I watched Angela storm off, her words replaying in my mind like a haunting echo. She was angry, no, furious, and I could see that this wasn’t just about Kurtis. It was something deeper, something that had been brewing between us for years. I leaned against the wall, my chest tight as I tried to gather myself. But the more I thought about her accusations, the harder it was to shake the feeling that this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. Angela had always been dramatic, but this… this felt different. Suddenly, the door to the hallway swung open, and I saw her standing there again, her arms crossed, her expression colder than before. My heart sank. I wasn’t prepared for round two. “Angela, can we please just” “No, we can’t ‘just talk,’ Lyra. We’re way past that.” She cut me off, her voice icy. “Do you even remember growing up? Do you have any idea what it was like to always be “the star”?” I blinked, unsure where this was going. “What are you talking about?” Angela stepped cl
The night was long, and despite the tension that had settled between me and Angela, my friends and I stayed up, gisting and reminiscing about the old days. We’d all gathered in my suite after the party, and the laughter in the room helped ease some of the anxiety that had settled in my chest.Ella was lounging on the couch, a glass of champagne in hand, while Mary sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through old pictures on her phone."Remember Mr. Williams?" Ella said, giggling as she scrolled through an ancient class photo. "That man was a *disaster*."I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh God, yes. His outfits were legendary. He always wore those neon-green shoes with that terrible mustard-yellow blazer."Mary snorted, shaking her head. "He looked like he was about to audition for a circus every single day. And those pants! Remember when one of the boys put glue on his chair and he got stuck to it during the math exam?"We all erupted into laughter. “He was so mad!” I added, clutching
The morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room, but inside me, a cold knot of fear tightened in my stomach. I stood still as Ella and Mary fluttered around, adjusting the delicate lace of my gown, smoothing the train. It was my wedding day “my” day. I was supposed to feel overjoyed, excited even. Instead, my fingers trembled, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.“Lyra, breathe.” Ella’s voice broke through the fog in my mind as she fixed the veil on my head. “You look like an absolute goddess. Kurtis won’t believe his eyes.”I forced a smile, but inside, I was unraveling. The texts… they wouldn’t stop haunting me. “Tick tock, Lyra. Time’s running out.” Those words had echoed in my mind all night. And then, the last message from just hours ago, “Beware, something hard is about to hit you.”I glanced at my phone, hoping for some sign, an explanation. But the screen was dark and silent, mocking me with its stillness. My gut twisted tighter. Who
The light was dim when I woke up. My head throbbed painfully, and my body ached as if I’d been dragged across the floor. I tried to move, but my wrists were bound behind me, and my legs were tied together. Panic surged through me as I struggled to sit up, taking in my surroundings. The room was small, bare, and not the bridal suite where I had been just hours ago.I blinked, disoriented, trying to make sense of what had happened. The wedding… the mysterious figure… the blow to my head. “Tick tock, Lyra.” That voice haunted me, and the memory of the masked man chilled me to my bones.Suddenly, the door creaked open. My pulse quickened as footsteps echoed on the concrete floor. I braced myself, my heart hammering in my chest, trying to keep my breathing steady despite the overwhelming fear that gripped me.Two figures stepped into the room, their faces coming into view. My breath hitched when I saw them.“Angela.” “James.”I couldn’t believe it. My sister. My ex-boyfriend. “What… what
I stood at the altar, my heart racing. Today was the day I’d waited for, the day I’d marry the woman who owned every inch of my soul. Lyra. My eyes flickered to the grand double doors, expecting her to walk through at any moment, looking like the goddess I knew her to be. But… nothing.The church was buzzing softly, the guests whispering amongst themselves. The air was thick with the scent of fresh roses and tension. It wasn’t like Lyra to keep me waiting. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay calm. “She’ll be here,” I muttered under my breath.Beside me, Alex shifted awkwardly. He leaned in, his voice low. “Kurtis, she’s probably just taking her time. You know, wedding day nerves.”I nodded, but the knot in my stomach tightened. Something wasn’t right. I glanced at my phone for the tenth time, hoping—no, praying—that a message would pop up, some excuse for her lateness. But the screen stayed blank.“Where the hell is she?” I whispered, my voice rough with worry. I could feel the w
Kurtis POV It’s been twenty-four hours, and still no sign of her. I’m losing it. Every lead feels like a dead end, and the clock is ticking faster than I can move. I should have been there, should have protected her. The weight of it all presses against my chest like a vise, suffocating me, and my mind keeps circling back to the last time I saw her smile.It was that morning, the day of our wedding. She’d smiled at me from across the room, her eyes glowing with love, her lips curling in that gentle, perfect way they always did. And now, she’s out there, somewhere, scared, alone. I can’t stop picturing her, trapped, helpless, wondering why I haven’t come for her yet. Every second that passes feels like another nail in my chest. I won’t let her down again.We’ve combed through security footage, spoken to everyone who could have possibly seen something, but still, nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air, and the fear gnaws at me, eating away at any shred of composure I have left.
My wrists ached from the ropes biting into my skin, the rough fibers digging deep until I could barely feel my hands. Every breath I took felt like fire, burning its way through my chest as panic clawed at me from the inside. The darkness pressed in, suffocating, making the air thick and stale. There was only one dim light, an overhead bulb that flickered weakly, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the cracked concrete walls. “How long has it been?”Days? Hours? Time had lost all meaning after the first time they hit me. My cheek throbbed with a dull ache, swollen from the most recent blow, but I refused to give in. I wouldn’t cry. Not for them. Not when I still had hope, as fragile as it was. “Kurtis is coming. He’ll find me.”But doubt was creeping in. Gnawing at me, pulling at the edges of my mind. What if he didn’t get the message? What if he never found me?“No,” I whispered to myself, fighting back the tremor in my voice. I couldn’t afford to think like that. Not now
My heart raced as I struggled against the ropes binding my wrists. Every breath I took felt like fire, burning in my chest as the panic threatened to choke me. The darkness in the room pressed down on me, thick and suffocating. The only light came from the flickering bulb hanging overhead, casting long, eerie shadows on the concrete walls.How long had it been? Days? Hours? I lost track after the second time they hit me. My cheek was still swollen from the last blow, but I refused to cry. I wouldn’t give them that power over me. Not when I still had hope. “Kurtis is coming. He’ll find me.”But the doubt crept in, gnawing at the edges of my mind. What if he didn’t get the message? What if he never found me?I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of fear. I couldn’t think like that. Not now.The sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, slow and deliberate. My pulse quickened as the door creaked open. The man who had taken me stepped in, his face hidden in the shadows. He looked at