LOGINKIERA’S POVMy heart was hammering so hard I felt like I was about to have a heart attack and become a literal ghost haunting this shitty motel. The knock came again, softer this time, almost hesitant, and I stood there staring at the door. I was still sweating from that damn dream, still half-convinced I was hallucinating. Could it be Gabriel? Brain, shut up. We are not doing this right now.Without letting another seconds go by, I grabbed the handle and yanked the door open, and it was Damien.He stood there looking absolutely wrecked, his hair a mess like he'd been running his hands through it, his eyes dark and intense and fixed on me with this expression that made my stomach do a full Olympic gymnastics routine. He was wearing the same clothes from earlier but somehow he looked different."Damien," I breathed, and I didn't know if it was a question or relief or me just being pathetic."Can I come in?" His voice sounded rough, scraped raw.I stepped back without thinking because a
KIERA'S POVOh for f*ck's sake. What did I do to deserve this kind of torture? I was standing in that lobby staring at the peeling wallpaper and wondering which god I'd pissed off in a past life. Talk about a cosmic joke. One room? Seriously? Who’s writing this shit, and why does my life suddenly feel like a setup? Except, there was nothing remotely funny about this. Not when every nerve in my body is screaming.My eyes flicked between Gabriel and Damien, trying to get a read on their reactions. Gabriel's face was a stone wall, while Damien, on the other hand, was clenching his jaw so hard I was genuinely concerned he might grind his molars into dust.Suddenly, an old, shrill telephone rang, and the receptionist, or fossilized hag, whatever the hell she was, stretched out her wrinkled hand and picked it up."Yeah, there's just one room left. A couple people here, but I don't know if they'll take it." Her gaze roamed to us, sizing us up like we were livestock at an auction, and I shift
DAMIEN’S POVI stared at her and said nothing. What was I supposed to say? The fear coming off her was so real I felt it in my own stomach. My mouth was open and everything. Just open. Nothing came out."Damiennn?" She called out, like thread pulled too tight before it snaps."I… I can't say for sure. But—""I'm not going anywhere," She said it and something in her face closed off, "Going back is too risky, I can't do it. Don Masseli can't find us here, I think, so we just stay. We stay here." Her chest was going fast. She was selling it hard, mostly to herself.God. I wanted to let her have that. I wanted to smooth the terror off her face with a lie pretty enough to believe. But the words wouldn't come, because they'd be exactly that — a lie. So I just stayed there, silent, and watched the colour drain from her face as she read everything she needed to in the space between my words."Everyone knows Abuela, Kiera," Gabriel spoke up, "This is the first place they’ll look if we're not w
KIERA’S POVI wasn’t sure if it was from the room or inside my own head. The darkness wasn't just an absence of light, it was a presence, a heavy velvet cloak smothering me, pressing down on my chest until each breath became a conscious effort. My mind floated somewhere above my body, a disconnected observer in a theater of blackness. My eyes were trapped, and fidgeting in their socket, but the voices I kept hearing were familiar, slicing through the fog.“We need to leave. Urgently.”Wait—Damien?What the hell? When did he get here? My sluggish brain tried to piece things together, but it was like assembling a puzzle with missing corners.Then came another voice, edged with barely restrained anger, “What the hell are you doing here? What’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait for us to return?”That was certainly Gabriel.I tried to move, to open my eyes, but they felt glued shut. My limbs refused to cooperate, my body a prisoner to its own weight.The last thing I remembered was returning
GABRIEL’S POVThe night air was warm, but the tension in my chest was colder than frostbite. My jaw clenched as I cornered Emilia near the buffet table, her smirk already lighting a fire in my gut."Do you think this is a game, Emilia?" I hissed, keeping my voice low enough to avoid causing a scene, "What were you thinking showing Kiera that text?"Her perfectly plucked brow arched, and she rested her hand on her hips, as if this was some casual chat about the weather, “Oh, Gabriel, don’t be so dramatic. I was simply reminding her where you and I stand.”“Where we stand?” My voice was a growl now, “We don’t stand anywhere. Whatever this is in your head, it’s over. Long over. Kiera means a lot to me, and I’m warning you, stay away from her!”Her lips twisted into a wicked smile, and her eyes gleamed like a predator who was about to devour her prey, “A warning? Is that supposed to scare me?” She purred, stepping closer.My fists clenched at my sides, “You don’t want to test me on this.”
KIERA’S POVThe backyard was a scene straight out of a lifestyle magazine, the kind that made you feel out of place even when you were supposed to belong. Strings of warm golden lights crisscrossed the vast open space, casting a dreamy glow over the manicured lawn. The pool shimmered under the soft lights, reflecting the flickering candles scattered around its edge. There were about ten people milling about, glasses of champagne in hand, laughter and soft chatter blending with the slow, romantic song drifting through hidden speakers. A long buffet table stood to the side, adorned with an assortment of decadent dishes, from fresh seafood towers to intricately decorated desserts, and enough expensive liquor to drown an army.Abuela’s absence was notable, though her reason had been clear: “This is for you young ones. I’m too old for all this.” That left me here, navigating this sea of unfamiliar faces and unspoken tensions on my own.I adjusted the deep emerald gown that clung to my curv
KIERA’S POVI woke up feeling surprisingly rejuvenated. Apparently, a solid night’s sleep does wonders for the soul. The anger I was nursing over Gabriel had dulled to a mild irritation, like a mosquito bite.I decided right then, no more expectations. I’d step up as the fake fiancé he needed—no str
ELISE’S POVI had just finished having lunch, and I casually strolled to the bedroom, trying to shake off the feeling of emptiness that lingered. It was becoming a habit for Miguel to skip not just dinner with me but lunch, too. For the last two days, he had chosen to sleep in another room, and I fe
GABRIEL’S POVThe flight lasted two hours, the hum of the engines a dull backdrop to the storm brewing in the cabin. Kiera had been uncharacteristically quiet, her glare fixed on the window, as if the world outside could offer her some refuge from whatever was nagging at her.I was sure it had to do
ELISE’S POVI got back from shopping right on time for dinner.“Where’s my husband?” I asked, throwing a look at Joe.“He’s in the dining room ma’am,” Joe responded.Perfect! What better opportunity to bond with my husband than over some delicious food? I had so much I wanted to discuss with him.Mi







