KATIE’S POVI stared at her for a while, dumbfounded, as her words sank in repeatedly. Her eyes remained glued to mine, and I could tell she wanted an answer.But how?Zuhra was always a shoulder to lean on, but I never saw her more than a friend and a sister. Love wasn't something I was willing to try. Ever again."Are you serious?" I asked, my voice rising a little."Look, I know it sounds.. unusual, but I like you, Tessa. It feels so wonderful to be around you, and I never want that to end. Hell, I'd even like to be the mother of your child...""Okay, hold it up" I raised a hand to cut her short. I felt like the world was slipping from under my feet. "You're freaking out,” Zuhra sounded deflated. Well, who wouldn't?A woman with scars like mine would run a million miles away from anything with the letter L."Is that why you've been so nice to me? So that when you show your true intentions, I wouldn't be able to say no?" I asked, my voice breaking as my heart skipped a beat as I
AUTHOR’S POVBlaze stared at the device in his hands, a blue-cased disposable phone. In his other hand was the sim card that contained the number used to send him that message."You may leave," he told the servant who had brought it."Call me the head of staff," he added as the servant left the parlor where he was seated. He had expected to find the phone in someone's possession; perhaps he would have if he had come down here immediately after he saw where the tracking device led. But he had been too busy, attending to his company and trying to give Lily attention when his mind was preoccupied.It served him right that the servant had found the phone in the garden, spoilt by last night's rain. He was surprised he was still able to trace the sim card. Bill's friend knew his job."You called?" A soft voice spoke, and he looked up. Doris stood before him, hands clasped behind her as though waiting for an order."Who owns this?" He asked, waving the phone.Doris tried to keep the wince o
AUTHOR’S POV"What's this I hear about the truth of Dad's death?" Axel asked, stepping into the dining room. Blaze grunted over the phone. He sounded tired."Have they found the person who sent the message?" He asked "I knew it was you who put up this search. Everyone here is talking about the murder case bigger than they thought. Even the house is speaking."In every corridor where he found servants, they talked in hushed tones about how Katie was supposedly framed. It was annoying that Blaze believed that, all because of a message sent to him from an anonymous number. "Well, that's because this is bigger than any of us thought," Blaze countered."How?" Axel asked. It was pretty simple to him, even with how complex it was when the police were still investigating. He thought they had left that case behind them, and here Blaze was bringing it up again."It's not something I can explain over the phone," Blaze said. "Are you in the house?""Yes," Axel replied.Blaze was there earlier,
AUTHOR’S POV"I can't find him," the young servant said with his head slightly bowed.All three brothers raised their eyebrows. What was that supposed to mean? Had the butler just disappeared into thin air?"Well, did you look for him?" Axel asked, speaking slowly."We have searched the whole house. He's not here."Blaze gave Axel a knowing look. "Looks like someone tipped him off, and he made the run for it."If he was doubtful that he knew something, now he was sure. Blaze considered what Hunter said about him being the killer. That, too, was highly possible.It was amusing, though, that Sebastian thought he could run away that easily. "He wants to play a Katie on us now, does he?" Blaze muttered. Katie had gotten away, but Sebastian was going nowhere. Hunter let out a surprised laugh. Surprises sprung on every side these days. "How could he know we want to question him?"At that, Axel turned to Blaze. "well, thanks to your brother who let the news of Katie's supposed innocence get
AUTHOR’S POVBlaze set his phone on the table and squeezed his eyes shut. This was the second time he was called this week, and as usual, there was no reply. What would it take Katie to be there when he called?Over the last three months, since he knew that Katie was innocent, he had been trying to reach her. He figured that she used a phone booth to call him that one time, and he kept on pushing the line, hoping that she would be the one to pick up at least once.But it had always been strangers who happened to be using the phone at that time, or worse, no answer at all.All he wanted was to get a chance to speak to her to tell her that he knew she wasn't Maverick's killer, to apologise for not believing her when she so vehemently denied it. And then maybe he could get her side of the story and know why the murder was pinned on her. His hands moved absently over the smooth phone screen. He still hadn't found out the truth. After Sebastian died, it was like the whole case died with h
AUTHOR’S POVAxel's car was in the driveway. If Blaze didn't know better, he would have thought Axel had someone tell him he was around so that he would drive up, too. He watched from the glass wall as Axel alighted and shut his car doors. He wondered how the company was faring in his hands. Well, it must be going well for Axel to buy a new Ferrari so soon."Sir, the inventory you asked for", the young agent he had come to see said behind him. Blaze took the notepad from him and glanced through it. There was always something new for him to add to the apartments to make them more appealing to home seekers. Well, at least he was seeing the profit in it, and honestly, he believed that this was better than taking over Mavericks company.Perhaps Axel knew that, too. That would explain why he had been more distant since he set his plan to work. "Forward this to my email," he said to the man, intending to look better at it later.His phone vibrated, and he picked it up, eyes glazing over the
AUTHOR’S POV"the boy you spoke to, call him here," Blaze told Tobias. He folded his hands and rested his chin on them, watching the doors. She boarded a cab immediately after she got out, like she was eager to get away.Did she know him from somewhere? He certainly knew he did. He just wasn't sure of what he thought, and he hated making assumptions like that."I presume these are your orders?" Jonah asked, putting down the notepad for him to see.That was the least of Blaze's problems now. He didn't even feel like eating anything. "That woman, what's her name?"Jonah tilted his head to one side. He assumed that this man was referring to Tessa. "She's Tessa," he replied. He glanced at Tobias, asking 'what's going on' with his eyes.Tobias shrugged, looking at his boss. Blaze was the image of confusion, with his eyes closed and a frown on his face.The name didn't ring a bell at all. Blaze pictured her eyes in his mind, replaying her soft voice laced with worry in the few words she spo
AUTHOR’S POVBlaze walked into the eatery relatively early in the morning. He didn't want to take any chances of missing Katie when she got to work. He intended to confront her the minute she walked into the building, so he sat at a table facing the roadside and waited.He waited for a long time. Blaze frowned, checking his watch. It was past ten, way past the time for her to show up. What was taking her so long? Other workers had arrived long before, and work was in full swing. He took one of the wireless earphones off his ear and adjusted his shades. Other people had already started shooting him suspicious glances, and he would admit he didn't look inconspicuous sitting there for hours. He caught the eye of the boy Tobias had spoken to. His name was Jonah, if he could remember correctly, Tobias' nephew. Jonah significantly had been glancing at him more often than others.He wondered if the boy had gone and told Katie some mysterious stranger was searching for her. Now, wouldn't th