The evening air in the small cabin feels tense as Jayden paces the room. Joe sits on the worn-out couch, his arms folded, watching the detective with narrowed eyes. Bella, still recovering, leans against the armrest of the couch, her gaze fixed on Jayden with a mix of curiosity and unease. Mr. Jonathan stands near the window, pretending to be engrossed in the scenery outside, but his stiff posture gives away his discomfort.Jayden’s phone vibrates on the table, breaking the silence. He glances at the screen, and his face tightens when he sees the caller ID.“It’s…it’s him,” Jayden mutters under his breath, stopping in his tracks.Joe straightens, his sharp gaze pinning Jayden. “Who?”“Your father,” Jayden replies, his voice low but strained.Bella perks up at that, her brows furrowing. “Dad?” she asks, her voice soft, tinged with a mixture of longing and pain.Jayden hesitates, his thumb hovering over the screen. The room feels heavier now, the weight of the moment pressing on everyon
I am trembling mess, the fear crawling up my spine like ice. I can feel Joe’s arms around me, his warmth grounding me, but it doesn’t stop the storm inside. His hands press gently against my back, his touch soft, trying to soothe me, but I can’t shake the overwhelming panic that’s tearing through me.Mr. Jonathan is standing beside us, his face lined with concern, his voice low and calm. “Bella, take a deep breath. You have to calm down, okay? We need you strong right now.”I try, I really do. But it’s impossible. My chest feels tight, my breaths shallow. My heart is beating too fast. I can hear the faint sounds of Jayden outside, making another call, his voice muffled, but it does nothing to settle my nerves. I need him to come back and tell us everything will be okay, that we’ll be fine, that our families will be fine. But deep down, I know it’s not that simple.I pull away from Joe, my hands pressing against my temples as my mind races. “I need to go home,” I whisper, my voice crac
THIRD PERSON’S POVJanie’s fists tremble as she stands in the middle of her living room, her mind swirling in a chaotic storm of fury. She’s so angry she can’t think straight. The rage bubbles up in her chest, hot and suffocating. Her breaths come in short, jagged bursts as she glares at the remains of the glass objects shattered across the floor. The room feels smaller, more suffocating with each passing moment.She picks up a delicate vase, her hands shaking with tension, and hurls it at the wall. The crash is loud, satisfying. A few shards of glass skitter across the floor, but Janie doesn’t care. She’s beyond caring. She’s consumed by the madness, by the sheer frustration of it all.“Damn it!” she spits, her voice hoarse, her throat raw with emotion. Her chest heaves as she pants through the anger that’s threatening to overwhelm her. “Damn them. Damn all of them.”Her hands are shaking, her body trembling, and she can’t tell if it’s the alcohol from earlier or just the anger consu
THIRD PERSON’S POVLeon and Rina sat in the lavish living room, glasses of champagne in hand, their laughter echoing off the walls of the grand house. The celebration felt as if it could go on forever, as though every single obstacle they had faced had been swept away by their latest move. The feeling of victory was intoxicating. It tasted sweeter than any drink could, especially now that the battle was over and they were standing at the top, looking down on everything they had fought for."You know," Leon said, a smug grin spreading across his face, "I think I’ve finally won, Rina. This is it. I’ve got everything I need now."He took a sip from his glass, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. There was a confidence in his posture, a weightlessness to his movements. He had pulled it off, and there was no turning back now.Rina smiled, but the expression on her face was more complex. She leaned back into the couch, eyes drifting over the sleek, stylish room. It was all hers now—the house, t
Leon stared at the woman across the room, his gaze narrowing as he tried to make sense of who she was. Her presence was unsettling, almost as if she had stepped out of the shadows, carrying an energy that filled the room with tension. And then it hit him—Janie.His heart skipped a beat. Janie, the woman who had been obsessed with Joe Fredrick Montana, had appeared at their door, uninvited and demanding attention. Leon had heard of her before—her fixation on Joe, her calculated actions, and her involvement in all the chaos that had followed. He hadn’t expected to see her here, but now that she was in front of him, he couldn't deny the impact she had on the atmosphere.She seemed so different now, though. There was a confidence in her steps, an assuredness in her voice, that Leon hadn't noticed before. The wide-eyed desperation he had imagined was nowhere to be found. This woman was someone entirely new, someone who had played a part in the shadows but now stood before him, claiming own
Leon remained standing in the center of the room, his fists still clenched. The silence that followed Janie’s abrupt departure felt heavy, as if the air had thickened with the weight of the words they had exchanged. Rina’s anxious gaze flickered between Leon and the door, waiting for him to say something, anything. But he remained still, his mind racing."Leon…" Rina’s voice was soft, tentative. "Do you really think she will honor this deal? What if she tries something else?"Leon finally broke his silence, though his voice was low, a mix of irritation and contemplation. "I don’t trust her. I never have. But she’s got leverage now, and if I don’t play along, I risk losing everything." His eyes narrowed as he stared at the door, as if he could will Janie’s presence out of his mind. "I’ll give her what she wants for now, but she’s playing a dangerous game. She’s going to regret it."Rina’s lips pressed into a tight line. She had never liked Janie, and hearing her demand a share of Leon’
BELLA’S POVI lie on the warm stone, feeling the sun soaking into my skin. The heat comforts me for a moment, and I close my eyes, hoping the peace of the world around me will somehow ease the storm inside. But it doesn't. It never does.My thoughts are a whirlwind, spinning in every direction. I want to go home. I need to see my father, to make sure he’s okay. I need to be with Katherine, to help her through this endless grief. I hate being out here, alone in this cave, while they suffer back home.Katherine, my mother... I can still see her face when she heard the news. The horrible, heart-wrenching news. I know she’s barely holding it together, and my father... I think he’s just as lost. He’s always been the strong one, but now I wonder how much more he can take.I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be hiding out in some cave when my family needs me. But... it’s complicated. More complicated than I could ever explain. Joe... Joe is my brother, my stepbrother, but the feelings I have fo
JOE’S POVI am alone in the cave, the fire crackling nearby as the meat roasts over it. The smell is comforting, filling the space with a warm, rich aroma that makes my stomach growl. But even that can’t calm the knot of anxiety that twists in my chest. I’m restless, not able to focus on anything other than the chaos swirling inside me. I can feel Bella’s absence like a weight, like I’m incomplete without her near me.I’m lost in thoughts of her when I hear footsteps approaching, light but steady. I look up to see Jayden stepping into the cave. He’s holding something in his hands—some tools, probably to help with the fire. I don’t respond to him, just turn back to the meat, poking at it with a stick. There’s something about him that I can’t shake, a sense of quiet tension that’s been there ever since we met.Jayden stands there for a moment, and then, without waiting for permission, he moves closer to the fire. He sets his things down and begins adjusting the meat on the spit. His voi
"Not yet, Bella," I turn to Daniel as he speaks. Wait, the last I checked, he was in prison. When and how did he get out? "Your guy here had everything lined up for this grand ending!"Huh?I turn to Joe. "What is he talking about?"Joe takes some papers from his jacket and hands them to me. I take them, and I see Leon's name printed at the top.The only thing I get from the first few lines of the first page states that I will be the sole owner of B&L company from now on. With all the trust I have for Joe, I don't need to keep reading. Whatever he does, he always has my best interests at heart. And it seems he had well prepared for this ending more than I did. This is indeed a good closure. Soon, somehow, I will thank him dearly for all this.I throw the papers at Leon's face. "Sign them," I order, throwing the papers in front of him."What...what are these papers for? There is no way I am signing something without knowing what it is for. Besides, I need my lawyer to go through them f
I nod, my eyes not leaving Leon's as I slap the truth that he has hidden so well. "Yes. His real name is Desmond Erasto! Brother to Officer Jayden.""Officer Jayden?" Three voices chorus together, and if there is one person who is about to pee on his pants upon hearing of that name, it is this fool."Yes!" I affirm, making sure my next words drill straight to Leon. "Thanks to you, Leon or Desmond or whatever your fucking name is. Your brother is now a police officer, and guess why he became one? To seek justice for his beautiful mother, whom you killed!""Shut the fuck up!"Ooh, the jerk has the energy, the roar, huh? He looks like he would slit my throat with his claws right this second if he could. Truth indeed really hurts, right? He has hidden behind this mask for years; he has carried the guilt for years, yet he cannot face the truth."Killed? You mean the attempt on our lives was not the first murder he had attempted? He had killed before?" Joe can't believe what is happening."
The car stops in front of the strange abandoned building after a long, silent twenty-minute drive. I glance at Joe's wristwatch-it reads a quarter to midnight. The place is eerily quiet, as if no living soul has been near this mansion in decades. Or maybe ever. There is nothing else around. Just this massive, eerie structure staring back at us like it has secrets to hide. Or maybe it indeed has, if otherwise, why are we here in the middle of the night? Why did he decide to bring me here instead of taking me back to the house where I am urgently needed?"Where are we? What are we doing here?" I ask, my voice low and cautious. The silence of the place feels suffocating, like even the air is afraid to move.Joe does not answer. He does not even look at me. His eyes remain locked on the tall, shadowy building ahead. His eyes not flickering even once."What is inside that house?" I whisper again, my heart thudding harder with each second he stays quiet."Let's find out," he says, his voice
The drive has been deadly silent. The night feels as if it is closing in on me. Joe does not look happy with me at all, or at least, he is not okay. He had been avoiding looking my way ever since we got into this car half an hour ago. I want to talk to him so badly because I understand that I fucked up by leaving him in the dark and following my crazy ideas. And I know that hurt him so badly. That was his ego that I touched by trusting Jayden over him.I was about to speak when my phone buzzed on my lap, and I grabbed it fast, checking the message.It is from Jayden. 'I now accept that I will never have a place in your heart. It hurts, but I have to accept it. Thank you for the time that I spent with you. I will never forget that because they are worth keeping. You were right. It is best if we go our separate ways. I may have lost you, but I still have that one drive-justice for my mother. That will keep me going. Good luck to whoever gets to our target first!!!' Yours, Jayden.Shit!
“I thought she was totally disconnected from us. I am glad that she is still with us,” Joe says, a small smile playing on his lips.This feels so overwhelming! We have a new hope, and this can never feel any good. As if pulled by a certain force, I move closer, sealing the gap between us, and I reach for his lips, kissing him gently, a kiss of assurance. He does not waste time but captures my lips, returning the kiss with the same gentleness and passion.Jayden clears his throat from behind me, reminding us that we are not in our own world as we thought. Unwillingly, we break the kiss, and we take a moment to just admire each other, again, forgetting that there is someone else in the room.“We should start heading home. We don’t know when Father will be awake,” Joe says, and I nod my head.“Well, excuse me, here!” Jayden speaks, making us turn to him. He looks pissed, and his looks speak of disapproval.“Mr. Man, what is she now, huh? Something you can control the way you want? Are yo
I take a shaky breath, the weight of the room pressing down on me like a storm ready to explode. My eyes dart between Joe and Jayden, their standoff pulling me into a whirlpool of confusion and dread. Every nerve in my body feels raw, screaming with fear. Things never end well whenever these two clash. I hid from Joe and ran off with Jayden, and I could see the anger and suspicion in Joe’s eyes, which made today’s encounter feel even worse.Joe’s eyes burn into mine, searching for answers I can’t give him right now. His presence feels overwhelming, his possessiveness like chains tightening around me. Jayden stands tall, his calm demeanor barely masking the fire beneath. He has always been the rational one, the protector, but now he is as much a threat to my fragile sanity as Joe is.“Joe,” I finally manage to whisper, my voice trembling. “What are you doing here? How did you…”“How did I find you two?” He cuts me off, his voice calm but harsh. “Of all the things you could do, Bella, y
I pace back and forth in the room, my fists clenched tight at my sides. My mind feels like it is spinning, and actually, it is indeed spinning badly. On one hand, I want to at least grant Jayden this one wish. After everything he has done for me, he deserves it. But how can it deny me the one thing that I can’t let go? Why did he have to ask only for this of all the things? Well, of course, with the exception of loving him. I would have really loved to grant him even just this one wish.But I can’t!My heart is burning crimson with the wrath I feel for that jerk. My desire to seek revenge for what that moron did to me is unquenchable and unstoppable. That is why I had to even run away from my father just so I could achieve this. How can I just drop it like that?“You and I know that Leon is not alone in this, Bella,” Jayden starts again, standing so close to me, his voice soft. “He has people, and you also mentioned that some of the people have other motives to want to hurt you. You c
Jayden’s gaze locks onto mine, and I see something in his eyes that chills me to the bone. His grip on my hand tightens, so hard that it is almost painful. “Because, Bella,” he says, his voice grave, “Desmond Erasto is Leon.”Time seems to stop. The name echoes in my mind, but it doesn’t connect. “What?” I say, my voice barely audible.“Leon,” Jayden repeats. “The man who has caused you so much pain, who took everything from you. The man that you are after is the same man that I have been chasing since I became a police officer.”“No,” I whisper, shaking my head. “That’s not possible. That can’t be true.”“I didn’t know at first either,” Jayden admits. “He has changed his name, his appearance, everything. But the pieces began to fit when I started looking into him after everything he has done to you. The way he operates, his greed, his hunger for power—and on the day that I was attacked in the forest, he was among his goons. We had a gun exchange encounter. I bruised him so close with
The silence stretches to eternity, cutting through the space between us. Jayden looks lost, as if his mind has been triggered. He looks like there is a very painful episode playing in his mind, causing me to walk closer.“Jayden?” I call, but instead of looking at me, he shuts his eyes, pain evident. But pain over what? I just asked a question about this seemingly new character of interest in this story.Why is he triggered like this?“Talk to me, Jayden, please. Who is Desmond Erasto, and what do I have to do with him?” I ask, still sinking into confusion.I lift my head, my heart already pounding. The recent situations have taught me to brace myself for the worst lately, but nothing could prepare me for what he says next.“Desmond Erasto... he is my brother. My long-lost wicked brother!”I blink at him, the words not making sense. Actually, I am drawn into more confusion here. He has a brother? “Your brother?”Jayden nods slowly, his eyes clouded with memories. He pulls up two chair