Natalia's POV I cried my eyes out that night. Reed had made me feel so worthless that I felt I could never be lovable. His mind gesture for us to have a good time and deepen our connection turned out to be the starting point of our relationship failure. All I ever did was show him selfless love and unconditional care. Yet, his mind still clings tightly to his unrealistic desires for music. His words said a different thing, and his mind thought differently. His actions were entirely different from the previous two. My sanity was sinking in rejection, pain, and negligence. Was this how my love life was going to be? I felt I could change him but over the last weeks, I realized that I could change years of desires with a few weeks of wants. Despite my drive and bold efforts to get him to let go of his illusion of Mia being with him, his obsession got the better of him. I hated myself for thinking I could woo him to call in love for me. I invested my entire soul and body into the rela
Chloe's POV As I stared at the ceiling engulfed in my thoughts, Amber, my mum walked into my room with an expression of disappointment and anger. She seemed like She was getting impatient. Our plan to separate Mia and Azek had failed. “It's been more than two weeks and Azek thinks his safe right” Amber said to me as she clenched her fist and grinded her teeth. She was bent on getting Azek certainly. “I would have a better job myself, you just don't know the ropes” Amber yelled at me. She was frustrated that I didn't execute the plan effectively. She couldn't do it herself as she was old and a bit off class for Azek. “Back in the day, any target I had, I always get them no matter what. I don't spare anyone." She puffed in frustration violently. She passed around the room thinking of a better plan. I struggled with the strong urge to tell her off and quit her using me as a pawn. I wanted to live a decent life, nuts as Mia was living. Get responsible, fall in love with my own foun
Reed's POV The realization of my crumbling relationship with Natalia hit me so hard that I remained mute for minutes. I sat in Natalia's apartment for a long time just thinking about all that had happened in the last two hours. Losing a Natalia felt like the biting pain you would get from swimming in a larva. Carrying this weight of my love for Mia was drowning me and preventing me from keeping my relationship with Natalia afloat. The facts showed that I couldn't be with Mia, but I just found myself reminiscing about Mia in all possible ways. It was driving me crazy. My coordination diminished as I put too much brainpower in my thoughts for Mia. I just sat there like a helpless child rejected by the warm embrace of its mother. Natalia was almost like a mother in a lover to me as she cared so much about me. My depression grew fast, I couldn't forgive myself for how I treated Natalia.I remembered how I flopped my efforts in bringing my relationship with Natalia back on track. “Mia
Reed’s POV A plan to make Mia cling to me? This sounded too good to be true. My dreams and deepest desires were a phone call away. My torment suddenly came to pause. The depression vanished for a second giving space to breathe. Why would this lady just decide to help me out of the blue? Who is she, and how is she in any position to help me? Can I trust her? My mind deviated from my depression, pondering over my sudden encounter with this strange lady. As I watched her walk away. The liquor in my system, made me see her like an angel sent to elevate me from my misery and bring a blissful future where Mia and I are bonded together in love. My prayers were finally coming to reality. It was almost midnight, I needed to get home. I tried standing up, but my body felt heavy like I didn't own it. The after-effect of liquor had started kicking in. I struggled to stand up, dragging my feet across the room and out the door. The lady I just met was no longer in sight. I was certain that I j
Mia POV Awoken by a kiss from someone. Who was that, I asked myself. A part of me knew it was Azek, but I just wanted to be certain. As I opened my eyes, truly it was the man who I fell in love with. “Good morning my love,” Azek said with a big smile. His breath felt like a warm summer wind. The mint from his breath freshened my heart. His eyes lit with hope and passion for our love. As I stared at my handsome, charming prince. He kissed my forehead, assuring me I was safe with him. I gave him a quick peck, and we glanced at each other. We both smiled and our hearts were in eternal bliss. The morning felt calm and warm and the chatter of birds made the morning full of peace and happiness. Waking up that morning was different. As we stared at each other we both felt the surge of emotions and urge for each other. This feeling was so intense, that I suddenly wanted all of him. He looked at me and whispered “I love you”Again, his breath made me feel moist down there. Our heads mov
The kidnapAzek's POV A few days later, I began my day like any other day, filled with the warmth of family and love. The laughter of the boys fills the air with hope and passion. The serene comfort of our bones made the day seem perfect. Little did I know that this perfect day would turn into a very dramatic nightmare I would never forget. Mia and I had planned to spend the day together to further solidify our marriage. We had finally started a new era of our marriage of a solid foundation backed up with care, trust, and compassion. Our little love story grew into a thick book. And I was ready to continue writing this story as long as I could. I was ready to do whatever it took to maintain this level of connection I had with Mia. The connection was so deep that we could passively feel each other's emotions. The communication between us was easy and accurate, passive. As I got dressed, to follow the day as it came, I noticed something unusual. The house was awfully quiet. This mad
The search begins Mia's POV A few hours later, the sounds of police sirens pierced through the air. My heart increased its beat speed as I saw police officers flood the mansion. All moving around and searching the hell place. This scene gave me an eerie feeling like I was in a nightmare and I needed to be awoken. As they entered the mansion, Azek and I recapped all that had happened — the boys missing, Chloe's threats. My voice was shaky as I spoke, my hands trembled, and my thoughts scattered, but I figured myself to focus. The lead detective, a tall dark man, nodded thoughtfully. He had a stern but reassuring look, his calm demeanor gave a sense of silver comfort. He took down every last detail we gave. His reassuring presence did little to calm the storm raging inside me. Azek stood beside me, holding me passionately, his jaw clenched from terror as he answered questions. The police officers assured us that they would make sure our boys were found as soon as possible. But th
Uncovered secretsNatalia's POV Since the boys went missing, the entire house has been in chaos. The whirlwind of confusion stormed the mansion like a hurricane, destroying everything in its path. Including the joy and hope of the boys. Mia and Azek clung to each other like rabbits in the cold. They were holding to the tiny strand of hope they had left after the police officers found a minor lead about the whereabouts of the boys. I watched as everything unfolded in a manner that wreaked havoc in the hearts of everyone involved. I felt bad for Mia. Not only that, but I could see her lose her sanity but the hours. The events were rather slow, it felt like an eternity before the police could find a good lead that would take us closer to finding the boys. It was only a few hours since the e police arrived, and everything moved in slow motion. The heartbreaking events had slowed things down. As things unfold in slow motion, I couldn't shake off this wrong feeling. I stood there askin
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