"I like her," I said as I sat across from my mother unable to keep the frustration from boiling over. "Like who?" "Callie," I admitted, my chest tightening as I said her name. Her expression froze for a moment before she set the papers aside and leaned forward. "You’re joking, right? Callie is your brother’s girlfriend." "I don’t care," I snapped. "I can’t stand seeing him with her. She should be mine, and I’m not going to just sit back and watch them together." "Well, well. This is interesting." She sat back, steepling her fingers. "You really want her all to yourself?" "More than anything," I confessed. A slow smile crept across her face, and it sent a chill down my spine. "Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Whatever she had in mind, I knew it wouldn’t be simple. But if it meant having Callie… I was willing to do whatever it took. **************** Callie was given a choice by her new boss: either lose her job or act as his escort for his family’s Christmas and New Year celebrations, pretending to be his girlfriend. Left with no other option, she reluctantly agrees to be his escort but what she doesn’t realize is that she’s walking straight into a trap. Dive into a story of love, betrayal, romance, suspense, and a Christmas miracle. Second Chances Under the Tree is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
View MoreCALLIEI turned to Lucas, confusion written all over my face. “Quiting? Lucas, what are you talking about? You love your job.”He took a step closer, his eyes heavy with emotion. “I can’t do it anymore, Callie. Working for the Thompsons… it’s too much. Sebastian did the right thing when he walked away. They’re monsters, Callie. If Sebastian’s own father could do this to his son… put him in the hospital, what do you think they’d do to me? To anyone they consider expendable?” My heart sank as his statement settled in. Lucas was never one to back down from a fight, but the fear in his voice now was unmistakable.“Lucas…” I began, but he held up a hand.“I mean it, Callie. I’ve been trying to convince myself for years that I could handle it, that I could stay one step ahead of them. But this?” He gestured toward the smoking remains of my house. “This is too far. They’ve crossed every line. Sebastian was my best friend, and they’ve nearly killed him… nearly killed both of us in that accid
CALLIE I swiped to answer, pressing the phone to my ear. “Mrs Reynolds?”“Callie, oh my God!” Her voice trembled. “Your house… your house is on fire! I called the fire service, but it’s bad. They’re here now, but… but so much is gone.”The room tilted. “What?” “I… I tried to help! I saw the smoke and called for help as soon as I could, but…” Her words trailed off into a sob.I shot to my feet, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “How bad is it? Is it still burning?”“The flames are mostly out, but it’s… oh, Callie, it’s terrible. You need to come home.”My legs felt like jelly as I stumbled toward the door. Lucas stepped forward, alarmed. “What’s going on?”“My house,” I said, my voice hollow. “It’s on fire.”Lucas’s eyes widened, and without hesitation, he grabbed his jacket. “I’ll drive.”I nodded numbly, unable to think past the chaos swirling in my mind. Sebastian’s lifeless form behind me. My burning house ahead.The ride to my neighborhood was a blur, my heart poundin
CALLIEIt wasn’t Sebastian’s voice that greeted me.“Hello? Is this Callie?” a woman’s voice came through the line.My heart skipped a beat. “Y-Yes, this is Callie. Who is this? Where’s Sebastian?”There was a brief pause, as though the woman was trying to find the right words. “My name is Nurse Erica. I’m calling from Fairview General Hospital. Sebastian was… involved in an accident. He’s in critical condition, but he’s stable for now.”The phone nearly slipped from my trembling hand. “What?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “What happened? Is he okay?”“I can’t share all the details over the phone, but it’s important you come as soon as possible,” she said. “He’s at Fairview General. Please hurry.”The line went dead before I could respond.The phone clattered to the floor, my hand too weak to hold it any longer. For a moment, the world blurred. My legs gave way, and I sank to the ground. Tears welled in my eyes, streaming down my cheeks as sobs escaped my lips.“No,” I whispered to
CALLIEThere was silence. None of us said anything for a while. My heart clenched painfully, and I found myself struggling to form a response.Finally, I swallowed hard and spoke. “So… when is the date?”Sebastian exhaled deeply, his gaze dropping to the floor. “In two days. January 2nd.”I nodded slowly. “That means you’ll have to fly out tomorrow.” “Yeah,” he said softly. “I don’t have a choice.”The words stung, even though I knew he didn’t mean them to. I straightened my shoulders, meeting his gaze. “Then I’ll go with you.”Sebastian’s head shot up, his eyes narrowing. He took a step closer, his hands gently wrapping around mine. “No, Callie,” he said softly. “You don’t have to do that.”I frowned, my chest tightening at the seriousness in his tone. “Sebastian, you don’t have to do this alone. I want to be there for you.”He shook his head, his grip on my hands tightening slightly. “Lucas will be there. He has to be, as part of the team. I’ll go with him. You… you’ve been through
CALLIEI couldn’t help but laugh as I leaned back on the couch. “What do you mean by that? You’re something else.”He grinned at my reaction, his sharp features softening. “Who knows? You might start crying again tonight. You’re just a softie.”His playful tone was such a contrast to everything that had happened that I couldn’t stop smiling. For a moment, it felt like we’d stepped out of the storm. The warmth in his gaze, the way his lips curved just enough to let me know he was teasing… it was exactly what I needed.But before I could respond, Sebastian closed the space between us. His hand gently cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear I didn’t even know was there. “I mean it, Callie,” he murmured, his voice low, sending a shiver down my spine. “I love you. More than anything. We’re going to get through this together. You hear me?”His eyes bore into mine, searching, waiting for my answer.I nodded, my throat tightening with emotion. “I love you baby,” I whispered.An
SEBASTIAN I opened the door, and there she was… Charlotte. Her hair was disheveled, her face pale, and her eyes bloodshot, swollen from tears. “Sebastian!” she spat my name, her voice cracking with raw emotion. Her eyes darted to Callie, who stood frozen behind me. “You… both of you… you’ve done it. You’ve killed my son!”“Charlotte, stop,” I said firmly, stepping in front of Callie to shield her. “We didn’t…”“LIARS!” she screamed, her voice cutting through the tension. She shoved past me into the room, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.Callie took a step forward, her own tears flowing freely. “We didn’t do this, Charlotte. I swear to you, we had nothing to do with Ethan’s death…”“Shut up!” Charlotte whirled on Callie, her face twisted in grief and rage. “How dare you even speak to me? You! You’re the reason my son is gone!”“Charlotte, that’s not true!” Callie’s voice cracked as she tried to defend herself.“Not true?” Charlotte sneered, her lips curling in disdain. “D
CALLIEA scream tore from my throat, echoing through the empty warehouse. My hands clutched the edges of my coat as if they could hold me together. My knees pressed against the cold concrete floor, the image in front of me searing itself into my mind."What the hell is happening?" My voice cracked, the words ripping out of me like shards of glass. "Why is Ethan here? He was supposed to be… "My thoughts fractured, and I pressed a hand to my mouth, trying to suppress the rising panic. My stomach churned as I stared at his lifeless body.Sebastian's hurried footsteps echoed behind me, and then he was there, dropping to his knees beside me.He froze beside me. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he didn’t move. It was as if the sight of Ethan’s bloodied body had rendered him incapable of action.“Oh my God,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “Ethan? No, no… this can’t be happening.”I turned to him, my voice trembling. “Sebastian… he’s dead. Ethan’s dead. What are we supposed to do?” His
CALLIEThe phone buzzed in my hand, its vibration thrumming against my palm. I glanced at Sebastian, his eyes dark and focused as he gave a slight nod. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the phone to my ear."Hello?"Silence."Hello?" I tried again, my voice louder this time. The only response was the faint sound of breathing. My heart rate spiked, my fingers gripping the phone tighter. "Who is this?"Still nothing.The silence stretched for another second before the line went dead. I stared at the screen, the unknown number taunting me.Sebastian leaned forward. "Who was it?"I shook my head, my stomach twisting. "No one said anything. They just... hung up."His jaw tightened, and he reached out to take my hand. "Let me see the number."Before I could hand him the phone, it buzzed again. This time, a message notification lit up the screen. My blood ran cold as I opened it.Unknown:Go to 152 Riverwood Lane tonight. Come alone, or someone you care about gets hurt.My breath caught in my
CALLIEI woke up to the gentle warmth of Sebastian’s lips pressing against my forehead, then my cheeks, and finally, my lips. His voice was soft but insistent.“Wake up, Callie,” he murmured. “We’ve got a flight to catch.”I groaned, stretching lazily as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. My muscles ached in the best way possible, a reminder of last night’s escapades in the bathroom. It had been… intense. Sebastian had a way of making every moment feel like an adventure, and that bath had been no exception.As I sat up, my eyes met his, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Good morning,” I said, my voice still raspy from sleep.He smiled back, his fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “Good morning, beautiful.”His gaze lingered, filled with a tenderness that made my heart flutter. It was moments like these that reminded me why, despite all the chaos and danger, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.“You slept like a rock,” he teased, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I was
CALLIEI gripped my phone tightly, pacing back and forth in my tiny living room. My heart was racing faster than the snowstorm brewing outside. This was it. Tonight was the night.Without overthinking it, I hit Sophie’s name in my contacts and she picked up after the second ring.“Callie?” she answered. “Do you know what time it is?”“Sophie, I can’t wait anymore, and besides, it's just 9 p.m,” I blurted out. “Tonight is the night.”“What are you even talking about?” Sophie asked with a groan.“I’m confessing!” I replied, feeling a surge of excitement coursing through me. “I’m going to tell Ethan how I feel.”There was a long pause on her end.“What?” Sophie finally said.“I’ve been holding it in for too long,” I explained, clutching the phone closer to my ear. “And I just know he feels the same way. He’s probably just scared I’ll turn him down or something. But I’ll make it easy for him. I’ll tell him first.”Still no response from Sophie. The silence stretched awkwardly, and I frown...
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