SCARLETT My eyes snap open to find the room still dark and I turn to my other side, wondering what woke me up. But I don’t wonder for long, as I realize Reed is not in bed. He must be what woke me up. I glance at the clock and it’s only 12:05 am, which means I only slept about two hours. Whatever Reed found at his parents’ place must have been really bad. When I returned with food to eat in the room, he was already in the shower, and he stayed there for a long time. I ate and finished before he was out, and I don’t eat fast by any means. I was contemplating checking on him when he came out and he looked like he had been crying. After that, he went to bed, and I did the same, worried about him and wishing he would say something more to me than he is going through something because now I felt completely helpless. He’s been really strong about this whole thing with his father, and I don’t know if maybe going back home finally broke him. But I wish he’d find it in him to talk to me.
SCARLETT “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” I ask Ollie. and she says she’s full, so I only get Lexi a drink. They settle down on the sofa, saying they won’t be staying long. Ollie says her dad is taking her and her mom somewhere, but they wanted to talk to me about something. Handing the juice over to Lexi, I ask them what they want to talk about, and Ollie says about me going back to university. “You had not officially dropped out and you haven’t been away for too long,” she says, and I haven’t thought of that. I suppose I could because I don’t think Reed and I will be going back to London anytime soon and it looks as though he’s also busy with his mother. “Maybe I will,” I say to them, and they say I should. “If Mr. Sterling is not found, Reed is probably not going to leave for London, which means you’ll be here. Plus, even if he later leaves, you can stay here and finish up,” she says. I’m not sure about the funding situation, but Reed was going to pay for my education ne
SCARLETT Anticipation fills the air as our car veers off the main road, venturing onto a secluded path. The darkness envelopes us for a brief moment, and a flicker of uncertainty crosses my mind, but my curiosity and trust in Reed keep me calm. Slowly, the car ascends the mountain, and there’s a change in the atmosphere as the city lights twinkle below, illuminating the sprawling landscape like a bed of stars. The view is simply breathtaking, and I can’t help but marvel at the beauty before my eyes. Just then, we enter a brightly lit section and I blink rapidly, momentarily blinded by the dazzling lights that bathed the surroundings. But just then, I recognize the place. It’s a newly built underwater hotel. I’ve heard of it but never visited.Valets rush over to our car as we step out, greeting us warmly before swiftly taking care of the car while we head inside. As we enter, I’m immediately struck by the grandeur of the lobby-floor-to-ceiling windows that offer breathtaking views
SCARLETT “What?” I whisper, getting off the bed, while Reed scrambles for his phone to call the detective. He tells him what just happened and gives him the location of the watch. They don’t stay long on the phone and my heart sinks when I hear him tell the detective that he can fly with him and his mother, knowing they are going back to the island, and I can’t go because his mom is going. I get dressed, and he laces his fingers over his head, pausing for a moment after ending the call while his eyes get teary, causing me to walk up to him and pull him into a hug. I want to tell him maybe it’s his father, but as he said, it could be anyone and I don’t want to put his hopes up for nothing. Plus, he said, neither of them has worn the watches since they finished their contest, as it were bought just for that, so it’s highly unlikely that it was Mr. Sterling who put it on.“Am I crazy for thinking that even though it could be anyone wearing this watch that it’s my dad, maybe he found it
SCARLETT I sigh, setting down my phone on the table with a heavy heart, causing Ollie and Lexi to exchange concerned glances. “Still no answer?” Ollie asks softly, her hand finding mine in a comforting gesture and I shake my head, worry clawing at my insides as I reply with a voice tinged with frustration and fear. The last time I heard from Reed was when they landed. He said he would call me and let me know what they found, but he hasn’t, and he isn’t picking up my calls either. Ollie offers me a reassuring smile, squeezing my hand gently. “He’ll probably call back soon,” she says, and I nod, trying to find comfort in her words, but the anxiety still lingers like a shadow at the back of my mind. Looking around the bustling cafeteria, I realize how much I’ve missed this place. It’s my first day back at university, and I have so much to catch up on, but all I can think about is Reed.However, I’m snapped back to reality by Lexi as she waves the server over and orders my favorite des
SCARLETT As I step into my bedroom, exhaustion washes over me in waves, dragging me down into the depths of despair. I throw my bag onto the floor with a heavy thud, my shoulders slumping with the weight of the world and the sinking feeling in my stomach intensifies as I look around the empty room, the silence haunting. My fingers fumble for my phone, even though I know there won’t be any messages. I checked just before exiting the car, yet the emptiness of my inbox mocks me once again. With a sigh, I toss the phone onto the bed and collapse onto the mattress, burying my face in the pillows as tears threaten to spill. But just then, I hear the sound of the front door opening. My heart leaps into my throat as I rush to the security monitor behind the door, my eyes widening at the familiar face that appears on the screen. And just like that, my exhaustion is forgotten, replaced by a surge of emotion that threatens to overwhelm me.I’m already standing outside the bedroom door when he
REED I wake up with a dull ache throbbing behind my temples, and I sit in bed, running a hand through my disheveled hair, trying to shake off the foggy haze of sleep. As my surroundings come into focus, I realize that I’m in my bedroom at home, and it’s dark outside as I glance at the window. My thoughts immediately turn to Scarlett—I need to go home.Exiting the room, I nearly bump into my mother, who’s waiting in the hallway. She tells me she’s come to check on me, her voice filled with concern, before informing me that my dinner is in the oven, but I tell her I’ll eat at my place. Mom pulls me into a hug and bids me goodnight, seeing my urgency and I'm glad she doesn't try to talk me into staying. I reply, returning her hug briefly before pulling away and running down the staircase–my girl the only thing on my mind. **SCARLETT I’m sitting on the couch with my friends, watching a movie. We went all out and bought snacks and popcorn to make it a real movie date. But despite the
NARRATOR There’s a heavy silence as Lexi and Ollie work diligently to clean up the mess left behind by Reed’s outburst. Ollie focuses on picking up the scattered cups and spilled snacks, while Lexi attempts to remove the stubborn stain from the rug. But after a while, Ollie breaks the silence with a casual remark, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you winning over there?” she asks, a faint smile tugging at her lips before adding that Lexi’s mom will freak out if she sees the stain. Lexi pauses in her task, looking up at Ollie with a serious expression. Instead of answering her question about the stain, she surprises Ollie with her next words.“Do you think he beats her?” Ollie’s eyes widen in shock at the unexpected question. “What?” she stammers, caught off guard, and Lexi persists, her voice filled with uncertainty. “He was terrifying just now.”“He heard you say his mom killed his father, Lexi,” Ollie replies, trying to reason with her. "Of course, he was scary, and anyone would b
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