AnnaWe both turned our gaze in the direction of the voice. Waving as she approached us was a blonde-haired girl wearing what looked like a tie-dye shirt. “Hi I’m Sheila,” she introduced herself, extending her arm for a shake as if I was supposed to know her. Seeing the confused stare on her face, she retracted her arm and smiled wryly.“I see Jack didn’t tell you about me.” “Jack?” I asked, raising my brow in confusion “Yeah, Jack Green, he’s my brother.”As soon as her words fell, my eyes widened in shock. Jack didn’t mention anything about having a sister. Come to think of it now, I realized I didn’t know anything about him and never bothered asking.“Oh hi, I-I’m Anna,” I stammered in total confusion. Smiling faintly, she answered, “Yeah I know,”“Jack mentioned that you were looking for a roommate?” She said and I immediately snapped back to reality.“Oh right, I am, but I’m not interviewing now.”“No, no, I’m not here for that now. I just saw you and thought I should say hi
Anna“I love you.” Those words escaped my lips before I could even comprehend them, but it was too late to take them back. Mark stopped instantly upon hearing those words and slowly turned to me. My heartbeat increased as I stared at his face, my eyes heavy with sadness, but he just shot me a soft smile and entered the backseat of the car.‘What?!’ I screamed in my head. ‘That’s it, you’re just going to go wordlessly after I’ve said I love you?’ I wondered. I knew it was too soon to say it, but I expected him to say it back. How could he just leave me hanging like that? But he did. I watched as his taillight became smaller as the car sped away from view and it felt like someone had ripped my heart out. Heaving a deep sigh, I composed myself and turned back towards my room. I knew it was difficult for some guys to say things like this, and especially for Mark, but I thought that we’d gotten to that place already.Making my way through the hallways, I was immersed in my thoughts, tr
AnnaAfter a few minutes of waiting for Sheila, a knock on my front door froze me to my spot in the living room. Raising my phone, I quickly checked for any messages from her to find out who was at the front door, but there was nothing.Terrified of who was on the other side, I called out but there was no response. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and immediately the keys fell out of my hands as my eyes widened with shock. I couldn’t move and could barely breathe, shocked and perplexed to see him there.Standing in front of me was my ex-fiancé Luke Johnson, wearing a warm smile as his gaze caught mine “Hi Anna,” he said holding a bouquet.“Luke,” I replied still in shock. “Wh-what are you doing here?” I stammered.“The last time I saw you…”“I was calling off our marriage,” he interjected with a sardonic smile. He had a disposition about him that made me wonder if I was in trouble by the way he stared at me. “These are for you,” he finally said, holding out the bouquet, an
AnnaSheila was right. I was giving these men too much power over me. I’d tried to pretend like I didn’t get by for eight years doing so, but I cared. If Luke was here now, that meant something went wrong somewhere, and remembering how Linda threatened to ruin my life, and with how crazy that was, I couldn’t sweep Luke’s visit under the rug. If this had to do with Linda, then I couldn’t ignore this. Heaving a deep sigh, I turned my gaze to Sheila, “That was my ex-fiancée, Luke Johnson,” As soon as my words fell, I could see the surprise on her face as she gasped.“What happened?” She immediately asked.The memory of that night caused me to grimace. I know she was just concerned about me, but I had avoided this conversation for so long, it was starting to feel like Sheila was hounding me, and I just wished she would find something else to occupy her time with.I remember that morning like it was yesterday. Losing your boyfriend and a chance at marriage with him was not the kind of me
AnnaAfter that day, I was a mess, not only had I lost my fiancée but I’d also lost the only person who ever made Brigdon feel like home. I tried talking to him again, sent countless messages with no return, and waited for him to call me, but still nothing.Out of desperation, I went down to his house to check on him again, but it seemed he knew I’d come over to try and patch things up, and the only way I knew he wasn’t at home was that he had changed the locks. I know it wouldn’t be easy to get past what happened, but Luke was avoiding me as if I were some infection. After trying to get in touch with him to no avail, I decided to let him have some space. I thought that if I gave him enough time he’d start to forgive me for what I’d done, but then one day I found the hotel he was staying at and decided to visit him.I made his favorite cookies thinking it would give me some kind of leverage. As the adage goes, the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and out of despera
Luke I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her text. Without hesitation, I decided to call back. The phone rang for some moments before she finally picked up. I wasn’t sure if she was going to reach out to me, considering how irate she seemed much earlier. For a moment it seemed like she had changed but I knew deep down she was still the same old Anna. “Hi again,” I said in a smug tone as soon as she picked up. “What do you want with me? As a matter of fact, how did you even find me?” Her voice sounded heavy and scornful. “Believe me, but I’m here because of you. We need to talk.” “I don’t have anything I want to say to you,” her snide remark sounded over the phone. I knew this was not the way to do it, so I heaved a sigh, “You’re feisty now, I like it, but if you want to know why I’m here and I do think you’d be interested in finding out, then meet me in an hour. I’ll text you the address.” I said and immediately hung up the phone. She must have thought she was strong now. F
MarkDays had passed since I’d arrived in England and with the contract for expansion about to be finalized with our biggest client ever from the infamous Brookes family, I had nothing else to be worried about. In no time, I’d be on a flight back to Delroy to meet Anna, but despite how everything seemed fine, something bothered me. I’d gotten to like England a lot more and was considering making it my home. With everything on the bright side, I contemplated the idea of whether it would be safe to convince Anna to come down here, take her internship with Becca’s fashion company, and maybe then permanently relocate to England.I’m sure there were a lot of good schools she could enroll in here as well.Today had been the third day since we last spoke and it was getting a little difficult to stay ahead of our schedules. The last time we talked, she said there was something she was dealing with but we didn’t get to talk about it.Our relationship was on a smooth sail despite the distance,
Mark I was slightly concerned by what he said, because if they were truly investigators, there could only be one reason why they were here, and that was because someone sent them.“What can I help you with gentlemen?” I asked, leaning back into my seat.“What would you do if I told you that even though George seemed to have backed off, he is planning a big comeback against you for costing him this deal?” John asked with a raised brow as he leaned back in his seat.“I’m sorry, who?” I asked, playing dumb. Landon sneered at me with a clenched jaw, before leaning forward, “Do not f*cking play dumb with us. We know exactly who you are Mark Greyson and the people you have business with.”I turned to him with a sardonic smile, taunting “I’m sorry, were you permitted to speak junior detective?”“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I added, watching his anger grow.This wasn’t my first rodeo. I knew how these things go. I would admit my family’s business with George, and they would blac
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