“What's your name?” I asked, watching as her gray eyes went wide as she tried to probably recall her name. It was funny to see the little girl bring her chubby fingers to her pouty lips and pat them like a thoughtful adult. “I…my name is Lisa,” She responded but still looked confused like she wasn't really sure if that was the correct name. “Lisa? Are you sure?” I asked with a cocked up brow, unable to hold back my smile. She nodded, still looking unsure. I sighed. “Alright, Lisa, where did you get separated from your dad?” She shook her head, eyes tearing up yet again. I patted her back in a panic, I loved kids but in that moment I realized I had no idea how to handle one. “It's okay, it's okay…” I reassured her gently. “We'll find him, just try to remember where he was, hmm?” She had that comical, thoutful look on her face again before finally, pointing in the direction she had walked out from. “The ice cream…” She mumbled, “I want ice cream,” “No, that's not what…”
ROMANYEARS AGO… "Hey! Stop right there!" The shout pierced the night air, shattering the fragile silence we'd maintained during our escape. My muscles tensed instinctively, adrenaline surging through my veins as I tightened my grip on Amelia's limp form. Her soft, ragged breathing tickled my ear, a constant reminder of the unexpected complication to my mission. "Halt! Or we'll open fire!" The voice was closer now, filled with the bravado of a guard who thought he had the upper hand. I didn't bother to look back. Instead, I poured every ounce of energy into my legs, pushing them to their limit as I sprinted towards the perimeter fence. The weight of Amelia on my shoulders was substantial, but the stakes were too high to slow down. The sound of boots pounding against concrete echoed behind us, growing louder with each passing second. I could almost feel the pursuers' breath on the back of my neck as I reached the fence. Without breaking stride, I shifted Amelia's weight to one sho
The elevator ride to the fourth floor was tense. Amelia's breathing had become more labored, and I could feel the heat of a fever radiating from her body. Whatever she'd been through, it was taking a serious toll. The door to the safe house opened as we approached, revealing Dimitri's stocky frame. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of us. "Bozhe moi," he muttered. "Roman, what have you done?" "Not now, Dimitri," I said, brushing past him into the apartment. "Where's the doctor?" "In the bedroom, preparing," Dimitri replied, closing and locking the door behind us. "Roman, you need to tell me what's going on. This wasn't a part of your mission." I ignored him for the moment, focusing on getting Amelia to the bedroom. A small, wiry man with graying hair looked up as we entered. His eyes quickly assessed the situation, and he gestured for me to lay Amelia on the bed. "What happened to her?" the doctor asked, already beginning his examination. "I don't know the details,
In that safe house, Amelia and I had a weird relationship, I wasn't sure it was classified as friendship but it was something. She was unpredictable, funny and she was comfortable. I wasn't sure when it began, probably on the third day after she woke up when she called me Rome for the first time, or maybe it was in the second week we had spent together. I knew Amelia and I had grown closer than friends. I'd never been understood or been that close to a woman before. It came with a feeling I didn't expect. One that made me realize after one month of living in that safe house with her, that if I didn't let her go back to her life…it would span from months to years and eventually, I would have to stop lying to her about the people who took her, I would drag her deeper into a world she knew nothing about. After finding out they took her accidentally, mistaking the poor woman for the heiress of the Guerreros who had died years back all because her mother bore a similar name…
Amelia's eyes seemed to catch fire in the dying light, a storm of emotions in those depths. I found myself captivated, unable to look away as she spoke. "I... I don't know what comes over me when I talk about Bertha," Amelia admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She wrung her hands in her lap, a nervous habit I'd noticed more and more lately. "It's like I become someone else entirely. Someone I don't particularly like." She sighed, I could tell she was trying to force a smile but failed. What I had expected her to question…was my past, how I ended up in that position, finding her. I omitted what I really was…who I was. I nodded slowly, remembering the subtle shifts in her demeanor, the sharpness that would creep into her voice whenever her sister's name came up, it was the same with Bertha…when it came to Amelia, she was a completely different person, a beast rather than the soft woman I had once loved. "I've noticed," I spoke carefully, not wanting to upset her furthe
AMELIAMaybe it was his scent, or perhaps the way he held me tight. I found myself melting deeper into his touch, pulling back slightly to draw in a breath only to plunge my tongue deeper into his mouth, caressing every crevice, his teeth hitting mine repeatedly amidst our heated clash. He groaned, low in his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me on to his body, I trapped him between my thighs, straddling him. I immediately felt his erection against my ass, digging into my already sensitive flesh. I moaned, he swallowed the sound, his hands drifting down from my waist down to my hips, grabbing and squeezing as he moved his waist, making his hardness press further into me. I was lost in the bliss of his warmth, everything else seemed to have faded with my body against his, like the last piece to a puzzle. A perfect fit. Then, a low growl left his throat and he abruptly dragged his lips away from mine, creating distance between our faces. I felt the cold air brush
I stirred awake, blinking lazily as sunlight streamed through the partially open curtains. For a moment, I lay there, savoring the warmth of my bed and the peaceful quiet of the morning. Then, with a jolt, I realized something was off. The room was far too bright compared to the time I had set for my alarm. I stood up abruptly and I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. My eyes widened in disbelief, it was already 10:30 AM. I had slept through my alarm! "Shit, shit, shit," I muttered, throwing off the covers and scrambling out of bed. My mind raced, trying to remember everything I needed to do today. The exhibition... my painting... I paused mid-panic, a wave of relief washing over me as I recalled that Vincent had promised to take care of transporting my painting to the art gallery. I let out a low sigh as I tried to calm my breathing. All that was left for me to do was get ready for the evening event. As I stood there, running a hand through my sleep-tousled hair, a memory f
As I sat there, sipping my water and trying to calm my racing heart, I couldn't help but marvel at the unexpected turn our conversation had taken. Roman and I were... flirting? The realization hit me like a sudden gust of wind, both exhilarating and slightly terrifying. And maybe not so bad the more I thought of it. "A black dress it is, then," Roman said, his voice low and tinged with something that sounded suspiciously like anticipation. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised," He promised in a low voice that had me on edge. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "Oh? And what makes you so sure about that?" He leaned in slightly, close enough that I could see the flecks of darker blue in his irises. "Let's just say I've gotten to know your taste pretty well over the years, Amelia. Even if you don't remember all of it,” He simply replied. His words sent a shiver down my spine, a reminder of all the history between us that I still couldn't fully recall. But instead
AMELIAThe hours crawled by with excruciating slowness. Jessica and I sat in the living room, remnants of our lunch spread across the coffee table, neither of us having much appetite. The black car hadn't returned, but I kept glancing out the window anyway, expecting—or dreading—to see it again.I knew something was going on, deep down I knew that the little peace we'd managed to enjoy these past few weeks was already over. I knew it the second I woke up in that hospital. I knew it the second I was told I lost my baby. "You should try to eat something," Jessica said, pushing a container of pasta toward me, looking rather cautious. She's been that way for a while, like she's unsure of what to say, scared that a word might trigger me or something like that. I shook my head. "I can't. My stomach's in knots." I admitted with full honesty. My heart felt heavy and there was the sense of impending doom that I kept trying to push down. Roman and I were…not okay, that much I knew. Eating a
The argument replayed in my mind like a broken record, each harsh word cutting deeper with each repetition. ‘All you see is your own pain.’ The accusation stung particularly sharp because it was untrue. I'd spent weeks trying to understand Roman's pain, making excuses for his absence, convincing myself that his distance was just his way of coping. And now he had the audacity to throw that in my face? That son of a– My phone felt heavy in my pocket. I could call Jessica, or Alexander—they'd be here in minutes. But what would I say? That my husband, the man who'd been my rock through everything, had just revealed a side of himself I'd never seen before? That he was keeping secrets about who had poisoned me? Instead, I did something I hadn't dared since being discharged; I walked upstairs to the nursery door. My hand trembled as it touched the doorknob. We'd painted it white just two weeks ago, discussing whether we should add some kind of decorative element. Roman had wanted to pai
AMELIAHome was supposed to feel like a sanctuary. Instead, the walls seemed to close in around me, each room holding memories that felt more like wounds. The nursery door remained firmly shut—neither of us had the courage to face what lay behind it.I for one knew that I would break down into tiny pieces if I saw what was behind that door. I had already given instructions for the room to be emptied, without my knowledge, of course. I didn't want to see them. The crib. The stuffed animals, the onesies. Fiona had left or rather…fired. I had a feeling she had something to do with the poisoning seeing as Roman was being kind of secretive about why she left or why he fired her. He never really gave me a straight answer, not even when he hired an older woman to fill in as both housekeeper and maid for the meantime. Roman had been adamant about me staying home. "You need to rest," he'd say, his tone leaving no room for argument. But rest felt impossible when my mind wouldn't stop spinnin
The night air was cool against my skin as I stepped out of the hospital, fishing my phone out of my purse to order another Uber. The parking lot was mostly empty, illuminated by scattered streetlights that created pools of yellow light in the darkness. The sound of rapid footsteps behind me made my heart jump, but before I could turn around, I heard his voice."Greece!"Just one word. My name. But the way Colson said it made something inside me twist. I turned to find him slightly out of breath, as if he'd run to catch up with me. The sight of him – powerful, composed Colson – actually running after someone was so unexpected that for a moment, I could only stare."What are you doing here?" I asked, hating how my voice betrayed my awareness of him. Even in the dim light, he was devastating – the shadows playing across his features only emphasized the sharp angles of his face, the intensity of his gaze."It's too dark for you to be out alone," he said, his tone still carrying that profe
GREECE“Why…” I inhaled deeply, “...are you here?” I asked softly. I didn't know he was back from Mexico. But then again, we haven't kept any contact since I left. He couldn't be here for me, right? "Wellington Corp has a meeting with the university board today," Colson said, his voice carrying that familiar professional tone that I'd almost forgotten existed. "With Roman at the hospital with Amelia, I'm handling the meeting with the dean."The words hit me like a splash of cold water, washing away whatever foolish notions I'd been entertaining. Of course. He wasn't here for me. He was here for business, just like always. The realization stung more than it should have, but I refused to let it show on my face."It's nice to see you again," I managed to say, proud of how steady my voice sounded despite the chaos in my chest. But even as I spoke, my traitorous eyes kept drifting to his lips, remembering how they'd felt against mine that night in Mexico. The warmth, the intensity, the
GREECEThe lecture hall felt suffocating despite its size. Professor Williams droned on about corporate law, but my mind was elsewhere, wandering back to memories of Mexico City – memories I couldn't seem to shake no matter how hard I tried. It had been a month since I'd returned, since Colson had practically forced me onto that plane, and yet everything still felt fresh. Raw.The scent of his cologne. The intensity of his gaze. The way his hands felt when they caught me from falling. The almost-kiss on the balcony that still haunted my dreams."Miss Stavros?" Professor Williams's voice cut through my reverie. "Care to share your thoughts on the Jensen case?"I straightened in my seat, forcing myself to focus on the present. "The Jensen case highlighted the importance of fiduciary duty in corporate governance," I began, drawing on whatever information I could remember from last night's reading. "The board's decision to..."As I continued my response, I couldn't help but notice how dif
The days that followed blurred together like watercolors in the rain. I felt disconnected from my body, as if I were floating somewhere above myself, tethered only by the thinnest of threads to the physical world below. The hospital room became my entire universe—a bubble where time moved differently, where every breath felt like an effort against the crushing weight of loss.I used to think I was a strong person, I used to think if I could have survived this far, after everything…then I could handle anything. But this? This pain? It was something I wouldn't wish even my worst enemy. Jessica was my constant companion, her presence both comforting and guilt-inducing. She'd pull up a chair beside my bed, her white coat wrinkled from long hours, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion."You need to get back to work," I told her one afternoon, my voice still carrying that hollow quality I couldn't seem to shake. "Your patients need you more than I do."She looked up from h
AMELIADarkness. Unrelenting. Suffocating.The memory crashed over me like a violent wave, fragmentary and disjointed. Marcus. The name itself was a razor blade against my consciousness, cutting through the soft, sedated edges of my hospital room's tranquility.I could see him—not his face, never his complete face—but his presence. Overwhelming. Menacing. A shadow that had stalked me longer than I could comprehend. His voice was a low, calculated whisper that seemed to echo through the chambers of my most terrifying memories. "Finally," he had said. "Finally, I have you."I remember being so afraid that I couldn't speak, every time he walked into a room, every time he told me about his love for me…how many times he's watched me, how many times he's just been in the shadows…looking, seeing everything and anything that has happened to me, even times I had forgotten. Flashes of my previous attempts to escape flickered like a damaged film reel. The sharp object I'd used against him—som
AMELIAThe silence was almost like a living, breathing entity. It wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket, pressing against my chest, making each breath feel like a monumental effort. My body felt alien—a vessel that had somehow failed its most fundamental purpose. The white hospital walls seemed to close in, choking me yet at the same time those white walls managed to keep me calm despite the screams and wails I could hear in my head.Or perhaps it was just me, still recovering from the shock. Roman's voice broke through my fog, soft and tentative. "Do you need anything, Amy? Water? Another blanket?" His words were gentle, carefully constructed, as if speaking too loudly might shatter whatever fragile composure I was desperately trying to maintain.I turned my head slowly, mechanically, meeting his gaze. His eyes were rimmed with exhaustion and though I never saw it was obvious that he had cried. A concept that I'd never really associated with Roman up until that very moment.