“Attention class!” The teacher shouts. All the students are lined up in front of the school, ready for their field trip. It’s only an overnight stay at a forest on the outskirts of the city and everyone is excited. They’re all packed and ready to have fun at the camp, excitedly chatting among themselves.The teacher finally manages to catch their attention.“Listen up!” He says. “There are gonna be activities at the camp. All of you are requested to find your own partners and start planning. You’ll be spending time collecting resources, cooking, doing the dishes, and any other chore in the camp. We’ll be wandering deep into the woods so keep your compass and maps at hand.”The students begin to murmur and disperse to find a partner. Troy scans the crowd, looking for Kat. He hasn’t seen her earlier during the attendance call and he’s a bit worried. She promised she’ll be here…“Yo!”He turns around to find Kat’s bright face. She’s wearing a casual gray t-shirt and a pair of comfortable
Elle is shifting in her seat. She picks up a tissue from the table and dabs her eye. Sitting across her is a sharp eyed woman in her forties with bright blonde hair and horn rimmed glasses. They’re at a cafe uptown and are seated at a private parlor within. The woman’s name is Alexandra Knowles, one of the most ruthless journalists in the country. With a reputation to fish out gossip from almost anything, Alexandra is feared among the elites. If there isn’t any story, she’ll make one up but she must always get the latest gossip.She’s now interested in Elle’s story. That morning, she received a call from Elle Swanson and it is the scoop she needs. Elle has taken pictures of the scars on her body and also showed screenshots of some very interesting messages.“Are you sure?” Alexandra asks in glee. “Hector is having an affair?”“I’m positive!” Elle claims. “I think it’s my sister, Scarlett. She’s after him again. She’s sending him texts from a different number but I can recognize her t
The guests are slowly entering the lavish hotel lobby, awestruck by the grandeur of it all. Their host, Mr. Karwoski truly went out of his way to make it a night to remember. Silver glass walls are adorning the walls of the lobby while a large ombre chandelier is illuminating the entire area.Everywhere one looks, they’re dazzled by the atmosphere. Prominent celebrities and businessmen are chatting casually, some smoking in a corner while others are at a gambling table, playing cards. Servers dressed in black and white uniforms are smoothly walking around, offering quiches and drinks to the esteemed guests.Among them is Hector, who’s patiently waiting with a drink in his hand. If all goes well, he and Scarlett will unite that night. His investors already own a majority of the shares of Hawkins Group. Even Ryder won’t be able to fight them off.A Maybach stops in front of the hotel and Scarlett steps out of it. She’s wearing a backless sequin dress with vibrant shades of red and scarl
The hotel is buzzed with guests and the employees are all busy working. They’re sliding in and out of the staff corner, catering to the guests. Several servers are lined up and are waiting to serve.They’re all so busy, that they don’t notice one server is slowly inching toward the backdoor. He casually puts the tray away and walks along a corridor. Many of the servers are rushing past and he greets a few of them with a smile.“Guests at hall number four want shrimps!” He exclaims to one server. “Go go go!”“They ran out of drinks at hall five,” he tells another server. “Refill ASAP!”The other servers don’t think much nor do the employees. They reply with thanks and are so busy that they don’t notice that this particular server is not one of them.He struts along the corridor and once he’s out of sight, he takes out a card and punches it in front of a door’s scanner. The door slides open and he enters the back staircase which is strictly for the staff.“Boy, my sister sure knows how
The camp is alive with the chatter of the students who are happily enjoying their day off. All the students have been assigned an activity to ensure the feast at night will be a delicious one. Some are collecting wood for the fire while others are on kitchen duty.Kat is busy peeling potatoes. Her hair is tied up with a pink scrunchie and she’s busy with her work when a shadow falls on her. She looks up to find Troy.“Troy?” She asks. “What’s up?”“I want to talk to you,” he abruptly says.“I can’t, I have to peel-”Troy doesn’t wait and grabs her arm. Kat protests but he drags her away from everyone. Some of the students are giving her a jealous look because she’s attracting the most popular boy in the school towards her, but Kat is affronted by his behavior.“What’s the matter with you?” She exclaims when he releases her. They’re near the edge of the forest. There are several cages nearby which are housing guard dogs.“What is the matter with you?” Troy retorts. “Why are you doing t
Ryder picks up the phone in one ring.“Ryder!” Kat gasps. “Thank god you answered!”“What’s going on?”Kat quickly tells him that Troy confessed his feelings to her. Ryder listens to it all, his mood becoming grim.“Sis,” he begins. “You know the consequences of his feelings for you, right? Vincent Hawkins will not stay still. He’ll try to dig out information about you and if he discovers about our deceit, the first person he’ll target is you.”It’s the truth. Kat is an expert hacker and developer. If Vincent tries to bring them down, then Kat will be a major obstacle in his way. Not only is she skilled but she’s also Ryder’s sister. It puts her in a precarious situation indeed.“I have to keep up the ruse!” Kat claims. “Troy is a witness to Isabella’s murder. He knows who did it. If I can just make him talk!”She’s finding herself cornered. Now that Troy has confessed, her own feelings for him are complicating the plan. She wants to ask him about Isabella but if she does that, he’ll
*A while ago*The other students are chattering all around her, busy with their tasks. Kat’s senses are on alert as she scans the area. There are thick trees all around them, surrounding them with dark shadows with only the light from the firewoods illuminating everything. The students are having fun roasting marshmallows or eating the feast which they cooked.“Hey Kat, can you help me clean these dishes?”Kat looks up to find one of her classmates, Janine, standing there. She’s holding a pile of dirty dishes and is sweating a bit.“Sure!” Kat exclaims and hurries to help her.“These people sure can eat a lot!” Janine laughs. “So many dirty plates!”“Well, we did work hard to prepare it,” Kat remarks. She’s still keeping an eye out for any signs of the stalkers.“I just wanna get this over with,” Janine says. “Mira and I have many plans for tonight! She was talking about going to the river for a midnight dip but I’m not so sure about it.”“Why?” Kat asks.“I’m kinda scared,” Janine si
Kat remains still as she’s carried by one of the kidnappers. By the sounds of the footsteps, she deduces that there are two men. Are they Hector’s cronies?“The boss told us to take her to him, alive,” one of the men says. “We’ll set off for the city in a while.”“Won’t they realize that she’s missing?” the one carrying Kat asks. “They’ll search for her.”“Don’t worry. The students are busy cooking, cleaning or whatever the hell they’re doing!” He spits on the ground, scoffing. “They’ll be too late in noticing that she’s missing.”“What do we do with her?” his partner asks. “She’ll wake up soon.”“She’s young and pretty,” the other one leers. “We can have some fun with her…”“But the boss said-”“I know what he said! But he didn’t say anything about not having our own fun with this gal. Just look at her. She’s gonna be our bed warmer for tonight.”Kat memorizes their voices in her head. The one carrying her has a soft and calm tone while the other one has a gruff voice. It seems that
*Three years later*Ryder is in the study, intently reading the books sprawling in front of him. He’s completely absorbed in them, memorizing every bit of detail.“Feed the baby every two to three hours,” he murmurs. “Change diapers after four to six hours. Where’s the part on how to help with digestion?”Ever since Scarlett announced her pregnancy, Ryder has been extremely cautious of her every need. Whether it’s at day or night, he’s ready to get her anything, do anything she wants. She has the strangest cravings especially at night so Ryder stocked the fridge with everything she might want. From pineapples dipped in tabasco sauce to even bananas on pizzas, there isn’t anything he left out.“Ryder!” Scarlett’s voice comes from their bedroom. Instantly, he drops the books and runs to help her.“What is it?” He asks. “Is it ice cream? Or do you want strawberries with mustard again?”Scarlett blinks at him in surprise before bursting into laughter. “I just wanted to ask which color do
A soft breeze is flowing by, making the colorful flowers sway like delicate ballerinas. The vast garden has been set up with several mahogany benches. Every bit of the garden has been neatly trimmed and roses of all colors have been planted along the entrances to add a natural sophistication.The entrance is made of an arch with green leaves and twigs elegantly entangled together. A scent of fresh flowers and soil is enchanting the guests who have arrived. The groomsmen are busy showing the guests to their seats. They didn’t invite a lot of people but a large chunk of the guests are Ryder and Scarlett’s old friend who are indebted to the couple for their inherent kindness.In the midst of the picturesque garden is a breathtaking altar crafted with scarlet and vermillion flowers of all kinds. Set against the vibrant sunset, the arch is softly glittering in the multicolor hues as it stands on sturdy pillars. The flowers are soft, yet fiery, blooming vibrantly like flames. The gentle bre
*One month later*Everyone is tense. Scarlett is standing still while Kat keeps on rubbing her back to reassure her that it will be fine. Troy is there as well along with Jim and Jeremy who are equally worried. Sitting on a wheelchair is Miranda, who’s weak but hopeful. They’re all standing outside a room, separated by a glass window. On the other side are Ronan and a pair of nurses with Ryder. Ryder is sitting still on a bed, his eyes still covered with bandages. His heart is racing and he’s taking several deep breaths. Ronan slowly undoes the bandages to reveal Ryder’s closed eyes.“When I count to three, slowly open your eyes,” he instructs. “Very slowly, alright? Don’t get too excited.”“Got it.”“1…2…3…”Ryder slowly starts to open his eyes. Scarlett holds her breath, her heart still. Every second feels long and torturous as she watches Ryder opening his eyes until finally, they’re fully open. For a moment, no one speaks. Ryder is simply staring into space, not saying anything.
Ryder is rushed to the hospital, his eyes still bleeding. Scarlett, Troy, and Jim are pale faced as Ronan takes a look at Ryder’s state.“His eyes won’t even last a month!” Ronan tells them. “He has been under too much stress. We must operate on him, but there’s no donor-”“There is!” Scarlett declares. Everyone stares at her in shock when she points at Elle’s corpse which is lying on another bed.“Her blood type was B negative and she died just today,” Scarlett goes on. “I’m sure she can donate.”Ronan, Troy, and Jim are astonished. Did Scarlett plan all this by herself?“We’ll need permission from her family-” Ronan begins but Scarlett is already prepared. She takes out a permission form for organ donation.“I’ve already signed it,” she states. “As her only family member, I give you the full authority to donate all her workable organs. Now, give her eyes to my husband. Now!”…He tries to move his eyelids but the agonizing pain is weakening him. There are muffled sounds around him,
Elle cries in agony as Vincent’s men beat her up. Scarlett is kept in a corner, bloody but untouched. Vincent knows that as long as Ryder has the evidence against him, he can’t hurt Scarlett, but Elle is a different issue.“Please!” Elle begs. “I-I swear I’m pregnant-”A guard kicks her so hard that her rib cracks. Vincent holds up his hand and the guards stop beating her. They’re in a soundproof room which doesn’t let any sound escape nor come in. This is a special room designed for his hostages and Vincent loves to torment them here.“That last baby,” he sneers at her. “Was it also a sham?”“I…” Elle has no words. Vincent takes out another document which has pictures of Elle and the bald man together in bed. She squirms at the sight of them.“It was his, wasn’t it?” Vincent shouts at her.Elle only whimpers in pain. “I loved Hector!” She lies. “I-”“You had that man kidnap me so that you could have Ryder to yourself,” Scarlett speaks up. Vincent turns to her.“What did you just say?
The vans stop at the bottom of the hill and everyone starts to climb on foot. They’re all wearing green and brown jackets to camouflage themselves. The men have split into two groups: one is being led by Ryder and Troy while Jim is infiltrating the hill from the other side. They slowly crawl to the top until they spot a heavily fortified gate which has electrified barbed wires on top. A pair of armed guards are standing at the front while there might be more at other entry points. Ryder motions Troy and his men to wait while he goes around the building.He quietly crawls in the bushes, keeping an eye on the gates from afar. The stream seems to be leading to another entry point where there are a few guards who are carrying food and supplies inside. Ryder waits and observes them to memorize their movements. There are around four guards out of which two are carrying the boxes while the other two are keeping an eye on the surroundings. There are CCTV cameras around the building too.Ryde
Scarlett slowly opens her eyes. Everything is blurry and her head is heavy. The left part of her neck is throbbing hard. She winces as she lifts her neck up to take in her surroundings.The place she’s in is windowless with only one door at a corner. The walls are of a pasty yellow color, the paint peeling off in many places. She can hear the faint sound of water running somewhere and she can sniff the scent of wet petrichor in the air.A hill, she deduces. She must be somewhere near a hill which has a waterbody. Scarlett looks down and is relieved. They took off her jacket but she still has her shirt on. The button Kat gave her is still stitched on it.The door opens and a thin figure walks in to gloat at her.“You!” Scarlett barks at Elle. Elle merely smirks.“Hello, sis,” she grins. “Long time, huh?”Scarlett only glares at her in fury. The sight of Elle’s happy face makes her want to throw up. Seeing this woman gloating is making her skin crawl.“You’re really now out in the open,
Elle pulls out a large garbage trolley and with great difficulty, shoves Scarlett into it. She’s already wearing the garbs of a cleaning lady and covers Scarlett’s unconscious form with several bags. She puts on a mask and slowly pushes the trolley out.A guard is indeed standing there. He spots the cleaner coming out of the toilet and is about to approach her but he’s blocked by a group of men who are coming out of the men’s toilet, chatting loudly. Taking her chance, Elle pushes the trolley, walking far away. The guard doesn’t follow her, distracted once again when his phone rings.Elle pushes the trolley outside the restaurant and keeps on pushing it until she reaches an alley. Sliding the trolley into the alley, she quickly pushes it till she reaches a black van. Several men come out of it and they take out Scarlett’s body and shove her into the back of the van.“Let’s take her to Vincent’s hideout,” Elle instructs. “Ryder and his men will swarm the place soon.”“Yes ma’am!”She g
*A Few hours ago*The car is slowly backing out of the mansion. Scarlett’s eyes are fixed on it, her feelings mixed between dread and a strange happiness. She’s dreading that she may never see her home again while she’s also happy because she can return Ryder his life back.How many years has he been suffering like this? It pains her heart to see him hide his pain. He smiles to mask the torment he’s suffering inside, his love for his family greater than any desire for vengeance. It’s ironic, she ruefully thinks. There was a time when she was fixated on vengeance. All she wanted was to destroy the Hawkins family and wipe them off the earth. Her longing for revenge would have blinded her if Ryder hadn’t entered her life. The freedom she seeked was in front of her all along.Yes, she feels free when she’s with him. He makes her heart beat like crazy and eases her mind. Every moment with him is filled with happiness and despite the dangers which loomed around them, for the first time in