SCARLETT The night air is charged with excitement as we step onto Istiklal Avenue. It’s just before 11 p.m., and we are having a blast. Before coming here, Emre took us to the 360 Bar, whose views of the city are still vivid in our minds. We are now ready to explore Istanbul's nightlife, still guided by Emre. Lexi was right to convince us to ditch the list; this is what we are meant to be doing out here. As we walk down Istiklal Avenue, Emre points out important landmarks and tells stories that add a personal touch to our journey. He has been an excellent tour guide; he even declined payment for this night. He said this one is on him, and sparks are flying between him and Lexi.The aroma of street food wafts through the air, enticing us to try the local flavors, and our senses are awakened as we pass by various storefronts, their displays tempting us with Turkish delights and vibrant souvenirs.Emre recommends trying a traditional Turkish dessert from one of the renowned patisseries
SCARLETT I wake up to the sound of hushed giggles and find Ollie and Lexi in my bedroom, staring at the painting I bought for Reed. Groggily, I greet them. “Good morning. What are you two doing?”“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. We thought you’d never wake up,” Ollie teases, a mischievous glint in her eyes and I chuckle, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Well, when did you two wake up?”“We’ve been up for a while. We decided to let you catch up on your beauty sleep.” Lexi responds, and I am amazed that they were able to get up so early after our late night.Just then, my stomach growls loudly, and she chimes in, “I’m hungry, too. I was thinking about ordering breakfast. But Ollie interjects, “Nah, let’s go down to the restaurant. I want to check out the place in daylight.”I join in, teasing Lexi. “Unlike someone who has already seen all she needs to see.” She can’t even deny it and she blushes, attempting to hide her embarrassment by hitting Ollie’s arm. "Oh, stop it," she mumbles as
REED My phone vibrates, and I pull it from my pocket to find a missed call from Scarlett. Panic rushes through me as I dial her number, my leg trembling with anxiety, and the car's speed feels painfully inadequate. The phone rings, then goes dead. What the hell? I try again, but it goes to voicemail, and I lose it. "Go faster!" My frustration boils over as I look at the driver, practically ordering him to ignore red lights and drive through traffic like a man possessed."What is wrong, man?" one of my friends in the car asks, his face filled with concern, and I tell him I can not reach Scarlett after seeing a missed call. "We are almost there. Maybe her battery died, or she is in an area with no signal. Don’t jump to conclusions.” Larken says, but I can not get over the sinking feeling in my gut. My dread grew stronger after I spoke with her an hour ago. I could hear she was very drunk, and I started imagining the worst scenarios playing out all over again.After finding out that S
REED “Abandoned? What-” I begin to speak in one breath, but the officer interrupts, and his next words catch my breath in my throat. He claims that three young women who fit the description I provided were discovered unconscious inside the car and rushed to the hospital.He tells me the name of the hospital and says he will meet me there, so I turn and rush to the exit. I thank him for everything and tell my friends what he just told me, then we all sprint out of the hotel and slide into the car. There is no need to communicate my urgency to the driver. I simply tell him where to take us, and he knows what to do. The ride is not long and soon we stop in front of the hospital building.We jump out of the car and are met with a rush of sterile air as we enter the hospital. Getting to the receptionist, I quickly state who I’m here for and just as the receptionist nods, a voice speaks behind me. I turn around to see a man, and I immediately recognize his voice as the one I just spoke w
SCARLETT Reed smiles at me, raising my hand to his lips, and I smile back, the cool breeze caressing my hair as I take in the breathtaking scenery. "That is the Tower Bridge," he says, and I turn my head to see the majestic structure, its beautiful design illuminated against the evening sky. We are on a tour, and the city is alive with activity as Reed navigates the roads with the ease of someone who knows the area well. He pulls over, and we step out to get a better look at the bridge looming overhead."It is beautiful," Ollie says quietly, and I agree as Reed intertwines our fingers once more. Lexi and Ollie have never been here either. The River Thames flows beneath us, reflecting the city lights like liquid gold, and Reed tells us about the bridge's history, leading me to wonder how he knows so much. He chuckles, reminding me that he has lived here for two years. We return to the car after seeing enough, and then we drive past Buckingham Palace, where the Queen's Guard stands s
SCARLETT “I don’t want you to go,” Reed whispers in my ear before pecking the side of my head and I turn to face him, my voice soft as I tell him I don’t want to go either. He leans in, and we share a tender kiss, with me whispering against his lips as we break the kiss. “But I have to.”"I know," he says, and I rest against his chest again, my back conforming to his shape as his strong arms encircle me. It is 7:01 a.m., and Reed and I are nestled in the deep, inviting warmth of the large bathtub that overlooks the city lights. Our limbs intertwine as we soak up the tranquility of the moment. The soothing aroma of lavender fills the bathroom, and candlelight creates a soft glow as water droplets glisten on our skin like liquid diamonds. My eyes flutter shut, listening to his heartbeat as I find a cozy nook in the curve of his shoulder, and his fingers trail lazily over my arm, leaving a trail of tingles behind. I wish I could hold this moment forever.We sit in silence for a while,
SCARLETT "Ooh! Finally, the birthday girl arrives. Good morning, and welcome back. I was so lonely here without you,” Mrs. Sterling says as I enter the dining area and we share a hug while she asks me how it went with this biggest smile that takes my anxiety from one to a thousand in a second, knowing what I have to tell her.I settle down as Lena dishes up for me, muttering, Thank you. For some reason, the first thing that comes out of my mouth as I look back at Mrs. Sterling is that it went well. Instead of I made a stupid mistake that almost got us abducted. Just then, my mother walks in with a huge smile.I get up, and we hug. Mom is the house manager, so she has privileges that some of the other workers don’t have like being allowed to have breakfast with us if she wants, but she mostly prefers to eat with the girls or at her quarters.She sits with us this time, though, and asks how everything went. It does nothing for my anxiety. I tell her the same thing I told Mrs. Sterling
SCARLETT The midday sun casts a warm glow across campus as I step out of my class, craving the fresh air after an intense lecture. My friends and I have a routine—a quick stop at our favorite cafe down the street—and that is where I am heading.Lexi and Ollie don’t go to the same university I go to, but our universities are on the same street. So we can still hang out during breaks and between classes, etc.The reason they don’t come here is because it’s super expensive and their parents can’t afford it. It also does not offer scholarships. Ollie's mother is a teacher, and her father owns a construction company, but it is still in its early stages, and he is still paying off bank loans, so they can not afford this place yet.Lexi’s mom is a single mom like mine and she’s also a teacher like Ollie’s mom. They are friends, and I guess that’s how Lexi and Ollie became friends, too. Lexi's mother also provides extra classes on weekends for some of the wealthy children. They are all doing
SEVEN MONTHS LATER SCARLETT “Are you ready?” Reed asks as he enters the room, and I tell him I am. We are about to go to his parents' house for lunch with his family. However, I would be lying if I said I was not tired. Reed's parents ended up giving their marriage a second chance, and they renewed their wedding vows two days ago. My body is still recovering from the after-party. Colette wanted to wait until baby Emme was born, which was three months ago. The ceremony was beautiful, and I’m thrilled for them; they deserve all the happiness in the world, especially with everything they have both overcome. Reed and I are celebrating another special occasion today. Elena and her goons were sentenced this morning, thanks to Reed's assistance in pursuing her. Elena was sentenced to ten years in prison for manslaughter, while her accomplices received fifteen years. I think they deserve more, especially Elena, but I am glad they did not get away. Jolene is also overjoyed with the c
SCARLETT"We have arrived, Mom," I say, unable to hide my excitement, and I can tell Mom is relieved. We blindfolded her, and I know she was eager to get to the destination. The car comes to a halt, and Reed steps out to assist Mom. He and I hold her hands as we guide her to the spot where she will have a clear view of the house. We stop, and Reed asks her if she’s ready."I am," she replies, her voice steady but curious. Reed removes the blindfold, and I let out a small scream of excitement next to her."Welcome to your new home," he says, and Mom looks at him in confusion before turning to me."What is this?" she asks, and I cannot contain my excitement as I tell her it is her new home. "Reed bought it for you," I add, and she stands rigid at my words, her eyes widening. She looks back at Reed, her voice a whisper. "What is Scarlett talking about?"Reed repeats, "The house is a gift, from both of us." Mom takes another look at the house before shaking her head."I cannot accept this
SCARLETTWe all look at Milo as he ends the phone call with his father. Reed asks what he said, and Milo’s next words surprise us. His father left. He says he had to go somewhere, and we should continue with dinner. We had already done so, but we were simply sitting around the table, waiting for him to return. Now it’s clear he won’t be returning, so we get up. It is late, and Reed and I need to get home, so we say goodnight to Milo and Lj. Reed then takes out his phone to check on his mother; she should have arrived by now. She answers quickly, and Reed looks at me and says she is upstairs. He helps me up, and we leave, thanking the staff member who enters to clear everything as we go.Reed knocks, and his mother opens the door, already in her robe but my eyes widen, taking in her expression. She looks like she has been crying, even though she tries to put on a smile for us.We hug, and Reed asks when she got home. It’s around the time Luke came to get Mr. Sterling. We see clothes o
SCARLETT“I’m sorry,” Reed says, holding me, and I sob in his arms after reading the letter Lexi wrote to me. In the letter, she expressed her regrets. She said she never meant to hurt me or Reed. Even though she said she never meant to hurt Reed or me, she admitted that she had unintentionally hurt us and that in the end, it did not matter what her intentions were. I struggled to finish it and broke down in tears. It still feels surreal, the wound is still raw, and I am not sure how I will face her mother without crumbling. Reed wipes my tears as we pull away from the hug, and I tell him I am ready to go now, and that I called Ollie to let her know we were on our way. She is going with us. We head out and Reed opens the car door for me, and I slide inside and take a deep breath, knowing I have to be strong for Lexi’s family. I cannot be the one falling apart. I spoke to Mom before we left Reed's house, and she told me that Lexi's mom couldn't speak to them the last time they went
SCARLETT“It’s not your fault, Scarlett. Mom holds me in her arms as I cry, saying, "You did not know this was going to happen," but we both know it would not have happened if I had not been upset with Lexi. I can’t believe she’s gone, and my heart is bleeding. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive myself. Reed tried to stop me, but I didn’t listen and looked up the story online and read about how Lexi was bullied to the point of having an accident.She did not have an Ace like I did to tell everyone to leave her alone, and she might have had if I had not turned my back on her. I was frustrated and hurt by her actions, but I did not want her to die, and no one deserves to go through what she did. Furthermore, it no longer matters how angry I was with her or what she did. All of this pales in comparison to her life, and despite Reed and Mom's constant reminders about the baby and the negative effects of stress on my health, I find myself powerless to stop it.I do not want any
NARRATOR Reed finishes the call with Larken, and just then, Milo appears and tells him that their grandfather is ready to leave, but Reed has one more thing to do, so he tells Milo he will catch them in the car and sprints back inside. He takes the stairs two at a time, racing to let Scarlett know he will be back soon, but just as he reaches the top, he hears a frantic and urgent voice—Scarlett's mother's."Scarlett! Scarlett!"Hearing the same voice, his parents burst out of their room. They all rush towards the sound, their hearts racing and dread curling in their stomachs as they realize it is coming from Scarlett's old bedroom.Reed's chest tightens as he approaches the doorway, his parents trailing him as he enters. The scene is chaotic. Scarlett lies on the floor, convulsing violently, her mother kneeling beside her, tears streaming down her cheeks.The room tilts as Reed stares in horror, his mother gasping, her hand flying to her mouth. He sprints toward Scarlett, but his mo
SCARLETTI walk out of the room, stretching, and bump into Mrs. Sterling in the hallway, coming from the guest room. She smiles and asks how I slept, and I tell her that I slept well even though I did not get much sleep. We went to bed in the early hours of the morning, and Reed and his brothers were quite drunk by then. I smile when I think about them. I am happy for them, and it is still surreal that Mr. Sterling is back. Mrs. Sterling says she’s heading to the kitchen to make breakfast, and it’s the first time I hear her mention cooking. I smile at her, and she blushes, trying not to show that she's blushing, as she invites me to join her, which I do, wondering if Reed is still sleeping. He and his brothers went to sleep with their father, which is why Mrs. Sterling is coming out of the guest room. As if she can read my mind, she confirms that she just checked on them, and they are all still sleeping, so I happily join her downstairs. When we enter the kitchen, we find my mom i
SCARLETT“Hey, how did it go?” I softly ask Reed as he enters the room after checking on his father, and he collapses onto the bed, looking completely defeated. I wrap my arms around him, asking again how it went, and he pulls back and looks me in the face with a sad expression that makes my heart lurch. "He lost his memories," he says, prompting me to inquire about his meaning. Mr. Sterling didn't appear to be a person who had no memories, and Reed clarifies that his father doesn't recall the past twenty years of his life. “He doesn’t remember me or my mother,” Reed adds, and my heart clenches. “I’m sorry, Reed,” I say, and we share a hug. He takes a deep breath in the embrace before saying, “He doesn’t deserve this. His life has been hard enough, putting up with a wife who hated him, and now this. It’s like he can’t catch a break, Scarlett,” he continues, and I pull back from the hug, cupping his face. “I’m so sorry,” I say again before adding that maybe it’s because of the traum
SCARLETT Mr. Sterling narrates a chilling story, his voice laced with emotion as he describes waking up in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by people who intended to harvest his organs. His voice falters at times, and he turns to William for assistance with the details he cannot recall. William steps in, filling the gaps, his own voice heavy with the weight of the ordeal. But as Mr. Sterling speaks, it becomes clear he’s not well. He is pale, his hands tremble slightly, and his words occasionally sound strained. He admits he doesn’t know how he survived the shooting or where the organ harvesters found him. All he knows is that he woke up with William, who risked everything to help him escape. The specifics blur together, but it’s clear how traumatic the experience was. However, those details don’t matter much right now. What matters is that he's here. He's alive. His gaze lingers on Reed, and he smiles emotionally every time their eyes meet. Reed, overwhelmed, can only smile back t