Fenella’s POVI woke up with my eyelids still half-closed. I felt like I was still in a state of jet lag. Or maybe all of this was just the effect of the lack of sleep since last night.Forcing myself to get up, I finally saw that the bed next to me was empty, and the gap in the window curtains showed the lamp light from the neighboring apartment building.A thick blanket covered my body, and I gazed at my reddened body in some spots with small bite marks. Setting aside the painful fact, I immediately picked up my clothes from the floor in the corner of the bed. I walked out of the room while rubbing my eyes and blinking to see more clearly in the darkness.The atmosphere in Laird's apartment was not much different from the last time I saw it. It was almost entirely dark, with only two bright sources of light: the bathroom and the balcony. My eyes glanced at the clock on the living room table and were surprised to see the time.Eight o'clock in the evening? Does that mean I slept nake
Fenella’s POVEnd of 9th grade, 9 years ago…"Would you go out with me, Fenella?"Huh? I blinked in disbelief as I looked at the figure in front of me.What did he just say?I pondered in front of the soda vending machine. The 7th-grade boy just grinned, although I could catch a hint of redness on his cheeks. He adjusted his glasses and seemed to wait for me to respond to his question."Lloyd, you're kidding, right?"I had to be honest; my heart was pounding. This was the first time I'd been asked out on a date. What girl wouldn't be thrilled to be asked out?But, come on! It's Lloyd Evans! He’s Laird’s little brother!"Would you prefer it if I joked about this?" Lloyd asked, raising an eyebrow.Flustered, I didn't know where to look. Several times, I glanced back and forth between Lloyd's eyes, my shoes, or the corridor door between buildings.I truly didn't expect a boy of Lloyd's age to have the courage to ask me out. After all, I'm his senior. I'm in 9th grade, and Lloyd shouldn't
Laird’s POVI didn't expect to hear all of that. It's not like I wanted to eavesdrop, but I couldn't resist listening to their entire conversation. I hid behind the thick foliage on my neighbor’s house fence."What was that all about?" I asked, frowning.Fenella didn't answer and instead ran into her own house. I hurriedly walked to her front door and saw Fenella slamming it shut with a loud thud. Funny.I went inside my house and knocked on Lloyd's bedroom door. His room was right in front of mine, and I knew he was already inside."Come in," Lloyd said from inside the room.I opened the door as Lloyd was putting on a gray t-shirt and cargo shorts."Did you ask Fenella out on a date?" I asked cautiously."What? I didn't know you were into eavesdropping," Lloyd said casually, grabbing his newly bought game console."Cut the crap," I retorted.Lloyd's seemingly indifferent expression made me realize that he may have known about my presence from the beginning. He knew I had overheard th
Fenella’s POVI opened a teenage magazine and saw one of the articles I had read before. It was from three months ago, but I thought it was still relevant to me. The article's page discussed several tips for a successful first date."Wearing appropriate attire for the date location while staying comfortable." I read the first tip for myself.But I didn't know where Lloyd would take me. He didn't say. I thought about just wearing something comfortable. I opened my wardrobe and started choosing clothes for tomorrow. From one top to another and various pants from long to short.A dress? I glanced at the dress but immediately shook my head. I still vividly remember the last time I wore a dress for a boy, and it didn't end well. Laird said I looked ugly, like a clown.Fortunately, now I'm quite good at dressing up after following tips from magazines and YouTube videos. At least better than a birthday clown.My heart raced as I stared at myself in the mirror. I never thought Lloyd would ask
Fenella’s POVInitially, I thought it would be boring, but it wasn't. Lloyd challenged me in every arcade game. We even bet our tickets every time we win a game. Starting from the dancing machine game—even though I was the only one playing this game—skee ball, basketball, pinball, fighting games, and various other games.We also played bowling, even though we weren't very good at it. No one managed to make a strike. Especially me, who ended up putting more balls into the gutter than knocking down pins.Almost two full hours passed as we played games, then Lloyd took me out for lunch. He said the food there was bad, so he took me to another restaurant within walking distance.We shared a burger for two because I knew I wouldn't be able to finish one portion alone. I ordered a S'mores shake, while Lloyd ordered a chocolate milkshake.After I thought we were stuffed with all the delicious food, Lloyd dragged me to an ice cream shop right next to the burger restaurant. We both agreed that
Fenella’s POVI still can't forget about Laird this afternoon. It could be said that I was head over heels for him. If this is all just a dream, I don't want it to end quickly. If this turns out to be true, I want to confirm it again and again until I am truly convinced that this afternoon was not a dream.Laird and I, kissing?! It was my first kiss!I bury my face in the pillow, feeling hot. My hysterical scream might have reached my mother's ears.“Fenella? What's wrong?”My mother entered the room and opened the door. Her eyes widen in confusion as she sees my messy hair and flushed face. I could see my own embarrassing appearance in the mirror!“Oh, nothing, mom. I just can't wait to see the latest music video.”I quickly opened a rock band's online video streaming page on my laptop screen. My mother let out a long sigh as she slowly walked to my room's window. From the second floor, my mother could see something on the street in front of the house.“You should be studying.” My mo
Fenella’s POV"Laird!"I exclaimed, playfully squeezing his thigh. This time, he burst into laughter. Oh, how relieved I felt to see him laugh again. I joined in the laughter. My fingers then tickled him, and we both giggled on the quite crowded bus.Shortly after, the bus arrived at my school's bus stop. I squeezed his hand and gathered the courage to kiss Laird's cheek. He immediately blushed."I'll go first." I waved my hand at him, and he waved back at me with a shy smile.I got off at the still-deserted school bus stop. I couldn't believe that I managed to wake up earlier just to catch the same bus as Laird. He attended a higher-ranked private school that was farther away from mine. As I reconsidered everything, I realized that I was walking to my school alone.I wondered how I could get through the days that felt empty without Laird. Our situation was vastly different from our elementary school days. Everything seemed lighthearted at first, but now I feel a heavy cloud above my
Fenella’s POVToday, Laird had a friendly match. Of course, I watched to support him. I brought the cheerleading pom-poms that I usually use for school pep squad practice. Although everyone was watching me, I didn't care.I was guiding the supporters to prevent them from getting tired quickly. That's indeed the pep squad's duty. Wearing a red shirt and white skirt, I cheered every time Laird's team hit the ball, even though his team still lost in the end.After the match ended, I approached him, who had finished showering. His hair was still wet, and he sat alone in the front row of the players' changing room. I sat down next to him, but we remained silent."Did you come?" he asked."Of course. Didn't you see me jumping around with these pompoms?" I lifted both the red, blue, and white pompoms that were distinctive to his team."Oh. That's nice," he replied, rubbing the pompoms briefly.We sat silently again in the quiet hallway. I didn't know what he was waiting for, and he didn't sa
Fenella’s POVThree months later…“State of New York vs. Alan Schmidt! All rise, and please be quiet!”The bailiff announced the case name in a loud voice. I sat in the audience with my heart pounding and my feet restless. The reporters waiting in the back of the room fell silent, capturing every moment as the judge entered.I squeezed Laird's hand to quell my nerves. He smiled at me and whispered that everything would be okay. I nodded and offered a small, reassuring smile in return.This was the final appeal at the Supreme Court. After this, Alan wouldn’t be able to appeal again until his sentence was served. After two long years of a drawn-out case with various appeals from Alan’s side, we had finally reached the finish line.The judge began reading various considerations and court notes. They took turns reading the decision documents. Time seemed to crawl, and I began to feel drowsy.I occasionally glanced at Alan, who sat in his prison jumpsuit. His once curly, neat hair had grown
Fenella’s POVTwo years later…I held Laird's hand, squeezing the palm that felt damp with sweat. A smile appeared on my lips as I tried to calm the nervousness he had felt since we left the house. This was the first award ceremony for him, Dave, and Rowan. They couldn’t sit still in their seats either.I couldn’t deny that I felt the same. My heart raced, even as the host made jokes that had the audience laughing. Still, I tried to remain calm because I didn’t want to make him more anxious than he already was.“The winner of the Best Mobile Game of the Year is...” The music stopped, the announcer paused, tension built, “My Supermodel!”“Oh! Thank God!” I exclaimed behind my hands that covered my open mouth.“Congratulations, honey!”I immediately stood up and hugged Laird tightly beside me. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed his lips strong and quick. He smiled broadly and whispered for a moment, “I love you, baby. Thank you.”“Congratulations!” I shook hands with Dave and Rowa
Fenella’s POVI stood at the edge of the balcony. My hands are firmly gripping the iron rail of the balcony as my eyes gaze at the nighttime scenery in the distance. Puerto Vallarta, a cliff with a stunning coastal view that showcases the beautiful side of Mexico.Perhaps there is truth in the saying—including Lloyd's yesterday—that bad memories must be replaced with good ones.Since arriving in Mexico until now, all the bad memories have been erased and replaced with the beauty of a honeymoon vacation with the love of my life. It's not bad, really.Despite the heavy trial we went through yesterday, we finally had some peace of mind. The night breeze blows through my hair. There's a strange sensation, but I don't want to go into the room yet. Until Laird came from the balcony door and immediately hugged me, enveloping me in soothing warmth.“Hey,”“Hi, baby. Are you done showering?” I asked, raising my head to look at Laird's face for a moment.“Yup.”“You smell nice,” I said as I inh
Fenella’s POV“Oh, sweet Mother, that was divine!” Jessy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes wide while his mouth continued chewing my mother’s crab cakes. The murmurs and cheers were still heard until he finally finished his last bite.“I was glad you liked them,” my mother smiled broadly.“I didn’t just like them. I loved, loved, loved them!”Everyone around us laughed at Jessy’s confession. We felt the same way because my mother had succeeded in making a super delicious wedding reception dish. Truly, our Baxter family home was filled with guests. Even though we had invited only a small number of people, our home had never been this lively.The decorations of pink, white, and red flowers and balloons filled the entire room. The furniture had been rearranged to create enough space for the guests to dance or chat. Soft music played through the speakers set up in the corner of the room.Occasionally, guests would step up to change the music, hold the microph
Fenella’s POV“Honey, you looked absolutely stunning,” my mother said. “Thank you, Mom.” I smiled wide upon hearing my mother's compliment. She handed me a bouquet of wedding flowers that was a mix of pink, red, and white colors. I then grabbed the small bouquet and held it tightly. “I couldn’t believe we pulled this off all in just a week.” My mother shook her head, her eyes wide. “We even thought to get married the day after he proposed, but I remembered your words about wanting to prepare every detail of my wedding. You only have one chance because I'm your only daughter, so here we are.”“I just hoped those fruit tarts and crab cakes would be enough for all the guests.” “It’s okay, Mom. If the food wasn’t enough, we could stuff them with the wedding cake. That’s the job of the five-tier cake you ordered.”“You're right. I'm grateful that Mrs. Maddox's bakery shop is willing to take on the order." She sighed and stared at my face."Oh, I wish your father could see you, even th
Fenella’s POV“Fenella.”“Yes, Laird.”Laird called me right after I arrived at the apartment.“Where are you right now?”“I'm at the apartment,” I replied quickly as I grabbed a glass of mineral water from the dispenser.“Oh, thank goodness. I'm on my way home,” he said.The apartment door opened, and I immediately saw Laird's figure enter. My mouth was slightly agape, with my eyes widening. My forehead wrinkled as I watched him walk in. I glanced at the clock on the table and realized it was 2 p.m.“Fenella,” he called in his distinctively low voice.He stepped inside and met me in the kitchen. I hurriedly set my water glass down on the dining table. For some reason, Laird's face looked different. There was a hint of a happy smile on his face, though the look in his eyes was dark, and I couldn't describe the meaning behind it.“You're home? One second you're calling me, the next you're standing in front of me,” I chuckled.Suddenly, he let down his backpack on the floor. Then he hug
Laird’s POVI took several deep breaths and let them out. I couldn't help but feel uneasy and anxious, and various bad thoughts were raging in my mind. My hands repeatedly smoothed my tie or combed my hair. Hell, I couldn't calm myself down!This wasn't the first time my father had gone this far. Using bodyguards to pick up other people by force, who does he think he is?I hate his methods. He's called the shark of the legal world for a reason. This is how he acts. Stalking, coercing, and making people bend to his will until they're crushed by Hugo Evans' ambition.Now he was after Fenella. He flew from Boston to New York for her. I just knew it.I almost know what my father wants from my girlfriend. Maybe he wants to tell her to stay away like some of the girls I dated at university. It could also be that he wanted to ask about the case involving me and Malgolm Golden together.Whatever it was, I was waiting for a call or mes
Fenella’s POVMy eyes blinked after hearing Mr. Evans' words. My brow furrowed as I tried to understand his reasoning and failed miserably. I remained silent, but eventually, my heart was stirred to dig deeper.“Excuse me? Why is that?” I asked slowly, being careful not to make a misstep.“Because he helped my enemy,” Mr. Evans replied firmly.Again, I could only blink. An enemy? Yes, Laird had told me how Mr. Golden had an affair with his mother. But wasn’t that ten years ago? In fact, Mr. Evans had been busy with his young girlfriend.Still, Laird had helped to do the right thing. I didn’t want to argue with him, but I began to feel that Mr. Evans' disappointment in Laird was beyond reason.“But he helped capture criminals. He has contributed to the community.” I voiced my opinion again and swallowed to ease my nervousness.“You don’t know anything, kid. He helped my arch-enemy without considering my feelings.” Mr. Evans scoffed in frustration. “How dare he? Sometimes Laird can be u
Fenella’s POVI willingly got into the black van, leaving Jessy alone on the sidewalk. I was sure he would immediately contact Laird. Maybe he would explain the situation to him, and Laird would call me right away.Sure enough, my phone rang just minutes after the van had driven away from Laird’s office building. I answered the call immediately.“Hello, Laird.”“Hey, Fenella. What is this about Jessy seeing you being abducted by a black van? He said you willingly got into the vehicle and mentioned it was my father’s men.”Laird asked with tension in his voice. His breath sounded hurried on the phone, but I didn’t want to make him more anxious.Well, yes, I was panicking too because suddenly I had been approached by men in black suits who resembled mafia. However, they mentioned Hugo Evans, Laird’s father. I didn’t want to give his father a bad impression, or I would lose th