ROBERT'S POV My world suddenly grew quiet. The sirens, the murmuring detectives, all the noise faded into a deathly silence. It was as if someone had turned the volume knob of the universe all the way down. I stood there, staring at the grotesque body on the ground, feeling as if my life had ended. Ariana, my heart whispered, as my mind struggled to accept the horrific scene before me.The silence was oppressive, pressing down on me like a weight. I couldn't hear the frantic conversations of the officers or the distant wail of emergency vehicles. Even the city, usually a cacophony of life, seemed to hold its breath. The only sound was the pounding of my own heartbeat, a relentless reminder of my existence in this nightmare.I wanted to scream, to break the suffocating silence, but no sound came out. My throat was a desert, dry and parched, incapable of producing the noise that roared inside me. The world had stopped, leaving me in this frozen moment of horror and loss.I closed my ey
ARIANA'S POV Reginald’s eyes narrowed with renewed interest at my mention of Sylvia. He signaled Detective James to put away the gun, and the man complied, lowering the weapon from Nate's temple.“Who is this Sylvia?” Reginald demanded.My voice shook as I replied, “She’s the lawyer representing Winters Pharmaceuticals.”Reginald let out an ironic “ahhh” and leaned back, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Margaret told me the merger looked promising,” he began, his tone dripping with bitterness. “She came to me for help, and now, just like tha
ROBERT'S POV Confusion erupted, filling the room with frantic energy. Margaret's cries escalated into loud, desperate wails, each one a dagger in my already bleeding heart. I could only imagine the agony she was experiencing, losing both Ariana and now, possibly, Nate. My own grief mingled with hers, a suffocating cloud that threatened to drown us all. I fumbled for my cell phone and called Detective Edward. The disbelief in his voice mirrored my own as I relayed the latest grim development.“I’ll do my best to bring the boy home,” Edward assured me, though his tone was laced with uncertainty.
ARIANA'S POV I dialed the number with shaking hands, the quarter clicking loudly as it settled in the payphone. My heart pounded at the call waiting. The silence on the other end was unbearable. I had to undo what I had done. Reginald had proven himself to be very dangerous, even more than Odette and I couldn't let him get his hand on Sylvia.“Please,” I whispered desperately. “Please pick up.”But the call wouldn't connect. I slammed the receiver down, a sob escaping my throat. I was so close, and yet so far. The frustration and fear were overwhelming. I sank to the ground, my body shaking with sobs. I was weak, hungry, and exhausted. It felt like every part of me was breaking down.Nate climbed down from the bench where I had sat him and walked over to me. He wrapped his small arms around my neck, kissing my cheek. "Sorry, Ariana," he whispered, his voice trembling.I held him close to me, my body whimpering from the sheer touch, my tears soaking his shoulder. “It's not your fault
ROBERT'S POVMy heart pounded against my chest as I lifted the receiver, the unease creeping over me like a shadow. Reginald’s presence behind me felt like a physical weight, an immovable anchor tethering me to a sinking ship. I rubbed my fingers together, the sensation of the fine sand still lingering—a small but unsettling detail that gnawed at my mind.Why did he have sand on his hand?“Hello?” I answered, my voice barely steady.The voice on the other end was shrill and frantic, unmistakably Ariana's. My heart skipped a beat, terror and relief colliding in a cacophony of emotion. I nearly shouted her name, but she cut me off sharply.“Don't say anything, I'll do the talking,” she screamed, there was fear and desperation in her voice. “Is this Robert Stone?”“Yes,” I croaked, my throat tightening.There were so many things I wanted to say. So many words fighting for a place in my mind. “Rob, listen. Reginald is not to be trusted,” she said, her voice quivering with raw terror. “I'
ARIANA'S POVThe room was dark and the air stale. I could tell that the sun was up but the last thing I needed was the sun shining its rays on my loneliness so I kept the curtains drawn. I was seated on a white leather couch in the sitting room cradling my baby bump and sighing for the umpteenth time. Something weighed heavily on my mind. But I did not want to believe it was regret. I did not want to cast my mind back to the events that led to the now: me, pregnant, sitting in a dark room all alone, my husband gone.“I'm gonna be fine”, I whispered to myself. “You hear that baby?” I said, directed at the baby bump. “We're gonna be fine”. Even as I whispered those words, I knew that what I truly wanted was the company of my husband. I wanted him to be sitting right there with me, the curtains open, letting in the sun and the two of us holding hands while whispering sweet nothings and looking forward to the birth of our son.Just so my husband could look at me with approval. With l
ROBERT'S POVI have been an unhappy man since the day I lost her. I lost her in the wedding with Ariana, her sister. It was for business reasons but I’ve never thought about it could make my life become this way. I mumbled a goodnight to my secretary and other staff as I exited the office building. The last thing I wanted was to go home to Ariana, the one who’s my wife, but also the one who always reminds me of her death.Ariana was the workaholic heiress who controlled an entire department of her parents’ conglomerate. She was pretty, tough, and passionate about everything. She’s good. But she’s not Flora.The lady whose smile lit up my world. “How perfect should I do to get your attention? To drag you back from her so that you can face reality? To face me and our baby?” She once shouted to me with tearful eyes.“You are so wrong, Ariana. Flora’s not perfect. She’s just kind, naive, and caring. Compared to you, she’s just a normal person with a normal personality you can see ever
ARIANA'S POV I knew I was panicking and that if I did not calm down, I would not be able to do anything. I did not want to believe Judith, Rob could not still be pining after Flora after all these years! Flora was dead. That much was certain, why should her ghost still haunt our relationship?If Flora’s back, what more could I do to make him love me? If Flora’s back…No, it can’t be true. I saw her dead, with my own eyes. I began to dial my best friend's number. I haven’t called her for a long time from my side. We had a deal. A deal not to contact each other after Flora’s demise, and now, she might just be alive.I shouldn't call her. It could jeopardize the whole thing.But she's the only one who understands…I held my breath as I clicked on Barbara’s number.It rang, and on the second ring, she picked.“Hi Barbara,” I said softly“Ari,” she whispered “I’ve missed you so much,”“Me too. I don't know what to do anymore. There’s a problem, Barbara. ”“What's the matter, Ari? What'