FAITH
Jessica’s heels clicked sharply against the hospital floor as she marched toward me, her arms crossed, her face set in a deep scowl. Her usual pristine elegance was overshadowed by anger, her piercing gaze burning into me.
I barely had time to process her words before she continued, her tone sharp, cutting.
“You put yourself in danger—worse, you put the baby in danger! What kind of reckless, thoughtless behavior is that?” she snapped, her eyes blazing.
I blinked, still dizzy, my mind struggling to keep up. “I… I didn’t—”
“And for what?” she cut me off. “To go to some unknown restaurant? Without security? Without even
BLAZEThe hallway was dark, the dim glow of the overhead lights barely casting enough illumination to cut through the shadows.My footsteps echoed against the cold, tiled floor, steady and unhurried. The air was thick, heavy, humming with tension, each step pulling me deeper into the darkness.I didn’t rush.I wanted to savor this moment.Jared was already waiting for me at the end of the corridor, his expression blank, his stance rigid. His hands were clasped behind his back, his jaw set, but I knew him well enough to catch the slight stiffness in his shoulders—the barely perceptible sign that he was on edge.Good.He should
BLAZEI stopped in my tracks, my jaw tightening. Slowly, I turned to look at Jared, my frown deepening.“Of course, it was him,” I said, my voice clipped, cold. “Who else would it be?”Jared raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. “Well… you have a long list of enemies, so you never know. It could be anyone.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. He wasn’t wrong. Over the years, I had built up a solid list of people who would love nothing more than to see me suffer. Competitors in business, people I
BLAZEThe drive home was long, and my mind never settled. My fingers tapped against my thigh, my thoughts shifting between the past hour and what lay ahead.Faith.I needed to see her. To check on her. To remind myself that she was okay, that she was safe.But as soon as I stepped inside the house, a servant approached me, bowing his head slightly before speaking. “Sir, your grandfather has requested to see you.”I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.Of course.I wanted to go to Faith first. I wanted to see her face, to hear her voice, to know that she was doin
BLAZEI strode through the hallways of the estate, my mind still burning with the conversation I had just left behind. The tension in my body hadn't eased, and every step I took only fueled the frustration simmering in my chest.But right now, none of that mattered.I needed to see Faith.I stopped in front of her room, my fingers curling into a fist as I knocked against the wooden door. “Faith?” My voice was firm but not demanding.Silence.I frowned, waiting a few more seconds before knocking again, this time a little louder. “Faith, are you awake?”
FAITHThe dining room was quiet that morning. Too quiet.I sat at the long table, trying to eat my breakfast as quickly as I could before heading off to my last midterm exam, but the silence around me was unsettling. The only sound was the soft clinking of silverware against porcelain and Blaze’s voice fussing over me.“Faith, eat more,” he said, nudging my plate slightly toward me. “You barely slept last night. You need energy.”I sighed, taking another bite just to appease him. “I’m eating.”“Not enough,” he muttered, shaking his head before pushing a glass of water toward me. “And drink this. You need to stay hydrated.”I rolled my eyes but grabbed the glass anyway, taking a small sip. He wasn’t going to let me leave until I at least pretended to listen to him.Blaze continued, relentless. “Are you sure you’re ready for your exam? Did you review everything? And you’ll text me when you’re done, right?”“Yes, Blaze,” I sighed, giving him an amused look. “I’m not a child, you know.”
FAITHBlaze’s expression flickered for a moment, something unreadable passing through his eyes, but then he quickly schooled his face back into his usual stoic mask. "I’m just concerned for you, okay?"I rolled my eyes, ready to snap back, but he spoke before I could."And if you don’t want to see it as me being a boyfriend," he said, his voice lowering slightly, "then think of it as a fussy father who doesn’t want his children to get hurt."I groaned, throwing my hands up. "You’re impossible."Blaze smirked slightly, opening the car door for me. "Yeah, yeah. Get in."Muttering under my breath, I climbed into the car, and he followed, shutting the door behind him.The ride to the university was filled with our usual back-and-forth, me huffing about how overprotective he was, him insisting that I needed to take better care of myself.When we finally pulled up outside the entrance, I grabbed my bag, reaching for the door handle.But before I stepped out, Blaze spoke, his voice softer th
FAITHI pushed the door open, the familiar creak echoing through the small hallway of our apartment. My feet felt like lead after a long shift, and all I could think about was the stack of assignments waiting for me on my desk. But tonight wasn’t about that. It was my mom's birthday, and even though I couldn’t afford much, I had managed to bring home her favorite cake. I glanced down at the white box in my hands, hoping it would be enough to make her smile."Mom?" I called out, stepping inside. The apartment felt eerily quiet, but I figured she might be in her room, probably resting after a long day of work herself.As I made my way down the hallway, I heard something—a faint rustling sound coming from her bedroom. My heart quickened. I wasn’t expecting anyone else here. “Mom?” I called again, louder this time, but no answer came.I pushed the door open, and my breath hitched in my throat.There he was—my dad, Ezra, rummaging through my wardrobe like he had every right to be there
FAITHThe words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at him, disbelief and horror flooding through me all at once. “Excuse me?”Jared smiled for the first time, as if he hadn’t just said something completely vile. “Should I repeat myself?”I felt sick. “You are joking… right?” I managed to say, though the look in his eyes told me this was anything but a joke.“I assure you,” Jared said, “this is a very real offer. You do the task, get the money, and we all move on from this unfortunate incident. No lawsuits, no bills to pay.”This guy thought he could just stroll in here, make some sleazy offer, and I’d fold?Without thinking, I ripped the IV out of my arm, blood immediately dotting the bed sheets. “Who the hell do you think I am?” I shouted. “Just because I owe you some medical fees doesn’t mean you can talk down to me like this!”Jared blinked in surprise for a moment, but remained calm overall.“Sleep with your boss for 100 grand?” I continued, my fists shaking with the urge to
FAITHBlaze’s expression flickered for a moment, something unreadable passing through his eyes, but then he quickly schooled his face back into his usual stoic mask. "I’m just concerned for you, okay?"I rolled my eyes, ready to snap back, but he spoke before I could."And if you don’t want to see it as me being a boyfriend," he said, his voice lowering slightly, "then think of it as a fussy father who doesn’t want his children to get hurt."I groaned, throwing my hands up. "You’re impossible."Blaze smirked slightly, opening the car door for me. "Yeah, yeah. Get in."Muttering under my breath, I climbed into the car, and he followed, shutting the door behind him.The ride to the university was filled with our usual back-and-forth, me huffing about how overprotective he was, him insisting that I needed to take better care of myself.When we finally pulled up outside the entrance, I grabbed my bag, reaching for the door handle.But before I stepped out, Blaze spoke, his voice softer th
FAITHThe dining room was quiet that morning. Too quiet.I sat at the long table, trying to eat my breakfast as quickly as I could before heading off to my last midterm exam, but the silence around me was unsettling. The only sound was the soft clinking of silverware against porcelain and Blaze’s voice fussing over me.“Faith, eat more,” he said, nudging my plate slightly toward me. “You barely slept last night. You need energy.”I sighed, taking another bite just to appease him. “I’m eating.”“Not enough,” he muttered, shaking his head before pushing a glass of water toward me. “And drink this. You need to stay hydrated.”I rolled my eyes but grabbed the glass anyway, taking a small sip. He wasn’t going to let me leave until I at least pretended to listen to him.Blaze continued, relentless. “Are you sure you’re ready for your exam? Did you review everything? And you’ll text me when you’re done, right?”“Yes, Blaze,” I sighed, giving him an amused look. “I’m not a child, you know.”
BLAZEI strode through the hallways of the estate, my mind still burning with the conversation I had just left behind. The tension in my body hadn't eased, and every step I took only fueled the frustration simmering in my chest.But right now, none of that mattered.I needed to see Faith.I stopped in front of her room, my fingers curling into a fist as I knocked against the wooden door. “Faith?” My voice was firm but not demanding.Silence.I frowned, waiting a few more seconds before knocking again, this time a little louder. “Faith, are you awake?”
BLAZEThe drive home was long, and my mind never settled. My fingers tapped against my thigh, my thoughts shifting between the past hour and what lay ahead.Faith.I needed to see her. To check on her. To remind myself that she was okay, that she was safe.But as soon as I stepped inside the house, a servant approached me, bowing his head slightly before speaking. “Sir, your grandfather has requested to see you.”I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.Of course.I wanted to go to Faith first. I wanted to see her face, to hear her voice, to know that she was doin
BLAZEI stopped in my tracks, my jaw tightening. Slowly, I turned to look at Jared, my frown deepening.“Of course, it was him,” I said, my voice clipped, cold. “Who else would it be?”Jared raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. “Well… you have a long list of enemies, so you never know. It could be anyone.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. He wasn’t wrong. Over the years, I had built up a solid list of people who would love nothing more than to see me suffer. Competitors in business, people I
BLAZEThe hallway was dark, the dim glow of the overhead lights barely casting enough illumination to cut through the shadows.My footsteps echoed against the cold, tiled floor, steady and unhurried. The air was thick, heavy, humming with tension, each step pulling me deeper into the darkness.I didn’t rush.I wanted to savor this moment.Jared was already waiting for me at the end of the corridor, his expression blank, his stance rigid. His hands were clasped behind his back, his jaw set, but I knew him well enough to catch the slight stiffness in his shoulders—the barely perceptible sign that he was on edge.Good.He should
FAITHJessica’s heels clicked sharply against the hospital floor as she marched toward me, her arms crossed, her face set in a deep scowl. Her usual pristine elegance was overshadowed by anger, her piercing gaze burning into me.I barely had time to process her words before she continued, her tone sharp, cutting.“You put yourself in danger—worse, you put the baby in danger! What kind of reckless, thoughtless behavior is that?” she snapped, her eyes blazing.I blinked, still dizzy, my mind struggling to keep up. “I… I didn’t—”“And for what?” she cut me off. “To go to some unknown restaurant? Without security? Without even
FAITHI woke up to the steady beeping of a monitor and the feeling of something cool pressed against my face. My body felt heavy, my limbs weak, my head pounding as though a thousand hammers were striking against it.I blinked against the harsh fluorescent light, my vision blurry, my throat raw and burning.Where was I?I tried to move, but something was strapped to my face—an oxygen mask. Panic stirred in my chest as I took a shallow, raspy breath, the memory of thick smoke and unbearable heat flashing in my mind.The fire.I inhaled too fast, coughing violently, my ribs aching with each sharp motion. A sharp pain shot through my chest, making me wince.A soft, familiar voice broke through the haze.“Take it easy, Miss. You’re in the hospital.”I turned my head slightly to see a doctor standing beside my bed, his expression calm but serious. He was flipping through a chart, his glasses slightly askew.Hospital.I was alive.I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry, too raw.The do
BLAZEThis was a setup. A fucking trap.For her.My chair scraped against the marble floors as I shot up, my heartbeat slamming against my ribs.Jared, who was still standing nearby, frowned. “Blaze? What’s wrong?”I didn’t answer. I was already moving.Jared cursed under his breath and followed. “Damn it, what’s going on?”I stormed out of the office, my mind spinning, panic clawing up my throat. “Faith—she’s in danger. Someone tricked her into going to La Vigna.”Jared’s face paled. &l