*Vivienne*“Or else what?” she retorted, her eyes blazing with challenge. “You will kill me off like you killed your past girlfriends? Or worse still, like you killed dad?”Wait… what?Dumbfounded, my slightly wide eyes traveled back to Liam just in time to see his face shift, a shadow crossing his features. It was like a light had flickered out. The vibrant energy that usually surrounded him dimmed, leaving only a fragile silence where warmth had been. He stiffened as his jaw clenched tightly. “The fuck did you just say to me?” he asked, a chilling calm in his voice that sent cold chills racing down my spine. And I know Valerie felt his anger too because her bare shoulders tensed, a nervous energy radiating from her. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin in fake bravado. “You heard me,” she muttered. “And I said what I—”“Valerie, that's enough,” Their mother, Mrs. Pryce finally interfered, her sharp tone brooking no argument. Valerie's head shot towards her mother. “But, mother—
*Liam*Feeling an indescribable anger trickling into my veins, I turned away from her and stalked out. Ryder, who was already positioned at a corner sighted me and immediately glided over to my side. “We are leaving already?” he asked, easily stepping up to me and marching my strides. “Yes,” I answered curtly. Ryder darted a look over his shoulder. “And Ms. Reynolds? Are you just going to leave her here?” I faltered in my steps for a moment, the worry etched in his voice nagging at me. And the feeling was valid. “Have Eric come inside to secretly watch over her until she's done here. Then, have him take her home too,” I ordered him as we exited the main front door. “Of course,” he replied and immediately fished out his phone. I stopped and pointed at him. “Also ask some of the Shadows to guard them until they arrive safely at the estate,” I added and when he nodded in reply, I ducked into my car. As I settled into the plush seat, I yanked at my tie and loosened it from my neck
*Liam*Few hours later I am standing on the threshold leading to my house, hands deep in my pocket as I stare at the door. My breath came in shallow bursts, each exhale a whisper of doubt and uncertainty. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, glancing at the ground as if it held answers. The evening sky dimmed, shadows creeping up the walls of the house, and I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension coil tighter. A faint light flickered through the window, illuminating the silhouette of a figure inside, but it felt like a world away. I reached for the doorknob, fingers trembling slightly, then hesitated, my heart thudding like a distant drum.Fuck! Why the hell am I hesitating?It's my house for crying out loud. I knew it had something to do with our fight earlier today but if I was being honest with myself, I would then say I was ashamed of having to face her again after going off on her like that. Suddenly, the door was yanked open and Mr. Gibbons just stood th
*Vivienne*Shortly after Liam and I had our first fight ever, it took me approximately 10 minutes to extremely ponder over everything. And that was when I realized I was the villain in this situation. Looking back on our encounters ever since we met, I noticed I never actually had any atom of trust towards Liam despite him trying so hard to win my trust. I doubted him right from the onset even when it was crystal clear that he was just trying to help. I even tried to gaslight him into trusting me when I can't even reciprocate the gesture. I looked up at him, my eyes clouded with tears. “I couldn't even bring myself to trust you but I expected you to be open to me,” I scoffed. “Now tell me if that isn't the sign of a hypocritical bitch.”Liam stepped forward with his hands stretched forward in a pacifying gesture. He was still dressed in the suit from today. “Look, angel eyes. It's not your fault, okay,” he started. “I get it. You can't trust me just yet and I get it. Trust me, I
*Vivienne*As I slowly woke , the first thing I noticed was the softness beneath me and the warmth surrounding my body. For a moment, I’m enveloped in a haze, unsure of where I am. My eyelids fluttered open, and I found out I'm resting my head against something solid yet gentle— a masculine arm. Confusion danced at the edges of my mind as I took a moment to orient myself. The room is bathed in soft morning light, and the faint scent of something familiar—his cologne—filled the air. My heart began to race as realization dawned: I’m in his bed, in his arms.I glanced up, taking a moment to appreciate his handsome features. His strong jawline is relaxed in sleep, and his tousled hair falls perfectly over his forehead giving him an air of boyish charm. There’s an innocence and peacefulness in his expression that makes my heart flutter—a stark contrast to the confidence he carries when he’s awake.My fingers twitched with the need to trace the sensual curve of his mouth but I curled them
*Liam*“What the hell are you smiling at?” Ryder's voice jolted me back to reality which made me tear my gaze away from the window. “What do you mean?” Ryder lifted his eyes away from his phone on which he has been endlessly typing on since we left the foundation. “You have been smiling nonstop since we got into this car,” he said in a perpetually dry tone. I blinked. “Oh, have I?” I rhetorically asked even as another smile parted my lips. Ryder just sighed, shook his head and then turned back to his phone. “Why?” I inquired, suddenly feeling curious. “Am I not allowed to smile again?”“It's just weird…and creepy when you smile like that,” he responded with a shrug, his attention still latched on his phone. “Hey, that's offensive!” I yelled. Ryder just pushed his glasses higher on his nose, paying no attention to my outburst. “And just yesterday, you were all gloomy and cranky because you fought with your girlfriend.”I rolled my eyes. “She is not my girlfriend.” “That's what
*Vivienne*“Help me, Vivi,” I heard her sob. “Please help me.”And my heart plummeted, panic gripping me tight. I straightened in my seat, my fingers tightening around my phone. “Where are you?” I managed to sputter, my voice barely above a whisper. Each breath felt heavy, as if I were drawing in lead instead of air.“I... I don’t know... please...” Her cries echoed, raw and desperate, twisting my gut into knots. I clenched the phone tighter, feeling her fear seep through the receiver, a palpable thing that gripped me like a vice.I felt my surroundings tilting, the air thickening as dread washed over me. My mind raced, conjuring images of accidents, dark alleys, and shattered glass.I quickly squeezed my eyes shut as images of her lying in a pool of her own blood tried to push its way to the center of my mind. No, she is fine. She will be. “Rosa, I need you to calm down a bit for me,” I forced out even as I felt my chest constricting making it hard for me to breath. “Please.”Slow
*Vivienne*Holding my breath and hoping it wasn't Liam. I opened the message but blood slowly drained away from my face as I stared about it.A photo of me coming out of the alley with Rosa was staring back at me with the small caption:‘You can run all you want but you can't hide. I'm always two steps ahead, Xabrina.’In the past few days, I had totally forgotten about my stalker as I had been preoccupied with thoughts of Liam. I really don't know if that's a good sign or not. Another beep from my phone had me jumping slightly in my seat, my heart taking on an irregular beat. I looked down at the next text message:“You forgot about me, didn't you? Even went into hiding cause your apartment has been empty all this while.”My hand flew to my chest as I pressed down it with my palm, my breathing quickened slightly in line with my pulse picking up pace as well.“Are you not getting down?” Eric's voice jolted me back to the present as my wide gaze shifted to where he stood, holding the