CROSS Evans' hands trembling as I held his phone out to him. The barrel of my revolver pointed directly at his chest, a silent reminder of the consequences of defiance. “Unlock it,” I ordered, my voice cold and steady. He hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting between me and the gun. “Now,” I snapped, my patience wearing thin. His fingers fumbled as he obeyed, unlocking his phone with a shaky swipe. I leaned over him, scrolling through his contacts until I found the number I needed. Pressing it, I handed the phone back to him. “You’re going to make this call,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. “And you’re going to say exactly what I tell you to say. Nothing more, nothing less.” Evans swallowed hard, nodding quickly. His voice trembled as the line connected. “Hello? Hey, it’s me,” he said, following my instructions as he read from the paper I had given him. “I… I need you to take your phone to Anya. She's currently at the library. Please, it’s important. I n
HUNTER I was buried in paperwork, my desk cluttered with files and my phone buzzing intermittently with emails. I was on the verge of signing a very important deal and didn't trust anyone to handle it better than I would. It kept me so focused until a message notification broke my concentration. I picked up my phone, glancing at the screen, and froze. 'Please help me, I'm in danger, someone wants to kill me. He kidnapped me, took me to an abandoned school in the outskirts of town and I just managed to send this message to you. I don't want to die. Please save me, Hunter.' The message was from Anya. My heart stopped for a moment, then began to pound so hard I could feel it in my ears. I reread the message, hoping I’d misunderstood, but the words didn’t change. Danger. Someone wanted to kill my wife. I tried to steady my breathing, gripping the phone tightly. Who would dare? I was sure no one would ever touch her. No one had that kind of nerve—not in my city. I’d cut off my
HUNTER The sight of Anya’s phone lying on the ground suddenly caught my attention. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at it, questions flooding my mind. "Why is her phone here? What’s happening?" I was about to force Evans awake and ask him when a scream shattered the silence. Anya. Her voice made my heart skip a beat, raw and terrified. I looked up quickly, my breath catching when I saw her. Relief washed over me, so powerful it almost knocked me to my knees. “Anya!” I exclaimed, sprinting toward her, my hands still covered in Evans’ blood. She stopped in her tracks, her wide eyes locking on me for the briefest moment before she rushed past me. My arms reached out instinctively, but before I could even think of hugging her, she shoved me aside and ran straight to Evans. “Evans!” she cried, collapsing onto the floor beside him. Her hands trembled as she touched his face, her voice cracking with panic. “No! No, no, no! Evans, wake up! What happened? Who did this to y
HUNTER I stared at Anya, my heart racing as her words sliced through me. Her voice cracked. “I have to get Evans to the hospital right away,” she said, trembling. I watched as she patted her pockets frantically, but sighed and gave up when she recalled that she wasn't with her phone. Then her gaze shifted, and she saw it lying on the floor beside Evans. Her eyes darted toward me, filled with suspicion and hurt. She picked up the phone with trembling hands, and I could see the realization settle on her face. She thought I had taken it. She thought I had done this to Evans to stop him from reaching her. My chest tightened as I saw her put the pieces together in her mind, pieces that painted me as the villain. “Anya,” I said softly, stepping much closer to her, but she recoiled, her eyes burning with fury. She was already dialing when I reached out and grabbed her hand. “I already called 911,” I said firmly, holding her gaze. “How can I believe you?” she snapped, pulli
ANYA I sat by Evans’ side, clutching his hand as if my grip alone could keep him tethered to this world. Tears streamed down my face, hot and relentless, blurring my vision. The beeping of the monitors was the only sound in the room, a cruel reminder that he was still alive....but barely. I couldn’t stop crying. The weight of it all crushed me, suffocating me with every breath. My mind wouldn’t stop replaying everything, every memory, every moment that had led to this. I thought back to that night at the reunion party. I had been so angry with Evans when he told me he loved me. I could still see the hurt in his eyes, the way he’d looked at me like I was breaking his heart with the words I said. I pushed him away then, refusing to deal with the truth of his feelings. And now here he was, lying unconscious, fighting for his life. I remembered the day Hunter had pointed a gun at Evans. The image was burned into my mind, the cold look in Hunter’s eyes, the way his voice had bee
ANYA I stared at the phone in my hand, the one I had picked up at the primary school. My mind kept going back to the scene...Evans bleeding, Hunter standing over him, his hands pressed against the wound. The more I thought about it, the more the pieces seemed to click together in my head. Hunter must have taken my phone when he dropped me off in the morning. He didn’t want Evans to call me. He didn’t want me to know what he was planning. But somehow, Evans had found a way. He always found a way. Even when I was stubborn, ignoring his calls, refusing to listen to him, he never gave up on me. I closed my eyes, the image of Evans lying in a pool of his own blood flashing in my mind. When I had walked into that classroom and seen Hunter there, I thought....no, I knew he was hurting him. He didn’t look like a man trying to save a life. He looked like a man trying to finish what he started. And the way he had been so shocked to see me....his face when I walked in told me everythin
CROSS "I'll leave only after I see Anya," Bernice said stubbornly three hours earlier at the abandoned school. The cold air brushed against my face as I let her have her way and we waited a while longer. "Will we really succeed?" Bernice asked as she suddenly began to entertain doubts. "So far, our plans have failed." “Of course we will,” I replied confidently. "Unfortunately, Hunter won't go down easily." She frowned, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why not? If Anya tells the police Hunter killed Evans, won’t they arrest him?” I shook my head, lowering the binoculars for a moment to look at her. “You don’t understand men like Hunter. People like him are untouchable....at least by ordinary means. A simple accusation won’t be enough to bring him down. He’d need to commit a crime so shocking, so public, that even his wealth and connections couldn’t save him. But that’s not the point of this. We don’t need him in jail, at least not for now.” Bernice nodded slowly, though
ANYA I sat across from the police chief, my hands trembling as I clutched my phone. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay composed. What I was about to do was quite difficult for me but Hunter had left me no choice. Just as the chief opened his mouth to speak, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen. It was Evans’ mother. My throat tightened as I excused myself and answered the call. “Mrs. Moore?” Her voice came through the line, broken and trembling. “Anya... what happened to my son? They won’t tell me much. Is he... is he going to make it?” I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s been stabilized already. His condition was critical before but the doctors told me he is out of danger.” She broke into sobs, the sound tearing through me like a knife. “Why would anyone do this to him? Evans is such a good boy. He never hurt anyone.” Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I promise you, Mrs. More, I’ll make sure whoever did
HUNTER The moment Anya walked out, a dark, uncontrollable rage surged through me. I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, and before I could stop myself, I drove my fist straight into the wall again. Pain shot up my arm, but I barely felt it. The anger burning inside me was far worse. How could she? After everything I had done just for her, after everything I had given up....she still chose to believe I was a monster. She thought I had tried to kill Evans. She thought I was capable of breaking my promise to her? I had expected anger. I had expected stubbornness. But I hadn’t expected her to look at me with that kind of hatred in her eyes. That was what hurt the most. I raked a hand through my hair, pacing the room like a caged animal. Sleep had been impossible last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face, her tears, the way her body trembled with so much pain and fear. I could have forced her to stay. I could have made sure she never walked
ANYA I stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around me, steam still clinging to my skin. But the moment my eyes landed on the figure standing in my room, my heart nearly stopped. Hunter. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. For a second, fear paralyzed me. Then rage took over. "What the hell are you doing here? Get out!" I yelled, my voice shaking with anger. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just stood there, his silence worse than any words he could have said. I didn’t know how he got in, didn’t know how long he had been standing there watching me. I needed to get dressed. Fast. Without another word, I grabbed my clothes and dashed into the bathroom, my hands trembling as I threw on whatever I could find. My heart pounded in my chest. What was he doing here? How did he even get in? I had barely gotten any sleep last night and he was the last person I expected to see this morning. By the time I stepped out, my pulse was st
ANYA I walked out of Hunter’s house, my bag slung over my shoulder, tears streaming down my face. My heart ached, my legs felt weak, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I just kept walking, forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other. I had made my choice. And now, I was alone. I reached the street and pulled out my phone with shaky hands, dialing Evans’ mom. She picked up after a few rings, her voice weary and hesitant. “Auntie, please,” I begged, my voice breaking. “Tell me where Evans is. I just need to see him.” There was a long pause before she sighed. “Anya… I know you care about my son, but I can’t tell you.” Her words hit me like a punch. “Why?” My voice cracked. “I’m his best friend. I need to see him.” “I understand that,” she said gently, “but the person who tried to kill my son is close to you. I can’t take that risk.” I shook my head violently, gripping my phone like it was the only thing keeping me standing. “That’s not true! Hunter Steel
HUNTER I watched Bernice with cold amusement. She stood there, naked and defiant, like she still had some kind of power over me. "Bernice," I said, my voice dangerously low, "do you really think you're too smart? Get out of my room right now, or you'll regret what I'm about to do." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere." I felt my jaw tighten. "What's wrong with you, Hunter?" she demanded, closing the distance between us. "Why are you acting like this? Why are you pushing me away when Anya..." She spat Anya's name like it was poison. "Anya doesn't even deserve you!" I said nothing, but my anger had risen to the surfece "She doesn't love you, Hunter!" Bernice continued, her voice rising. "She's trying to destroy you! She's playing you for a fool, and you're too blind to see it! I know she's cheating on you. Behind your back. With someone else!" A sharp pain shot through my chest, but I pushed it down. Bernice smirked, thinking she had struck
HUNTER The moment Anya walked out, a storm of emotions crashed over me. My fists clenched, I felt a knot in my chest, and without thinking, I drove my fist into the wall. The sharp sting in my knuckles did nothing to ease the pain in my heart. I had never felt so betrayed. If it had been anyone else who had dragged me to the police, accused me of attempted murder, treated me like some monster, I would have made them regret it. But this was Anya. The girl I loved more than my own life. The only person I had ever let my guard down for. And she had walked away, believing the worst of me. I sucked in a sharp breath, my jaw tightening. Fine. If she wanted to leave, let her. If she wanted to believe I tried to kill Evans, let her. I wasn’t going to explain myself anymore. I wasn’t going to chase after her like some lovesick fool. I grabbed my keys, stormed out of the house, and got into my car. I needed a drink...something to numb the anger, the pain, the gaping wound she had j
ANYA After Hunter left, I turned and headed back to the hospital. My steps were quick, each one fueled by the burning rage inside me. I needed to see Evans. I needed to make sure he was getting better. But the moment I arrived, I knew something was wrong. The nurse at the reception called me back when I started heading to Evans' room. “Where is Evans?” I asked her.. The nurse hesitated before answering. “He’s been moved.” I blinked, my mind struggling to catch up. “Moved? What do you mean moved? Why? He was fine just a few hours ago!” I approached the doctor who had treated him, panic rising in my chest. “Where did you take Evans? Who gave the order? Was it his mother?” The doctor hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. And then he said it. “It was Hunter Steele.” The world around me tilted. No. No, no, no. “That’s impossible.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “Why would Hunter....” “He called earlier,” the doctor continued, unfazed by my reaction
ANYA As I followed Hunter out of the station, a bitter laugh almost escaped my lips. The same evidence Evan’s uncle had just dismissed was the one Evans had been so sure would bring Hunter down. That video, the one I had clung to like a lifeline, was supposed to be the proof we needed. Proof that Hunter could kill without batting an eyelid. And yet, here we were. The police chief didn’t even try to question my words, didn’t bother to dig deeper, to call Evan’s friend, to verify anything. The evidence was right there, but it didn’t matter. He let Hunter walk free, speaking to him with so much respect, almost like he was afraid of him. I had thought coming here would bring justice, but all it did was show me how powerless I really was. I felt stupid. I had believed, foolishly, that the truth would be enough. That the law would do what it was meant to do. That justice would stand tall, unshaken. But reality was much colder. The law bent for men like Hunter. It didn’t protect pe
HUNTER I sat in my study, gripping the edge of my desk so hard that my knuckles turned white. My head throbbed with anger. My men had just informed me that Anya had gone to the police station. Obviously to report me. I couldn't believe it. My own wife, betraying me like this. I leaned back in my chair, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to suppress the boiling rage inside me. The memory of Evans’ lifeless body flashed in my mind. Cross had shot him. Cross, that sneaky coward, had dared to set me up. He thought he could twist everything to make me look like the monster. Before Anya left the hospital, I had received a call. Cross had been there, trying to see her. I knew without a doubt that Cross had seen an opportunity to manipulate her, and when Anya left the hospital, I knew Cross wasn’t done. The thought hit me like a jolt of electricity....Cross would try to finish what he started. He would try to kill Evans completely. I grabbed my phone immediately, dialing the doc
ANYA I sat across from the police chief, my hands trembling as I clutched my phone. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay composed. What I was about to do was quite difficult for me but Hunter had left me no choice. Just as the chief opened his mouth to speak, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen. It was Evans’ mother. My throat tightened as I excused myself and answered the call. “Mrs. Moore?” Her voice came through the line, broken and trembling. “Anya... what happened to my son? They won’t tell me much. Is he... is he going to make it?” I swallowed hard, my voice barely above a whisper. “He’s been stabilized already. His condition was critical before but the doctors told me he is out of danger.” She broke into sobs, the sound tearing through me like a knife. “Why would anyone do this to him? Evans is such a good boy. He never hurt anyone.” Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I promise you, Mrs. More, I’ll make sure whoever did