NARRATOR Reed is at the club, and the music is blasting. He and his friends are sitting in the VIP section, and the drinks have been flowing all night. Larken looks at Reed, diverting his attention away from the girl who has been flirting with Reed from the opposite table. “So, you are really done with her?” Larken inquires, referring to Scarlett as he looks between the girl and Reed, and Reed nods. He downs his shot before finally getting up and approaching the girls who've all been eyeing him all night. He walks over to the table, introduces himself, and then asks the group of girls if they'd like to join him and his friends at their table. The girls accept the invitation and return to Reed's table, where Reed requests additional drinks from the server. His buddies introduce themselves.After storming out of his house, Reed went to the bar to drown his sorrows. He had already begun drinking heavily when his friends called to say they were on their way to the club.Now he’s prett
SCARLETTI groan and turn to my side as sounds from my back sliding door awaken me. It sounds like a knock, so I open my eyes, but my eyelids are too heavy, and I try to fall back asleep, convincing myself it is a small animal.However, the noise persists, becoming increasingly louder. Eventually, my eyes open and I sit up in bed, turning on my bedside lamp. I realize someone is knocking, and my heart lurches to my throat, my voice trembling as I call out, asking who it is. The response is muffled, but there’s no mistaking the voice. I would know it anywhere. I leap out of bed, taking long strides toward the door, and as I rip it open, there stands Reed.He is disheveled and swaying as he stands, and before I can say anything, he wraps me in a hug. I hold him back tightly as he sobs, tears choking his voice as he apologizes. "It's okay," I repeat, trying to soothe him as he breaks down in my arms, saying he didn't mean the things he said to me, and that he loves me and cannot live wi
SCARLETT“You know he’s here?” I ask and she gives me a duh look. “Of course, I know. You forget you’re my daughter. I told you I know you,” she teases, and my face flames up again. I admit that we made up, feeling a bit embarrassed, and she places a hand on my shoulder, saying it’s okay, I don’t have to explain. She sits down, draws her chair close to mine, and takes my hands in hers. Her expression suddenly turns serious, and even though she's just said it's fine, my heartbeat quickens, knowing there's more to come.“I’m happy that you and Reed made up. I meant it when I said I would support your relationship, but I want to remind you of something important. While it’s okay to love someone deeply, like you love Reed, you mustn’t lose yourself in the relationship.There is life without Reed, Scarlett. I know he's your first, and you feel like life stops with him, but it doesn't. Your life doesn’t end with him. I do not want you to take this the wrong way, but you can not let the rel
SCARLETTReed’s eyes widen at my revelation. "What?" he whispers, his expression becoming indescribable as he looks down at my stomach and then up at me, and tears well up in my eyes, my heartbeat quickening. I reiterate that I'm pregnant, and he lets go of me, running a hand through his hair. Panic grips my heart, and I blurt out that I am sorry and did not intend for it to happen. "I was on the pill, and I am not sure how this happened." But before I can finish, Reed pulls me into a tight hug.As I hold him back, my tears fall freely, with only my sniffling breaking the silence. After what seems like an eternity, he pulls back and pecks my forehead, and I can feel myself shaking from the stress of telling him about the baby."You are trembling," he says quietly, cupping my face and looking into my eyes, and I admit I am scared. He leans in, gently connecting our lips while still cupping my face.“Don’t be. It's going to be okay; we'll figure it out together." He says and pulls me i
SCARLETTLaughing at the romantic comedy on screen, Reed and I are still lying on the soft rug in the lounge area of the plane even though it is very late. Reed’s grandfather retired to bed about an hour ago, but we wanted to finish the movie first. I turn my gaze away from Reed and back to the screen, but I can feel his eyes on me, causing me to turn to him again and find him watching me with a soft smile.“What?” I ask, my laughter fading into my own curious smile, and he pulls me closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “You have a beautiful laugh,” he says, his voice low and his words make my heart skip a beat while a blush creeps up my cheeks.I stop laughing; the atmosphere suddenly charged with a different kind of energy, and just then he adds. "One I want to listen to all my life," his eyes shining with affection, and something deeper that makes my chest flutter again. The familiar warm feeling spreads across my chest, making it hard to breathe, but in the best way possible. We
SCARLETTI nod cheerfully when Reed asks if I am ready. "Yes, I am," I reply, and we both leave. Our morning started with a light nap to shake off the jet lag, and now we’re eager to explore. But first, lunch. Outside, our driver—who doubles as our guide—is waiting for us. Later, Reed's grandfather is expected to join us. He needed to attend to a few matters first. Reed opens the door for me. “Thank you,” I say, slipping into the backseat. We are driven to Kronenhalle, Reed's grandfather's favorite eatery. We arrive and head inside. The place is charming, with art-covered walls and an old-world vibe. We settle into our seats, and I can’t help but feel a little special to be here. The menu is filled with Swiss specialties, and we decide to try a bit of everything.The rösti is crispy and golden, and the Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, veal in a creamy white wine sauce, is delicious. Reed and I share bites and laughs while the conversation continues. His excitement for the city is contagiou
SCARLETTWe’re seated at the table, enjoying dinner, when Reed’s grandfather receives a call. He doesn’t normally take calls at the table, but the butler informs him that it’s important, causing Reed and me to pay attention as well. He excuses himself to take the call, and Reed and I nod while Reed reaches for my hand and places a gentle kiss on top of it, causing me to smile. Today has been another eventful day. Reed’s grandfather spent the entire day with us, sharing stories and memories. He even took us to the town where Mr. Sterling was born and grew up. We also saw the family home of Mr. Sterling’s childhood friend, where Reed’s grandfather used to work.Coming back to the house late, he showed us pictures of Mr. Sterling as a baby and teen—photos we hadn’t seen before. Reed is really happy he made this trip; his face radiates contentment.“How about I run you a bath after dinner,” he says, kissing my hand again, sending my heart fluttering as I tell him I would love that. He ca
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
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