Anna's POVTears streamed down my face as I reflected on the difficult choices I had to make. At that moment, I wished I was back with my ex-fiance Luke. Even though he never gave me a chance to explain myself, things would have been easier with him.Since I left Brigdon and started a new life in Delroy, we hadn’t communicated at all. It was probably for the best, it was easier to let go of him that way, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Despite my curiosity, I'd never searched for him in the years we'd been apart. I didn't know anything about his life now, and the truth was, I didn't want to.The thought that he might be living his best life, and might have moved on with someone new was just so devastating. It would only hurt to see him happy knowing my life was shit.However, sometime last year, my curiosity got the best of me. I knew what I did to him was wrong, but I didn't even recognize myself or my thoughts that night. Somewhere deep down, I still wished he'd reach out to m
Mark"What are you doing here?" Anna asked, staring at me in shock."Shhh,” I quickly placed my finger on her lips, cutting her off. A few meters away, I could hear leaves rustling and knew those men were still around."I need you to remain quiet or we'll both be found," I whispered, staring directly into her eyes.After a short while, I peered over her shoulders, scanning the park to ensure those men were no longer in view. As I listened closely, this time, the park was quiet, and after a while, I was convinced there was nobody around.She was still staring at me in confusion when I shifted my gaze back to her."What are you doing alone in the park by this hour?" I demanded. "And who were those men?"Anna pushed me back, her eyes flashing with defiance. “I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing here?"For a girl who seemed timid, she now appeared quite fearless. I had to be cautious; I couldn't let her know I had been stalking her, especially not when she was being this fei
MarkMy hands were shaking as I pressed the ceramic tile on the bathroom sink. I breathed in and out deeply, trying to control my emotions.My mind was still fixated on what happened at the park. However, it wasn't Anna's refusal of my help that frustrated me now, although it annoyed me that she was being so difficult even when I was only trying to help.Shortly after Eric dropped me off at the mansion, I received a message from my father, Jonathan Grayson, reminding me of the annual Grayson family meeting.I'd almost forgotten it was today. I never liked these meetings. We weren't like your typical family.My family was very competitive, and these annual family events were more of a reminder that despite my accomplishments with the family business, my father was still not satisfied with them. With the board members on my neck about stepping down as the CEO of the company, I could already imagine how today would go.I closed my eyes tightly, trying to focus my thoughts. I needed to ta
MarkEveryone turned to look at her. My father’s face twisted with confusion and irritation."Who is this?" Zach asked, staring at Anna in confusion. “What are you doing here?” I asked, equally shocked. Brenda, who was sitting next to me laughed lightly and commented, "That'll be Anna, Mark's new plaything and I believe the reason he's decided not to marry Mia anymore."I shot her a glare. I never intended to marry Mia, she was just something to get my parents off my back about marriage."What is she talking about?" My father asked in a somewhat uninterested way.Anna scanned the room, looking very uncomfortable, then shifted her gaze back to me, "I'm sorry Mr. Grayson, I didn't know you were with guests," she spoke hurriedly, bowed, and turned to leave the room."Hold on dear," my mother called just before she walked out. Anna froze in her steps.I could see she was anxious and for a reason. Though, she had not met my family before, anyone would be easily intimidated by them."You'
Mark"Yes, I remember now. I saw you sneak into my room right after I left yesterday. I assumed you were there to clean it, but that's not why you went in there, was it? You were waiting for me to leave so you could steal the necklace""I didn't do it" Anna, her voice breaking."If you're so sure of yourself, then you'd let us search you. What's the fuss about darling?",Anna wiped her face and looked at Brenda intently, "Ms. Grayson, I promise, I know nothing about Ms. Ryan's necklace."Brenda held her stomach with a gasp and laughed, "It's always funny how they act so innocent when they know they're caught,"Soon, my family began to whisper amongst themselves. Although I didn't know Anna too well, I doubted she could have stolen the necklace.Brenda clapped her hands and started approaching her, her words sharp and accusatory.Seeing this, I immediately stood up and rushed towards her, stopping her in her tracks just before she reached Anna. I couldn't stand it any longer, I hated t
Mark"Sorry, would you all excuse me," I said, looking serene on the outside, but on the inside, I was seething. I knew my family was crazy, but I didn't think they'd push this so far. And then there was Jonathan. I mean why the hell did he even make me CEO if, at any given opportunity, he tried to remove me from office?"Where are you going?" My mother, Margaret asked curiously."I have some urgent business to attend to," I said, standing up and heading towards Anna."We need to talk. Come with me," I said, grabbing her hand."Don't forget, The Browns have invited us to their formal dinner tonight. We expect you to be there," Margaret added."Of course, Mom," I replied with a warm smile.Outside the dining hall, Anna shook her hand free, staring daggers at me,"Mr. Grayson, I didn't do it. I didn't steal her necklace," she said in desperation."I know Anna, that's not what I want to talk about," I replied briskly, walking down the hall."I need to show you something."I noticed she w
AnnaI felt a bit closer to Mark when he told me about Laura. I knew what it felt like to lose someone you loved. Even though our conditions were different, I felt he somehow had it easier. It was more painful knowing Luke, my boyfriend of nine years was somewhere out there, living his best life with my conniving adoptive sister, Sarah. Did he even try to find me?"Who are these people, Anna, and why have you been looking for them?", Mark asked curiously.I hesitated for a while, contemplating telling him. I found it unlikely that Mark could be one of The Circle, but the hooded man had instructed me not to trust anyone.I heaved a tired sigh and turned towards him, "I don't know much about them, but they have something I'm looking for. It is why I came to this city, and that man at the park is my only way of finding out who they are or what they want with me."Mark arched his brows curiously and adjusted his tie, "What are you looking for Anna?",I sensed there was an ulterior motive
Anna "Wow, you're beautiful," Mark uttered from a distance, his gaze fixed with admiration. A flush of embarrassment rushed my cheeks at his comment as I quickly cleared my throat, trying and failing to mask my cheeks turning red. I watched him as he moved with excitement towards me, his lips parted into a smile. He was dressed in a bespoke black suit, his toned body hugging firmly onto his muscles, the soft evening breeze ruffled his somewhat messy hair which caused me to bite my bottom lips as my eyes scanned his figure. Mark was far too breathtaking, and at that moment, I felt the urge to have him slam me against a wall and take me roughly. I didn't understand the rush of emotions he brought over me. I wasn't the bad girl type, and yet everything about him wanted to make me submit on my knees. 'Get yourself together Anna,' I scolded myself, quickly averting my gaze, trying to look anywhere but at him. I was anxious when he chose me to attend the party with him, afraid Mia wo
The day of reckoning had arrived. In a few minutes now, Anna and her troop will be taking Edgar and his men by surprise. The stage had been set with everyone working together to end Edgar’s tyranny.Under the cover of the night, Anna, Mark, Jack, and their allies positioned themselves near Edgar’s main hideout. Zach had fed them crucial information about the hideout's layout and where Edgar and George would likely be during the operation. Armed and ready, they moved swiftly, slipping through shadows and avoiding detection.As they closed in, Anna felt a mix of fear and exhilaration. She knew this confrontation would determine everything—her role in The Circle, her fate, and Mark’s future with his family. She glanced at him, catching his gaze, and a silent understanding passed between them. Finally, they reached the inner sanctum, silently taking down Edgar’s security guards, until they reached where Edgar and George were having a conversation. The two men looked surprised but quickly
As Mark prepared to find his brother, Zach, he couldn’t help but feel a mixture of fear and hope. Although he had agreed to work with Anna, he wasn’t convinced she understood just how deep the roots of The Circle ran or how much any of this had affected him. However, seeing how resolved she was to take down Edgar had swayed him, and he knew that, for his brother’s sake, he had to give her plan a chance.Meanwhile, after Anna walked out of the room, she now decided to contact Jack. As soon as he picked up, she explained her suspicions about The Circle and how their influence might reach farther than even she had initially thought, informing him that she needed him now more than ever. A few hours passed and Mark arrived at a small, dimly lit bar where Zach was known to spend his evenings. Immediately he walked in, he spotted Zach sitting at the far end of the bar, looking troubled. Mark approached him slowly, and as soon as he sat down, he placed a firm hand on his brother's shoulder.
Author’s POV“So you’re telling me that you are not just a part of an evil organization that has been around for years, but you are also the head?” Mark asked, staring at Anna in disbelief. “I know this is difficult to process, but it is the truth. But we are not all like Edgar.” Anna said.“Right…” Mark scoffed.“No, I mean it. We don’t all want the same thing. The Circle has been in operation for years, working to maintain the balance and smooth operation of the surface world. Edgar and his associates are the only ones with the ideals that things need to change, and that for some reason they are the ones to affect that change. That’s why we are fighting them. We are trying to retain order and balance in this world.”“And how do you do that, huh?”“Tell me, Anna, does it involve letting the people up here decide for their lives or does your organization plan out the course of their lives?” Mark asked with a pruning look.“I don’t know about that, I’ve not been a member for long.” A
Author’s POV“What?” Mark recoiled in shock.“Who could have done that?” Anna hesitated for some moments, afraid of how he would take the news. “Tell me, Anna.” He demanded.“Zach!” Anna blurted. “Your brother Zach did.”Mark staggered for some time, trying to process what I had just said. “Are you serious?” He asked, still in disbelief.“I am,” Anna said softly. Mark remained frozen in place for some time, deep in contemplation. I could imagine how difficult this was for him to hear. Zach was a lot and had caused a lot of problems, but at the end of the day, he was still his brother. “I can’t believe this,” Mark muttered and immediately started searching through his drawers.“What are you doing?” Anna asked, to no reply.“What are you doing Mark?” She asked again. “What does it look like I’m doing?” Mark snapped irritably.“I’m going down to have a conversation with my brother and give him the chance to explain how he almost got me killed.” He raged and grabbed his car key.Ann
Author’s POVThose words filled Anna with a sudden dread. She hoped that somehow Mark would not ask her that because she still wasn’t sure who the father of her children truly was. There was that stranger from that night, and then there was Luke. For all she knows, it could have been either of them.Seeing how hesitant she was, Mark asked again,“Is the father still in the picture Anna? What happened with him?” At that point, Anna quickly turned around, “He’s not in the picture and that’s all that I can say. I don’t really like to talk about him.” She said, her heart beating out of her chest.Much to her surprise, Mark did not ask anything concerning him again. He waited for some time and then his lips curved into a smile,“I’d like to meet them.” As soon as she heard these words, Anna’s eyes widened in shock.“I’m sorry. You want to meet…”“Your children,” Mark interjected. “Is that okay with you?” He added.Anna remained frozen for some moments, her thoughts running wild. This w
Author’s POVUpon hearing that, Mark’s face reddened with humiliation. He didn’t think she would figure it out, but she was right, he was afraid. After Lydia died in that car accident, Mark had spent his entire life afraid of being abandoned, and that fear resurfaced when he learned of Anna’s children.“No Anna, the issue here is that you could not trust me. I’ve already been down that road once with Mia, and I don’t want to be in another relationship where my girlfriend is keeping secrets from me.” He argued.As much as he had a point, Anna was still not convinced. She knew Mark was trying to change the course of their conversation and she would not let him.She shot him a soft gaze and slowly walked toward him, “I know it’s not easy to admit Mark, and I know that I shouldn’t have kept this away from you for so long, but I am afraid too.” Anna said and Mark’s eyes shot up with curiosity.Anna heaved a deep sigh and continued, “When I first came into town, I didn’t know what I was goi
Anna“Who’s there?” Mark’s voice sounded through the door.I hesitated to answer. One word from me and he’d be calling the guards to throw me out, or at least that’s what I thought, so I knocked again and waited a while for his answer. This time he did not bother to say anything, and after waiting for a while, I knocked again.“I already told you, Rita, I don’t need anything!” His voice echoed in annoyance as he approached the door, and unlocked it.As soon as his gaze met mine, he froze in shock for some moment, unable to find the words to say anything.“Anna?”“Wh-what are you doing here?” Mark asked, and immediately his brows creased into a deep frown.“Mark, I just want to talk…” I started to say, but he rudely cut me off.“I don’t have anything to say to you.” He replied coldly and tried to close the door, but I quickly put my feet through the doorframe, stopping him.He shot one look at me and sighed heavily, turned his back, and walked inside the room, leaving me at the door.
Anna“You want my advice? Go for it.” I said, encouraging Jack. Deep down I knew it was a selfish act. As much as I hoped that he’d find love somewhere else, a part of me wanted to believe what it told him about Anna, that deep down she did not still harbor any feelings toward Mark. I’d hate to be in competition with my sister over a man we both wanted. Jack seemed flustered when I said that. I could tell he hoped that no one would spot his feelings toward Chloe, especially not the girl he was just trying to get over.Still, he managed to keep his composure and quickly tried to change the focus,“You should try taking your own advice with Mark. I know I’ve not always made your relationship with him easy, and I apologize for the part I played in that. But whatever this thing is between you and Mark, it’ll be a shame if you both fall out.” He said.“Jack, what happened between Mark and I is not because of you. He just couldn’t stand the honesty he wanted.” I said, pushing the bangs on
“Mark and I used to date.” The words echoed in my head like I was reliving a nightmare. I froze in shock, not sure what to say or how to even react. Deep down, I couldn’t help but dismiss the thought that this was the relationship Chloe and Mark shared, but I always tried to convince myself it wasn’t anything like that. Mark never talked a lot about her even after we met at that party, and I just assumed there was nothing much to say about an old friend.Now I see I was just trying to keep my thoughts away from a fear I didn’t want to have to face.However, I couldn’t understand why Chloe chose to tell me at this point and why Mark never said anything. Was he hiding something about their relationship? I didn’t know Chloe was my sister then, and I’m sure he didn't know either. Certainly, I wouldn’t have minded much about a girl he dated in the past, and at this point, I was convinced he was hiding something.As much as it should have felt good that I now had something to call him out