25 - Apollo CastielloI will find her. I promise. Even if I have to endure two hundred years of purgatory, two hundred years without you, that will be my punishment, which I deserve for my crimes.OutlanderI had felt like the most useless person in the last few days. Boredom filled my days, as did the unanswered questions. I had nothing to do during those year-end parties. I wasn't working, I didn't have Mia to kill time with, I didn't have my mother for us to marathon her favorite series.My father and I had been completely silent in the last few days. Now and then, he would help me memorize the new film script, and most of the time, we just lay on the couches and watched unbearable TV shows.But what was even worse than that whole depressing situation was the reason behind it. I had lived for twenty-eight years without knowing Mia existed, but now, going six days without her was completely unbearable. I was still hoping she would call me or answer my calls, hoping she would come ba
26 - Mia Lauren HudsonI miss you so much.- A Safe HarborDecember thirty-first. I loved this date. I loved knowing that all the wounds, pains, and disappointments were being left behind. I always liked the feeling of being cleansed when the clock struck midnight. It was something that relieved me, and deep down, I deluded myself a lot with all of this. Because nothing ever changed for me, never. Not even my haircut.And nothing changed during the past six days we spent in Dublin either. I made a point of keeping myself busy at all times, chatting with Phoebe, enjoying Bryan and Paul's insults, or when Eleanor kept asking about her daughter's feelings. And that was exactly what was happening at that moment while we eagerly awaited the arrival of the new year.“Do you think he’ll ever stop being so serious?” Sara stopped beside me and pointed at Bradley, who had his arms crossed and an impassive face while his father tried and failed to have a lively conversation with him.“I’ve grown
27 - Mia Lauren HudsonMarriages aren’t fireproof. Sometimes, you get burned. — The FireproofI was back in London. After days away, distant from everything, I returned. I was fine, even anxious. I missed Kayla, I missed my own home.I was excited about the idea of a new year and absurdly eager for the start of filming. I would be the lead! It was still hard to believe, which is why I eagerly awaited the next meeting at NewScene. Actually, I wasn’t waiting that eagerly because I didn’t want to see Apollo again.It had been days since I’d heard from him, and I was used to his absence, to his lack of presence. He occupied my thoughts for days, but I was determined to leave him behind. What we had was a mistake, a sweet mistake with a bitter aftertaste. I accepted it—he never loved me, and that was okay. Apollo would be just a colleague, a stranger with something in common. I could handle that.Now, sitting in the car, I looked at London through the window, watching winter fade away and
28 - Apollo Castiello"I won’t let anything happen to you."“Death congratulates you”It was a new year, but to me, it felt like the clock had stopped. Nothing was new. The countdown, the sparks in the sky, the promises of renewal... everything seemed empty, like a rerun of a movie where the ending never changes. I found myself surrounded by the same faces, the same challenges, the same uncomfortable silences echoing inside me. And yet, the world around me continued to see me as someone fulfilled, a successful man, as if all the pieces of my puzzle were in place.Everything remained exactly the same, and in a way, I knew nothing would change. Not while I remained trapped in the same version of myself, unable to break the invisible chains holding me back. On the outside, I appeared to be at peace, accepting the life I had. After all, why should I complain? Anyone in my position would give anything to live what I lived. I was a recognized actor, someone whose performances moved crowds.
29 - Apollo CastielloYou're a weakling. You have no value. And I won’t let you ruin other people’s lives the way you tried to ruin mine.— The Best of MeThe door opened slowly, creaking a little, as if even the house's structure hesitated to welcome me. I forced a smile, one of those I use when I know it's necessary, but with no real emotion behind it."Ah, Apollo Castiello!" The lively voice of Bradley’s housekeeper echoed through the hall.She seemed genuinely surprised, but she clearly recognized me from previous encounters. Her eyes sparkled, perhaps out of loyalty or just respect for my name."Duart, right?" I greeted her, extending my hand in a friendly manner. “Can I come in? I need to talk to Bradley, maybe because I’m returning to the series.” The lie slid off my lips with the smoothness of someone who’s told many before. My smile, however, kept its façade."Oh, that’s great news!" Duart exclaimed, without the slightest suspicion of my true intentions. She stepped aside, in
1 - Mia Lauren HudsonI'm afraid of everything. I'm afraid of what I saw, of what I did, of who I am. More than anything, I'm afraid to leave this room and never again in my whole life, feel what I feel when I'm with you.- Dirty DancingI was sitting in front of my bedroom window, admiring the white snow that accumulated across the road and around our house. The cold made me shiver and hide my face with a thin sheet, the only thing covering me at that moment. A snoring sound made me turn my head and admire the man sprawled across the mattress. I smiled to myself and sighed deeply as I turned my gaze back to the snow, which was now falling gently.I had been married to Bradley Hudson for two years. I loved him. Even knowing that he didn't love me as much in return. But I understood that he had a demanding job, understood his stress, understood why he didn't show affection for me, and how our time together always ended in fights. I frowned at the change in my thoughts. It almost always
2 - Apollo CastielloSome pains are impossible to ignore.- Basic Instinct 2The snow beneath my feet caused me to take short steps. The early afternoon covered in ice and cold made me turn back home again.I had gone out to meet my friends, but halfway there, I simply gave up. I always did that. I didn't like going out much because I knew that once I got close to them, no topic of conversation would involve me, and I'd feel excluded. And I didn't care about going out on weekends. Lately, I didn't care about anything.My boots were covered in ice by the time I reached my front door. I stomped my feet on the doormat and went inside. The small, well-ventilated house was silent. A nearly destructive silence. The silence that had settled in a month ago, when my mother decided to leave. When my mother abandoned my father and me, making us lonely and almost strangers within our own home. I took off the gloves and cap that had been protecting me from the cold outside. Thanks to the heater, I
3 - Mia Lauren HudsonThere is a time for daring and a time for caution, and a wise man knows which is called for.- Dead Poets SocietyI was vigorously and repeatedly rehearsing what I would say to my husband."Hi, Bradley, can I go out today? I need to go to a meeting with a rival film agency."No, of course not. I couldn’t say that. To be honest, nothing I managed to say would sound good to his ears, and I knew that in this case, I would hear things that would hurt me.Damn it! It was almost three in the afternoon, and I was ready, staring at myself in the mirror. My shiny, full, wavy blonde hair fell around my shoulders and bust. I had thought so many times about cutting it, coloring it, but Bradley never allowed it. He said it was unacceptable for a woman, especially for his wife who bore his name. A forced smile crossed my lips as I returned to admire my reflection in the mirror. I wore a large winter coat over a warm pink blouse and jeans. And after much discussion, Bradley all