Daniel's POV “I hope this plan works out. Marcus will not be too easy to crack” I said to myself. My walk to the bus stop was a bit slow. My unsettled thoughts made my pace sluggish. Despite my confidence I still had the aching in my guts – Marcus won't be so easy to crack. He is a man who had lived his life on edge, trust was something he had forgotten a long time ago. I boarded a bus home, while I sat the heaviness of the responsibility I owed Mia and her family. If Marcus didn't comply, that would mean Chloe slipping from our hands and everybody involved in the charade would undoubtedly be in grave danger. This was the only move I had to finally end this nightmare for good. This weight hovered around me until I got to bed. My sleep was incomplete and distorted due to my racing mind. I struggled with anxiety and fear of failure all through the night. The morning came quickly, and so did my mental breakdown. I woke up with a headache, it felt more emotional than a physically regu
Daniel's POV I exclaimed out of excitement in my mind, but I held my composure. I couldn't afford to celebrate too Early. We still had bigger fish to fry. “ I need everything! Where is she hiding, who is her possible alias, and what's her next move? I need it all Marcus !" I exclaimed! He leaned forward resting his cuffs on the metal table. I immediately brought out a small jotter and a pen ready to take notes. “ She's been lying low in an abandoned penthouse in the East of town. And as for her next move she's currently spying on Mia and her family at the hospital. She might have sent someone to poison Mia already. She has been talking about me for weeks, and if that doesn't work, she plans to go to the hospital herself,” he revealed. As he spoke, I wrote down every detail I deemed useful. My stomach twisted, and my ears hurt from listening to him. “So how do we get to her, storm the penthouse? Or do we wait for her to show face at the hospital? And how soon do you think she wou
Mia’s POV “Hey boys, you both need to stop playing around. There are a lot of things you would rather not break in here” I said to Liam and Lewis. They both were playing happily in the wardroom where Azek lay on his sick bed. The tension in the hospital had reduced after the news of the brain scans and Azek’s response to treatment and overall improvement in his health. They seemed a bit happier after they spent some days with Natalia back at the mansion. I watched them play and smile despite the traumatic situation we found ourselves. I glanced at Azek; he, too, was enjoying the sight of the boys playing; I could see him wish he could stand up and join them to play. His eyes were fixed on the boys, and gradually a wide and bright smile grew on his face. It’s been a few days and I still haven’t gotten any word from Daniel. He told me about his plan to look for someone who had valid information about Chloe’s whereabouts. Well, maybe he hasn’t found someone yet. I said to myself, tryi
Mia's POV Daniel’s sudden appearance made the room grow in tension. His shaky hands, widened eyes, and standing hair all have off the unnerving heaviness that filled the room. “You all have to leave now !, like immediately move” Daniel exclaimed, breaking the awakened silence that accompanied his entrance. He puffed like he sprinted all the way here. “What do you mean?” I asked Daniel, my voice filled with dread and fear. I'm a split second, my mind raced through the worst scenarios. Daniel's urgency was about Chloe, but he was too unsettled to explain. “Calm down, breathe, and explain to us what you mean,” Natalia said, she was confused by his unusual behavior and words. Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes and took some time to breathe. He shortly opened his eyes and spoke, this time a bit calmer. “I went to talk with someone who knew Chloe very well – Marcus, he said Chloe is planning something huge and would strike anytime soon. She might com
Mia's POV “Mummy, where are we going?” Lewis asked as we began our drive in the car. I sat there, sandwiched between Liam and Lewis. They both stared at me with confused faces. I couldn't bring myself to explain what was happening. I didn't understand fully. All I knew was Chloe intended to take my life. The more I gave the situation some thought, the more I felt a void form in my guts. Daniel had hurriedly whisked us away from the hospital, leaving Azek without any word of explanation and this was unfortunate for him. What if he started looking for us? His condition might worsen due to our absence. “We are going to someplace safe for now, it's not for long. We will see Daddy soon" I explained what was left of my shattered mind to Lewis. The drive was awkwardly quiet, the only dominant sound was the soft humming of the car engine. Liam on the other side of the car was quietly scanning the road Intensely. He behaved like he could sense that something was wrong. I could see him glan
Azek’s POV“What happened to me” was the question I had been asking myself for several days. I tried shaking off the foggy feeling I felt in my head as I woke up. I blinked countless times, but the haze didn’t clear up. My memory was cloudy, making it difficult to remember anything. The more I tried to think, the more intense this throbbing pain I felt at the back of my head. “Where am I” I finally forced some words out of my mouth after what felt like days of being mute. I have never felt such disorientation in my life. I was blind mentally. I opened my eyes and scanned the room. It was dimply lit, and I could barely hear any sound, except the sound of the heart rate monitor attached to me. “Was I in the hospital?” I blinked countless more times, forcing my articulation to come alive. I knew I was still alive, but a part of my brain felt dead. After a couple of minutes of laying still on the bed, my memories started coming in blurred fragments. Faces and actions of different peop
Azek's POV “Daniel ?” I asked more to myself than him. I tried to sit upright but the intense pain that surged through my body made it difficult to move. My memory will still foggy, the headache intensified, and my stomach twisted with worry. The young man, who had introduced himself as Daniel was a familiar face. But my current mental State didn't allow me to think. According to his introduction, he knew me and my family, so I decided to ask him about Mia. “Where is Mia ?” I asked him, my voice slightly elevated and strained, “you have to tell me where she is”.Daniel gave a loud sigh before answering me and his face laced with worry and concern. “Stop bothering your mind” he said, “you have to be calm” “Why were they hiding Mia's location from me” I asked myself. Everybody kept telling me to be calm. I was gradually getting to the limit of my patience, as all my efforts to get to Mia proved fruitless. Daniel noticed my anger. He glanced at me with hesitation and concern, she
Mia's POV “Lewis! Liam! Can you both come downstairs and have your breakfast ?” I yelled from the sitting room to the boys who were upstairs playing in their rooms. It was a bright morning, and the light from the sun cast a Golden hue on the house. The tension I and the boys felt on our arrival, had faded into a more comfortable feeling. It was indeed a safe house. As I prepared breakfast, my thoughts drifted into the trauma I experienced at the hospital. Flashbacks of Azek surrounded by nurses and doctors trying to save his life, replayed in my mind. These thoughts drained me emotionally. I had done so many things trying to get my mind off my anxiety, but all my efforts to achieve peace of mind proved fruitless. I guess being the soul Bond between family at critical times was exhausting. Despite the settled feeling of comfort and safety, my mind was still roaming, my heart pounding with anxiety about Azek’s condition. I wasn't sure if he had been moved or if he was still at
Reed’s POV“You better cooperate with the police” the prison Warder yelled at me as he unlocked my cell. Since my arrival at the prison, he had always treated me like I was some hardened criminal. But deep down I felt immense remorse for all I had done. I allowed my emotions to push me into signing a deal with the devil without weighing the consequences. I sat on the bunk bed, soaking in the guilt that ate my sanity slowly. All I could think of was the people I had hurt in the course, of executing the will of Chloe. The prison warder informed me that I had an interrogation session with an inspector. Before this, I had undergone multiple interrogation sessions, each one more dreadful than the last. “Hey, step out of the cell and walk down the hallway to the last room on your left” the prison warder directed me like I didn't know the drill. He finished his sentence, but I didn't make any move, I just sat there burying myself in guilt and self-hate. I just wanted to be left alone. “Mo
Chloe's POV“What is wrong with Marcus?” I asked myself these questions expecting a vivid answer, but they remained floating around in my mind. All my efforts in contacting Marcus kept heating dead ends. The psychological pressure made me flutter, draining my confidence and gradually bringing me to the brink of anxiety and fear. Failure wasn't an option at this point, additionally I had come too far to give up now. My conversation with my mom led me to see the eruption of the concealed desperation she has been holding in. Over the course of days, my mom has been calling to pester me. Always questioning my next move, the more I listened to her, the depressed I became. Her alliance with Mr. and Mrs. Mendez made it difficult to think as they were constantly on my neck. Constantly reminding me of my failed past efforts. After some time of thinking about my messed up life, I got a call from the contact I requested to contact Marcus. My phone rang loudly, breaking the silence I sat in.
Mia's POV “Lewis! Liam! Can you both come downstairs and have your breakfast ?” I yelled from the sitting room to the boys who were upstairs playing in their rooms. It was a bright morning, and the light from the sun cast a Golden hue on the house. The tension I and the boys felt on our arrival, had faded into a more comfortable feeling. It was indeed a safe house. As I prepared breakfast, my thoughts drifted into the trauma I experienced at the hospital. Flashbacks of Azek surrounded by nurses and doctors trying to save his life, replayed in my mind. These thoughts drained me emotionally. I had done so many things trying to get my mind off my anxiety, but all my efforts to achieve peace of mind proved fruitless. I guess being the soul Bond between family at critical times was exhausting. Despite the settled feeling of comfort and safety, my mind was still roaming, my heart pounding with anxiety about Azek’s condition. I wasn't sure if he had been moved or if he was still at
Azek's POV “Daniel ?” I asked more to myself than him. I tried to sit upright but the intense pain that surged through my body made it difficult to move. My memory will still foggy, the headache intensified, and my stomach twisted with worry. The young man, who had introduced himself as Daniel was a familiar face. But my current mental State didn't allow me to think. According to his introduction, he knew me and my family, so I decided to ask him about Mia. “Where is Mia ?” I asked him, my voice slightly elevated and strained, “you have to tell me where she is”.Daniel gave a loud sigh before answering me and his face laced with worry and concern. “Stop bothering your mind” he said, “you have to be calm” “Why were they hiding Mia's location from me” I asked myself. Everybody kept telling me to be calm. I was gradually getting to the limit of my patience, as all my efforts to get to Mia proved fruitless. Daniel noticed my anger. He glanced at me with hesitation and concern, she
Azek’s POV“What happened to me” was the question I had been asking myself for several days. I tried shaking off the foggy feeling I felt in my head as I woke up. I blinked countless times, but the haze didn’t clear up. My memory was cloudy, making it difficult to remember anything. The more I tried to think, the more intense this throbbing pain I felt at the back of my head. “Where am I” I finally forced some words out of my mouth after what felt like days of being mute. I have never felt such disorientation in my life. I was blind mentally. I opened my eyes and scanned the room. It was dimply lit, and I could barely hear any sound, except the sound of the heart rate monitor attached to me. “Was I in the hospital?” I blinked countless more times, forcing my articulation to come alive. I knew I was still alive, but a part of my brain felt dead. After a couple of minutes of laying still on the bed, my memories started coming in blurred fragments. Faces and actions of different peop
Mia's POV “Mummy, where are we going?” Lewis asked as we began our drive in the car. I sat there, sandwiched between Liam and Lewis. They both stared at me with confused faces. I couldn't bring myself to explain what was happening. I didn't understand fully. All I knew was Chloe intended to take my life. The more I gave the situation some thought, the more I felt a void form in my guts. Daniel had hurriedly whisked us away from the hospital, leaving Azek without any word of explanation and this was unfortunate for him. What if he started looking for us? His condition might worsen due to our absence. “We are going to someplace safe for now, it's not for long. We will see Daddy soon" I explained what was left of my shattered mind to Lewis. The drive was awkwardly quiet, the only dominant sound was the soft humming of the car engine. Liam on the other side of the car was quietly scanning the road Intensely. He behaved like he could sense that something was wrong. I could see him glan
Mia's POV Daniel’s sudden appearance made the room grow in tension. His shaky hands, widened eyes, and standing hair all have off the unnerving heaviness that filled the room. “You all have to leave now !, like immediately move” Daniel exclaimed, breaking the awakened silence that accompanied his entrance. He puffed like he sprinted all the way here. “What do you mean?” I asked Daniel, my voice filled with dread and fear. I'm a split second, my mind raced through the worst scenarios. Daniel's urgency was about Chloe, but he was too unsettled to explain. “Calm down, breathe, and explain to us what you mean,” Natalia said, she was confused by his unusual behavior and words. Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He closed his eyes and took some time to breathe. He shortly opened his eyes and spoke, this time a bit calmer. “I went to talk with someone who knew Chloe very well – Marcus, he said Chloe is planning something huge and would strike anytime soon. She might com
Mia’s POV “Hey boys, you both need to stop playing around. There are a lot of things you would rather not break in here” I said to Liam and Lewis. They both were playing happily in the wardroom where Azek lay on his sick bed. The tension in the hospital had reduced after the news of the brain scans and Azek’s response to treatment and overall improvement in his health. They seemed a bit happier after they spent some days with Natalia back at the mansion. I watched them play and smile despite the traumatic situation we found ourselves. I glanced at Azek; he, too, was enjoying the sight of the boys playing; I could see him wish he could stand up and join them to play. His eyes were fixed on the boys, and gradually a wide and bright smile grew on his face. It’s been a few days and I still haven’t gotten any word from Daniel. He told me about his plan to look for someone who had valid information about Chloe’s whereabouts. Well, maybe he hasn’t found someone yet. I said to myself, tryi
Daniel's POV I exclaimed out of excitement in my mind, but I held my composure. I couldn't afford to celebrate too Early. We still had bigger fish to fry. “ I need everything! Where is she hiding, who is her possible alias, and what's her next move? I need it all Marcus !" I exclaimed! He leaned forward resting his cuffs on the metal table. I immediately brought out a small jotter and a pen ready to take notes. “ She's been lying low in an abandoned penthouse in the East of town. And as for her next move she's currently spying on Mia and her family at the hospital. She might have sent someone to poison Mia already. She has been talking about me for weeks, and if that doesn't work, she plans to go to the hospital herself,” he revealed. As he spoke, I wrote down every detail I deemed useful. My stomach twisted, and my ears hurt from listening to him. “So how do we get to her, storm the penthouse? Or do we wait for her to show face at the hospital? And how soon do you think she wou