HAUNTING EMILY

EMILY Matteo Romenetti. I couldn't forget his face, not when his picture was all over the media, and hanging on my wall. Even though it had been years, fifteen years if not mistaken, I couldn't forget the very man who stole my heart. The very one I could comfortably look into his eyes and feel like nothing else mattered. I recalled back then, the weak and fragile me, who couldn't even defend her name. I was always the one being bullied at school. In fact, my existence was merely a vessel for their hatred. But then, Matteo walked into the picture. He made me feel better in the midst of haters, he was my saviour, my knight in shining armour, and the very one I hoped to spend the rest of my life with. Then something came up, one that separated us forever. Though we had vowed to find each other in the future, it seems like the future we hoped for wasn't the kind we wished to have. Now, I was staring at him, California's most wanted criminal, a man who has rendered several lives waste

EMILY I didn't know my words would cause more damage than good. And do you know what, I didn't regret it. Chief Ramos had me suspended for a month, and from handling any case files until further notice. A part of me hated myself for being too stupid for saying that, the other appreciated me for doing what I could to preserve my life. Kent later chatted with me and told me he had taken the case. “Good for you,” was all I could tell him. While I sat at the table, having dinner with Stephanie, I received another massage from an unknown number. This time, I noticed that the number that messaged me was a different number from the first. “I see you're listening, Miss Thompson.” “Who are you, and how the hell did you get my contact number?” Silence. Minutes passed, so did hours, and I didn't get any reply. I couldn't tell if I was more scared now than before. At this point, it feels like it's not just one person watching me, but thousands of them. I had to call Gina, explaining

MATTEO “You changed so much,” she said. “You were never like this. You never hurt, you protected. Why? Why did you change this much, Matteo?!” She said these words to me fifteen years ago, when I almost killed a classmate for being a pain in the ass. Now, she was saying the same words to me. I was quite the opposite of her. She never changed a bit, not even her beauty, not even the sharpness in her voice when she tries to play tough. She was still the same Emily Thompson I fell in love with. “Change, you say?” I chuckled, standing up, and walking towards her direction. “Everyone changes, Miss Thompson.” Stopping before her, I squatted, letting our gaze meet. “Except you must have mistaken me for someone else.” “Don't act like you don't know me, idiot!” She snapped, that same sharpness in her voice. “I know you do! You remember me as much as I remember you. You haven't forgotten so soon, have you?” I thought I saw something like tears in her eyes. Like she was holding herself fro

EMILY My face was buried in my palm, my body shivering to the cold of the night. The only thought in my head was how to get out of here. I couldn't imagine how worried Stephanie would be now. She'd probably be crying her eyes out, yelling my name for help, who knows? I was thinking all these through, when a voice whispered my name. “Miss Thompson.” I looked up. There was a maid, scared, almost too terrified to be here. She stretched a key to me. “Take, there's someone waiting outside. He'll help you get out of here.” I hesitated, mentally trying to figure things out. It's just my first day here, and someone wanted to help me get my freedom back? There were only two possibilities that screamed in my mind. Could it be Matteo trying to test me or something? Or the fact that Chief Ramos had suspected so much that my disappearance has something to do with Matteo Romenetti? It's impossible he'd know. After all, he suspended me from work, so he has nothing to do with me. On second th

KENT The moment the news got to me that Emily was missing, I felt like my entire world had crumbled. Chief Ramos so far didn't pay much attention to it. In fact, he didn't bother asking or checking up, and that pissed me even more. I had gone to her home for the third time now, half expecting she'd show up and tell me it was all a joke. But then, it's always the same, like there was no one living here. I remembered she once mentioned having a best friend called Gina, only that I have no idea who and where she lives. I drove back to the office. Chief Ramos was in his office, watching the news on the television, while he devoured his hamburger like the world didn't matter to him. “Shut the door after you,” he said without sparing a glance at me. “How is the investigation going?” “What investigation?” I questioned. “The very one you're planning on discussing with me now.” “So you knew she was missing?” I snarled at him. “I heard. And thankfully, you just confirmed it.” He said