TWENTY THIRTY

Micheal’s POV

I paced back and forth in my room, my mind racing with thoughts of Ruth. Where IS she? Hope she is safe?

I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that had been eating away at me since I agreed to Cynthia's terms. I knew I had made a mistake, but I didn't know how to fix it.

I thought about the look on Ruth's face when she realized I had betrayed her. The hurt, the anger, the disappointment. It was etched in my memory forever.

I knew I had to find her, to make things right. But where did I even start?

As I walked out of my room, I ran into Gabriel. "Michael, I've been looking for you," he said, his expression serious.

"What is it?" I asked, my heart racing with anticipation.

"We've received a message from Marcus," Gabriel said, his voice low. "He wants to meet with you. Alone."

My heart skipped a beat. What did Marcus want?

But I knew I had to go. For Ruth's sake, I had to know what was going on.

"Where is he?" I asked, my mind racing with possibilities.

"He's waiting fo