Elijah’s POV“It's Adrian,” Sophia whispered, her eyes wide with recognition. “I haven't seen him in a long time. I should say hi.”Before I could react, she was already standing up. I had no choice but to follow her as she weaved her way through the tables towards the entrance. My mood soured with every step. The evening was supposed to be about us, not some guy from her past. Adrian should certainly stay in her past, but somehow, he keeps showing up in her present. I just hate it. And I really don’t trust this guy. As we got closer, the crowd around Adrian began to thin. Sophia looked eager, almost glowing with excitement, which only served to annoy me more. Who is this Adrian to her, anyway? The good evening we were having suddenly felt overshadowed by this guy's presence.Sophia turned to me, her voice filled with enthusiasm. “Adrian's been busy doing local tours for his new single. People are loving him. He's a really great singer and songwriter.”I grunted but said nothing. My
Elijah’s POVAs I stepped into the hotel lobby with Sophia, the exhaustion of the day hit me. I knew she was tired too, so I suggested, "” don't have to get involved. Why don't you go up and get some rest? I'll take care of this quickly and send Julia up to the room.”Sophia yawned, nodding in agreement. “Okay. I hope she's okay.”“I'm sure she will be,” I reassured her, grateful for her understanding. “Thank you for dinner. I had fun. We should do it again soon.”She smiled warmly before heading toward the elevator, leaving me to make my way to the bar. As I scanned the area, everything seemed normal at first. But then, in a corner booth, I spotted Julia, her eyes red from crying.I approached her, and as soon as she saw me, she rushed into my arms, sobbing. I felt awkward at first, not knowing how to react. But then, instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her, stroking her hair soothingly.“It's okay, Julia,” I whispered, my voice gentle. “Everything will be okay. You're safe now.”
Sophia’s POVI sat across from Trevis, trying to focus on his animated explanation about the day's design conference. The hotel's fine restaurant was bustling with activity, the aroma of freshly baked pastries and brewed coffee filling the air. Trevis was in his element, enthusiastically detailing the key speakers and workshops we had to attend.“...and then there's the panel on sustainable design at ten,” Trevis said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We can't miss that one.”I nodded absentmindedly, my thoughts far from sustainable design. I couldn't shake off what I had overheard earlier: Trevis exclaiming that Julia had slept in Elijah's room last night. Julia hadn't returned to our shared hotel room, and now my mind was spinning with the implications.“Are you even listening, Sophia?” Trevis asked, raising an eyebrow.“Sorry,” I mumbled, forcing a smile. “Just a bit distracted.”Trevis leaned back in his chair, looking at me curiously. “Everything okay?”Before I could answer
Sophia’s POVJulia’s gaze lingered on my exposed shoulder, where a small red mole marked my skin. I shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny.“Julia? Is everything okay?” I asked, trying to sound casual, though her intense stare was unnerving.Julia stepped closer, her expression shifting from curiosity to something more severe. “Sophia,” she said slowly, “how long have you had that mole?”I blinked, taken aback by the question. “I don't know. Forever, I guess? Why?”Instead of answering, Julia leaned in closer, examining the mole with a strange intensity. Her face transformed from shock to horror, and I instinctively took a step back and grabbed a cardigan to drape over my shoulders. Julia seemed to snap out of her trance. "I need to... I need to shower," she muttered, her voice shaky. Without another word, she turned and hurried toward the bathroom.Just then, I noticed a delicate bracelet on the bedside table. I picked it up, turning it over in my hands. It had an intricate design
Julia’s POVSeeing Adrian made my heart pound. His stare seemed to drill a hole through me. Did he recognize me? I straightened my shoulders and smiled, trying to look confident. No one will know the truth. I’ve taken care of everything.Suddenly, I remembered visiting Serena before this New York trip for work. The memory was very vivid in my head. As I walked through the bleak corridors of the prison, I couldn't help but smile. And I just couldn’t resist rubbing it in her face — that she was never going to get out of there, that setting her up had been part of the plan, after all. Poor Serena. She won’t know what hit her. After all her scheming, she didn’t even realize that she was just a pawn in all this. A guard led me to a small room, and I saw Serena pacing inside, her eyes wild with desperation. The moment she saw me, she rushed to the glass partition, her voice trembling.“Julia! Thank God you’re here. Please, you have to help me get out of here. I won't tell Elijah, I swea
Elijah’s POVWhen I got back to the hotel after my business meeting, all I wanted was to kick off my shoes, order some room service, and get some rest. But as I stepped into the lobby, I spotted Julia waiting for me. She looked up, relief and excitement in her eyes.“Elijah!” she called out, waving me over. “Trevis had to go meet up with someone, so I'm left with no one to have dinner with.”I could feel the weariness in my bones, but I didn't want to disappoint her. I also wondered where Sophia could be, but I didn’t want to ask Julia. I actually sent a text message to Sophia a while back, but there was no reply. "There's this cool pizza place I read about online," Julia continued. "Would you join me?"I hesitated for a moment. “I was just planning to stay here tonight.”Her face fell slightly, but she quickly masked it with a hopeful smile. “It won't take long, I promise. And I heard their pizza is amazing.”I sighed, unable to say no to her. “Alright, let's go.”The pizza place wa
Elijah’s POVI had no choice but to follow Julia’s lead, my feet moving almost automatically. Besides, I also wanted to face Sophia. It angered me that she would still go and meet him after that last time when I’d stopped her from saying hello. What is she trying to prove? Does she just want to rub it in my face that she’s now free from me and can do whatever she wants? Or maybe… The next alternative filled me with dread. Maybe she really, really likes him. Who knows what went on between them during those days she was with him in his beach house?Sophia and Adrian turned to face us, surprise written across their faces.“Hi!” Sophia greeted casually. “Fancy seeing the two of you here.” She looked between me and Julia, and I could sense that she didn’t like seeing us together. “I feel the same way,” I said coldly, gazing into her eyes. “Small world, huh?”Sophia frowned. She knew I didn’t want her to see Adrian because I didn’t trust him. I just didn’t want to risk her getting hurt ag
Julia’s POVAdrian stared at me with a puzzled expression, his brow furrowing slightly. “You look really familiar,” he said, his eyes narrowing as if trying to place me.At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt—seeing Adrian at the beach where I’d hit Sophia on the head. I felt myself paling and a wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. Everyone's eyes were on me—Sophia, Elijah, and Adrian—waiting for my response.I forced a smile, trying to keep my expression nonchalant. “I don't think we've met before,” I said confidently. "I only know you from Sophia and Elijah's stories."Adrian tilted his head, still looking uncertain. “Are you sure? I could swear I've seen you somewhere.”I shrugged, doing my best to appear casual. “Maybe you saw me in a photo or something. But no, I don't think we've ever actually met.”Sophia, sitting next to Elijah, glanced between us, her eyes filled with curiosity. Elijah