Rain Tummy 的作品

Zina POVThe house felt unnervingly silent. I sat on the couch, eyes unfocused as I stared at the walls, my mind a chaotic mess. Thoughts of Xaden crowded my brain. His voice, full of threats, filled my head, his words echoing like a constant drumbeat. He promised he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, and I couldn't escape the feeling that he was out there, just waiting for the right moment to strike.My chest felt tight, as if a weight was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I reached for my phone, my hands shaking. The screen lit up with a message.Where are you? I'm outside.It was from Jared.I hadn't answered his calls or texts all day. I couldn't let him see how scared I was, how out of control I felt. But the truth was, I needed him. I couldn't keep going like this. I had to face it, no matter how terrified I was. Jared had always been my rock.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my hands before typing out a response.I'm home. Come in.I pressed send and

POV: ZinaThe elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but the sound might as well have been a gunshot for how violently my heart jolted. I stepped out onto the marble floor, the sharp click of my heels echoing down the hall like a countdown to my execution.Jared's words replayed in my head. You don't owe him anything. Don't let him corner you.I gripped the strap of my bag tighter, knuckles white. The conference room loomed at the end of the corridor, its glass walls revealing shadowy silhouettes inside. My reflection stared back at me as I passed, pale and drawn—a ghost of the woman I used to be.I wasn't ready for this.But I didn't have a choice.Pushing down the tremor threatening to claw its way up my throat, I adjusted the blazer that suddenly felt too tight and forced my legs to keep moving.The door opened before I could touch the handle."Mrs. Lennox."I froze.Xaden's lawyer stood there, a shark in a tailored suit with slicked-back hair and a predatory smile. He stepped

POV: JaredThe crimson glow of Xaden's taillights vanished beyond the bend, swallowed whole by the darkness. But his presence lingered thick and suffocating, like the acrid smell of smoke after a fire. My fists curled so tightly my knuckles cracked, but the tremor in my hands betrayed me. I couldn't let Zina see it. Not now.Not after this.She knelt on the damp earth, clutching Asher so fiercely it seemed as if letting go would splinter him into irreparable pieces. The boy's muffled sobs pierced the suffocating silence, each one a blade twisting deeper into my chest. I dropped to one knee beside them, the gravel biting into my skin as I reached out and brushed Zina's shoulder.She flinched hard."Zina." My voice came out hoarse, the strain roughening the edges. "We need to move. Now."She lifted her head, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her bloodshot eyes locked on mine, wild and desperate. "He'll find us, Jared." Her voice cracked, the words barely a whisper. "He always finds

Zina's POVThe cabin door shut behind Jared, leaving me alone with Asher and the deafening silence that seemed to stretch forever. I clutched Asher tighter, my arms wrapped protectively around him as if that could shield him from everything outside. My eyes darted toward the windows, the curtains drawn tightly, but it didn't stop the fear crawling beneath my skin.Jared had promised we were safe here that no one could find us. But the footprints he'd spotted outside told a different story.I kissed Asher's forehead, brushing back the mess of curls stuck to his skin. He stirred slightly, murmuring something in his sleep, but didn't wake. At least one of us could rest.I envied him envied his innocence and belief that Jared and I could protect him. I wanted to believe it, too. But after everything we'd been through, trust didn't come so easily anymore.The fire in the stone hearth crackled softly, but instead of calming me, it only made the shadows dance more wildly across the walls. I

Zina's POVMy gaze drifted toward the window, the curtains half-drawn but still letting in the faint glow of the streetlights. The glass reflected the room around us—the soft glow of the lamps, the shadows dancing along the walls. But for the briefest moment, I thought I saw something else—a flicker of movement outside.The hair on the back of my neck prickled.I froze, my heart stuttering in my chest as I strained to see past the reflection. Nothing. Just the night. Just shadows."What's wrong?" Jared's voice pulled me back, and I turned quickly, forcing a smile."Nothing." I shook my head. "Just my imagination."His eyes lingered on mine, searching. Jared could always tell when something was off. It was one of the things I both loved and hated about him. He saw too much."Zina," he said softly, "don't do that thing where you pretend everything's fine when it's not."I laughed nervously. "I'm not pretending. I swear.""Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"I hesitated, uns

POV: Unknown PersonThe night was cold, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and lingered, but I barely noticed. The wind howled around me, sending leaves skittering across the rooftop, but I stayed still, cloaked in darkness. The only thing that mattered was the scene unfolding through the softly glowing window across the street.I pressed the binoculars closer to my face, my gaze narrowing as I brought them into sharper focus. Inside, Jared and Zina sat together, their faces lit by the golden glow of the room. The way they laughed, their heads tilted toward one another, made my stomach twist. They looked so happy, so at peace.Jared leaned closer to her, whispering something. Whatever he said made her laugh—a full, carefree laugh that filled the space around her. She tilted her head back, exposing the curve of her neck, and I felt a bitter taste rise in my throat. He touched her arm lightly, as if reassuring her of something, and her hand came to rest over his, her fingers l

Bella’s POVNobody spoke after Ethan mentioned his uncle.The rain outside tapped steadily against the windows, filling the silence that had settled over the room. James remained standing near the television, his eyes fixed on the frozen image of the masked figure, while Sarah looked like she was trying to fit together pieces of a puzzle that refused to make sense.Finally, Maya broke the silence.“So… are we just going to ignore the fact that every family gathering in the Wade family sounds like a crime documentary?”Ethan let out a tired breath that almost sounded like a laugh.“You have terrible timing.”“I’ve been told that before.”“I wonder why.”“Jealousy.”Even James smiled for a second before his expression became serious again.“Ethan,” he said, “tell us everything you know about your uncle.”Ethan leaned against the table and folded his arms.“There isn’t much to tell.”“Start anyway.”“He and my father were close when I was younger, but after my grandfather died, they bare

Ethan’s POVFor one terrifying second, I could not see her.The explosion shook the entire street.Glass burst outward in every direction.People screamed.Firefighters shouted over each other.The ground beneath my feet trembled.My heart stopped.“Bella!”I searched the crowd desperately.Nothing.No answer.No familiar face.Only smoke.Only chaos.Only fear.I pushed forward without thinking.A firefighter grabbed my arm.“Sir, you can’t go in there!”“My wife is inside!”His grip tightened.“The building is unstable.”“I don’t care!”“You will if the roof collapses.”“I said let me go!”I shoved against him.Another firefighter stepped in front of me.“Listen to me.”“I’m not listening to anybody!”James appeared out of nowhere.“Ethan!”“Move.”“No.”“James.”“No.”His voice stayed calm.“You are not helping her by dying.”“You don’t know she’s alive.”“I don’t.”He swallowed hard.“But you don’t know she’s dead either.”That single sentence knocked the air from my lungs.Then,

Bella’s POVThe kiss should have made everything better.It should have fixed something.Healed something.Given us a fresh start.Instead, twenty-four hours later, everything exploded.Literally.The bookstore alarm started screaming at 2:17 a.m.The sound ripped me out of sleep.For one terrifying second, I had no idea where I was.Then I heard shouting downstairs.Footsteps.Glass breaking.My heart stopped.I jumped out of bed immediately.“Ethan!”The bedroom door flew open.Ethan rushed inside.His face had gone completely pale.“Get dressed. Now.”Fear crashed through me instantly.“What happened?”“We need to leave.”The urgency in his voice terrified me.Downstairs, more shouting echoed.Then came the smell.Smoke.My stomach dropped.Smoke.“Oh my God.”The realization hit instantly.The bookstore.Someone had set the bookstore on fire.The world suddenly became chaos.Ethan grabbed my hand.“We have to go.”We ran downstairs.The first floor looked like a nightmare.Smoke f

Chapter 108 – FinallyBella’s POVThe next few days felt strangely peaceful.Not perfect.Definitely not normal.But peaceful enough to notice.Nobody disappeared unexpectedly.Nobody uncovered shocking family secrets.Nobody showed up with mysterious evidence.Honestly, it felt suspicious.Life had trained me well.Whenever things became quiet,something dramatic usually followed.Still, I tried enjoying it.The bookstore remained busy every day.Customers came and went constantly.Maya continued creating unnecessary chaos.James remained permanently stressed.Sarah practically lived inside investigation files.And Ethan…Well.Ethan stayed close.Not in an overwhelming way.Not in a controlling way.Just close enough to remind methat he was still here.That he wasn’t leaving again.The realization warmed something inside me.More than I wanted to admit.Late Thursday afternoon,I found myself reorganizing books.A task I normally enjoyed.Today, however, somebody kept distracting m

Chapter 108 – FinallyBella’s POVThe next few days felt strangely peaceful.Not perfect.Definitely not normal.But peaceful enough to notice.Nobody disappeared unexpectedly.Nobody uncovered shocking family secrets.Nobody showed up with mysterious evidence.Honestly, it felt suspicious.Life had trained me well.Whenever things became quiet,something dramatic usually followed.Still, I tried enjoying it.The bookstore remained busy every day.Customers came and went constantly.Maya continued creating unnecessary chaos.James remained permanently stressed.Sarah practically lived inside investigation files.And Ethan…Well.Ethan stayed close.Not in an overwhelming way.Not in a controlling way.Just close enough to remind methat he was still here.That he wasn’t leaving again.The realization warmed something inside me.More than I wanted to admit.Late Thursday afternoon,I found myself reorganizing books.A task I normally enjoyed.Today, however, somebody kept distracting m

Bella’s POVThe next few days felt strangely peaceful.Not perfect.Definitely not normal.But peaceful enough to notice.Nobody disappeared unexpectedly.Nobody uncovered shocking family secrets.Nobody showed up with mysterious evidence.Honestly, it felt suspicious.Life had trained me well.Whenever things became quiet,something dramatic usually followed.Still, I tried enjoying it.The bookstore remained busy every day.Customers came and went constantly.Maya continued creating unnecessary chaos.James remained permanently stressed.Sarah practically lived inside investigation files.And Ethan…Well.Ethan stayed close.Not in an overwhelming way.Not in a controlling way.Just close enough to remind methat he was still here.That he wasn’t leaving again.The realization warmed something inside me.More than I wanted to admit.Late Thursday afternoon,I found myself reorganizing books.A task I normally enjoyed.Today, however, somebody kept distracting me.His name started wi