"Aurora," Noah called. He gently tapped me. "Wake up," I said, still feeling his tapping on me. "I'm hungry," he said. I didn't resist when my stomach growled. He opened the car door for me, and he entered first before me. Nice, a gentleman. "Are we far away?" I asked. He shook his head. "We're almost there," he replied. "Where are we going?" I asked. He shrugged and smiled. He didn't want to say. I just let him be and didn't ask any further. Our food arrived, and it seemed like both of us were really hungry. We didn't speak much as we ate and devoured the prepared dishes. Once we finished, I was so full I could hardly breathe. I discreetly unbuttoned my pants to allow some breathing room. We were both silent, staring off into space. The two of us were lost in thought. When I looked at him, I chuckled. It seemed like I wasn't the only one who over ate. I pointed to his loosened belt. "Full, huh?" I remarked. He patted his stomach. "I think I went overboard. The food her
Since Noah dropped me off that night, I couldn't get what happened out of my mind.I was sure I hadn't gotten into any fights or done anything to lead to this. I don't have any time to fight with anyone else because of how drained I am with Lucas. I don't have time for that. The only person I had a conflict with was Lucas, but that was impossible. He probably wouldn't go to such lengths. But then, what if he did?I grabbed my cell phone and searched for his name. I wanted to call him, but I held back. But still, I didn't want to come across as accusatory. What if it wasn't him?I sighed and picked up my crochet kit basket. It had been a few days since the incident, and despite my efforts, I couldn't shake off the fear I felt for myself.I still hadn't gone outside. There was no certainty that I was actually being followed, but the fear lingered. In my entire life, this was the first time I had encountered something like this, and Noah was the first to know.I pushed those thoughts as
"What? Why?" he asked.I shook my head and walked away from the lipstick section. I reminded myself that I didn't want to get into a fight. I was ready to confront him, but I chose not to. I moved to another section and was relieved that he didn't follow me.After browsing for a while, I headed to the swimwear section. It was a bit challenging to choose from the wide variety."What color would you recommend?" I asked the saleswoman who had been following me around.What I disliked the most was being watched while I shopped. I felt like they were suspecting me of shoplifting, but I let it slide for now. I needed assistance anyway."For me, Ma'am, red looks great. Red is usually chosen, especially for fair-skinned people," she said.I grinned. It was a bit overrated."Thanks," I said and picked out an emerald green swimsuit. It looked nice, though.I left her there to continue looking. In the end, I got five swimsuits: two two-piece sets, two one-piece suits, and a cover-up.I didn't pl
"Do you need accompany?" I raised an eyebrow at Haze's question. I was quite surprised since it seemed like he kept popping up in front of me out of nowhere. "No," I replied and returned my gaze ahead. I heard his laugh before he sat down next to me. "Why aren't you with someone? It's dangerous for you, especially being a woman," he said. I just sighed and absentmindedly drew patterns in the sand next to me. "You've been catching the attention of the guys around here. Actually, even until now," he prodded again. "Do you know what's more unsettling?" I retorted. He looked slightly taken aback, but then she chuckled after a moment. "Come on, it's not like we're from the same city—" "And how can you be sure that we're not from the same place? What's scarier is if you claim to know where I live." To be honest, I had run out of patience with him since yesterday. I didn't know what the universe was playing at, continually crossing our paths. He fell silent, which I greatly appreci
I quickly got bored when I couldn't even enjoy my day. It was made worse by Haze's constant presence. Who would be happy with that? I reached for the wine handed to me by the bartender. Without any hesitation, I took a sip. I had to squint my eyes when a headache started to pound in my head. My vision had been blurry for a while now, so I decided to stop drinking. My alcohol tolerance was embarrassingly low, but I really enjoyed the taste of the alcohol. I waved my hand as if signaling that I was ready to leave. My eyes were watery as I stood up. I wanted to go back to my room to get some sleep, but in my stupor, I stumbled. "Thanks," I muttered after regaining my balance, having tripped over by another guy. I was about to walk away when he grabbed my arm. I raised an eyebrow, and I was met with a creepy grin on his lips that sent shivers down my spine. "Come with me," he said as he approached me. My eyebrows furrowed as I pushed him away. He laughed and came closer to me. "Fe
I could hardly move my body when I woke up. I winced in pain from the discomfort I was feeling in parts of my body. I slowly adjusted my eyes to the light. I wanted to scan my surroundings, but it was challenging due to the brace around my neck. I heard the door opening. "Aurora, my dear," Mommy's voice said. I managed to look at her as she approached me. She was alone, which was unexpected. She is not who I thought I'd see here."My," I greeted her with a weak smile. "What happened to you?" she asked, sounding concerned. "A fast car suddenly came in my lane, so I swerved," I explained. "Is... Lucas here?" I asked hesitantly. Looking for the guy I called last night to help me. "Your husband just left. He said there's an emergency meeting at his company, and he needed to go there. Coincidentally, I had just arrived," she replied. I closed my eyes, trying to suppress a laugh at my own foolishness. Why do I even expected to wake up and see him in this room. "And Daddy?" I inquir
Weeks passed, and I had fully recovered. I still felt a slight pain in my neck, but it was manageable. During those weeks, I hadn't heard anything from Lucas. Noah had been taking care of me diligently, and now I was on my way to Lucas's house. I didn't know what came over me, why I wanted to go to our house. When I arrived, I hesitated before getting out of the car. I stared at our house, which seemed even more desolate now. I firmly closed my eyes and started the car to head home when I noticed another car approaching in the side mirror. I swallowed hard, turned off my car's engine, and waited for Lucas's car to arrive. It took a few moments, but I heard his car door open. I waited in my car for him to get out, but minutes passed, and he didn't. Impatiently, I got out of my car and walked toward his. I could barely speak when I saw his condition. "Lucas," I called out to him. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be bearing the bruises and wounds on his arms. My instincts k
"We don't know what else he's planning. We can't catch his plans, and what's even more concerning is that it seems like he knows our plans." "Kill him," Lucas' voice was firm. I was on my way out when I overheard them talking by the pool area. Curiosity got the best of me. Instead of walking away, I managed to hide behind a curtain where I knew they couldn't see me. "If that's the only way to stop him, then so be it. Kill him," Lucas reiterated. "But we're not like that, Lucas. We correct mistakes and don't resort to killing." "Do you think we can apply that to him? That man has no soul left, and no matter what you do, he won't change," Lucas argued. My eyes widened when I accidentally moved a large vase behind me, causing it to make a noise. I felt a sense of fear when no one spoke anymore. I swallowed hard and quickly moved to the other side. My heart raced as I heard the curtains being rustled. I doubled my fear, covering my mouth to stifle any sound. "It's nothing. Probabl