Romane von Terasomdi

(Fabian’s POV)I froze instantly, my eyes widening in shock.My heart twisted painfully, and my hands started trembling. Aliana’s dress slipped from my fingers and fell to the ground.“Look at that,” the coast guard officer beside me said, amusement clear in her voice. “We just walked into two lovers kissing.” When she saw that I didn’t respond, she slowly turned toward me and frowned at the expression on my face. Then her eyes widened slightly like she had suddenly understood something.“Don’t tell me that woman over there kissing that man is your girlfriend,” she muttered in shock.I couldn’t respond. Because I was in even greater shock myself.Delvin Barrington was here with Aliana?How?Was Delvin the other missing passenger we had been searching for together with Aliana this whole time?And… since when had they become that close again? Close enough to be wrapped in each other’s arms and kissing like that?“So the girlfriend you’ve been searching for all this time is here kissin

(Aliana’s POV)“I went to get food,” he muttered as he lifted two fairly large fish. “I figured you’d be hungry.”I blinked at the fish in his hands.“I’ll explore the island later to find more options. We might even get fruits or something,” he added.Just like the night before, Delvin carefully prepared the fish, and we ate in almost complete silence.After eating, Delvin and I sat quietly, staring at the sea and watching for any passing ship. I didn’t know how long we sat there, but it felt like hours.“I love it here,” Delvin said suddenly. “I want to live here forever with you.”“Are you crazy? I want to go home,” I replied immediately, not agreeing with him at all.He couldn’t be serious. There was no electricity, no proper shelter... nothing about this place was suitable for living.Delvin laughed softly, like he enjoyed teasing me. Then he stood up and stretched out his hand toward me.“Do you want to explore the forest with me?” he asked quietly.I looked at him for a moment

(Aliana’s POV)I kept my eyes shut, forcing myself to sleep, but I just couldn’t.The leaves beneath me were uncomfortable, and even though the fire was burning beside us, I still felt slightly cold.“You can’t sleep too?” Delvin mumbled beside me.I slowly opened my eyes and met his gaze.He looked like he hadn’t slept at all either. Couldn’t he sleep too?“Why are you still awake?” I asked quietly.Delvin let out a soft smile.“How can I sleep when you’re lying this close to me?” he replied.I blinked at him. He never missed a chance to say things like that.Just a few hours ago, he had said he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life on this island as long as I was there with him.“You are my life now, Aliana,” he had whispered earlier, almost making me choke on the fish I was eating.And now he was saying he couldn’t sleep because I was lying beside him.“I want to stay awake all night just to watch you sleep,” he continued softly.I sighed, trying hard to hide the tiny smile t

(Fabian’s POV)“Don’t worry, sir. We’ll do everything we can to find her,” I said into the phone, trying hard to keep my voice calm.“I truly pray so,” Mr. Hale said, his voice cracking with emotion. “She’s the only child I have.”A full day had already passed, and he had been calling nonstop every few minutes for updates about his missing daughter.Yesterday, after he repeatedly called Aliana’s phone without getting any response, I finally answered and told him the truth about what had happened.“I won’t survive it if anything happens to her,” he added weakly.He wasn’t the only one who felt that way.I wasn’t sure I could survive the pain of losing Aliana forever either. And I still couldn’t bring myself to think about the worst possibility.“Nothing will happen to her, sir,” I reassured him, trying to push away the terrifying thoughts forming inside my own head. “I won’t stop searching until she’s found.”Mr. Hale let out a deep shaky breath before ending the call. But I could tell

(Aliana’s POV)It was already getting dark, and I was starting to worry badly when Delvin finally returned.He was carrying heavy pieces of wood on his shoulders, and in one hand, he held an old 2-litre jerry can filled with liquid.The wood looked so heavy that it almost bent him forward, making it hard for him to walk properly.Without thinking twice, I rushed over to help him.But Delvin didn’t let me touch the wood. Instead, he handed me the jerry can.Even that wasn’t heavy compared to the wood he was carrying. I tried again to take some of the load, but he quickly moved away.“The wood is heavy. It could hurt your hand,” he said, breathing hard.“It won’t, I’ll be careful,” I said quickly, but Delvin didn’t even wait for me to finish.He walked past me toward the place where we had been staying.I stared at his back for a moment, then picked up the jerry can and followed him.“It’s going to be freezing soon,” he said as he dropped the wood onto the ground.“So we need to make a

(Aliana's POV)My chest tightened as I watched Delvin. His back was turned to me, and his face looked tense with frustration as he repeatedly tried to power on his phone.I had no idea where mine had fallen during the accident, but Delvin had tucked his into his pocket before everything happened, and now he was trying to see if it still worked.“Come on...” he muttered through clenched teeth.I waited quietly, my eyes red from crying so much, my body growing weaker from both the pain and the trauma.I hoped... I prayed even... that the phone would turn on.If it did, then maybe we could leave this lonely island with just one phone call.But the little hope inside me crumbled when I saw Delvin gripping the phone so tightly it looked like he could crush it in his hand.The phone still wasn’t working, and frustration was written all over his face.When he noticed me watching him, he quickly fixed his expression. Then he let out a quiet sigh and walked back toward me.“It won’t turn on,”

To my wonderful readers, Thank you so much for staying with me until the very end of this story. Your time, support, and patience mean more to me than words can fully express. This is my first book, and while it may have small errors or imperfections, it was written with deep passion and commitment. I learned a lot through this journey, and every chapter helped me grow as a writer. Your encouragement has shown me that this dream is worth pursuing. I promise to come back stronger, wiser, and better in my future projects. This is only the beginning. Thank you for believing in my story. With gratitude, Author.

(Patricia's POV)The warm smell of potato soup drifted from the kitchen, filling the air. It had become my favorite dish lately."Hmmm... so delicious," I said, inhaling deeply as I stepped into the kitchen.Raymond stood by the stove, wearing an apron, a spoon in his hand, stirring the pot like cooking was his full-time job.A sweet smile spread across my lips as I folded my arms and leaned against the wall, just watching him.It wasn’t the first time he had cooked for me. In fact, ever since he learned I was craving potato soup, he always made time to cook it. But every time I saw him in that apron, my craving grew even stronger. I couldn’t tell if I wanted the food… or him. He looked unbelievably hot."I didn’t know you were back already," I finally said, my voice soft, with a smile.Raymond turned immediately, surprised to see me. He hadn’t realized I’d been standing there for a while.His face lit up with a wide smile as he lowered the spoon.“You were asleep when I got home,” he

(Patricia's POV)Sabrina stood by the door, her eyes filled with something I couldn’t understand. She played with her fingers nervously, like someone unsure of what to say. Did she really follow me in here?She had called me by my middle name. Not Mrs. Addison. Not even Mrs. Salvador. Why had she addressed me so casually? We were not close. Or… could it be..?No... There was no way she was here because she already knew I was her daughter. Maybe this was about the recent challenge her family company was facing. Since Henry could no longer approach me, maybe she had come herself.I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, and turned back to face the mirror.“Hello, Mrs. Wilton,” I greeted, my tone calm and distant.“H-how… are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling.My eyes narrowed slightly in surprise. Why was she being so informal today? I watched her through the mirror and noticed how nervous she looked.“I… I heard about Alonso,” she began, her voice unsteady, “and a

(Patricia’s POV)A month passed by in the blink of an eye, yet everything felt different. Life had not been the same since I discovered who my real parents were. I stayed away from the Smithfield Empire, not wanting anything to do with Mr. Smith, my supposed late father. I hadn’t gone to see Mrs. Sabrina Wilton either. There was no reason to. She had abandoned me back then, so why should I go looking for her now? Besides, she might not even know who I truly was... and even if she did, she might still not want me.Raymond had been my backbone through it all. His gunshot wound was healing well, and he had recovered greatly. He could walk properly now and had even returned to work, though he was careful not to stress his injury. He was the best man I could ever ask for. He understood my pain and was always there to support me. He told me he would stand by whatever decision I made... whether I chose to return to Smithfield or to speak with Sabrina.He also made sure Alonso received t

(Lucy’s POV)“Mason, please don’t go. We are still your family, and we love you,” my mum cried, clinging to his leg.“Yes, Mason,” my dad added, his voice shaking. “We were wrong, and we have learned our lessons. Please don’t go. Don’t leave us.”“Don’t come any closer to me!” Mason snapped, his voice sharp, his eyes red with anger. “You have completely ruined my life.”My mum broke down even harder at his words. My dad, however, turned to look at me with sad, pleading eyes, silently asking me to step in, to join them and beg Mason to stay.But I just stood there by the doorway, watching everything unfold. I couldn’t interfere. I was too broken myself to step in.Everything that had happened to my family in just one year was something I never imagined could happen. We had lost everything... our money, our power, and even our values.Our family name, once respected and admired, had been dragged through the mud. It became a joke in the city. No one wanted anything to do with us anymore.

(Patricia’s POV)Gold bars worth twice the value of the company were neatly arranged inside the safe. Some documents lay in one corner. Just one glance at them told me they were extremely important.There were other valuables too, but only one thing caught my attention… a photograph of Mr. Smith with Mrs. Wilton, Henry’s adoptive mother... the same woman whose picture I had once seen at the orphanage.Mr. Smith and that woman looked genuinely happy and oddly close in the picture, almost like they were a couple. My brows furrowed immediately.“Were they together?” I murmured in shock.I had heard that Mr. Wilton and Mr. Smith were friends in the past. But this woman was Mr. Wilton’s wife. Did she date Smith first, or were they having an affair?Why would Smith keep this picture locked inside his safe? Was he still in love with her? Since Mr. Smith never married, could it be that he loved another man’s wife?Was this the reason the two friends drifted apart and became enemies? That sing