Twenty Seven

It had been a few weeks since Arthur stood up for me in front of everyone. The media was still buzzing, but things were starting to calm down. Arthur and I were getting closer, relying on each other more than ever. Just when I thought things might finally settle down, Vladimir came back into the picture.

Vladimir had always been a problem. He was sneaky and loved causing trouble. From the moment I met him, I didn’t trust him. He had this way of smiling at Arthur that felt fake, and his eyes were always cold. It gave me chills.

Now, he was back, and I could feel that something bad was about to happen.

Arthur was spending more time at home, trying to stay on top of things. We both knew Vladimir wasn’t going to give up easily. He had already tried to hurt Arthur—and even me—before. But Arthur, being Arthur, stayed calm. He never showed fear, but I could see the worry in his eyes when Vladimir’s name came up.

One evening, Arthur’s phone rang. I could tell right away that the news wasn’t g