said calmly."He's lying" I spat out, my hand outstretched towards the phone clutched in Alex's grasp "Give me the goddamn phone, Alex. I know how to get him to talk" Anger, like a bitter venom, was coursing through my veins. Every instinct in me was screaming that Demir was hiding something.Alex looked at me, his brow furrowed "Jacob, you need to calm down. You're going to reopen your wound"I could feel the strain in my chest, the sharp twinge of pain that threatened to bloom with every heartbeat. But I couldn't afford to show weakness now. Not when Rima was out there, somewhere, alone a