TRENT'S POV"Did you mention anything to Daddy about the money I took from him?" I asked in a low voice, kneeling down to my little sister Stacy's eye level. I'd found myself reluctantly crawling back home, cause really I have nowhere else to go. Stacy's eyes went wide and remorseful as she sensed my serious tone. "I didn't mean to," she insisted quickly. "It just...came out when I was talking to him and Mommy at dinner."I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling a sigh. "Okay, tell me exactly what you said to them."Stacy twisted her hands together, her small face scrunching up. "Well, when Mommy asked what I wanted from the toy store, I said I wanted a new teddy bear. But she told me we had to wait until my birthday."Stacy paused, visibly bracing herself."And...and then I said that you already got the money for my bear from Dad's wallet." "Stace, you weren't supposed to tell Mom and Dad about that," I said carefully, opening my eyes to meet her crestfallen gaze. "It was our littl
ELLA'S POVI scanned the rows of cars in the school parking lot, hoping in vain to spot Trent's flashy sports car somewhere. But just like yesterday, his usual spot was glaringly empty.Well, I shouldn't be surprised. Trent skipping class was nothing new - even though I'd sent him multiple urgent texts about preparing for the blackmailer's call. Without Trent's help, our plan would never work. But clearly my messages hadn't been enough to tear him away from...whatever he was up to.My steps slowed as I approached the sleek Lamborghini Urus I knew only too well. Damien's car stood out brightly against the faded vehicles around it. Just seeing it made my mind drift back to that awful conversation I'd overheard between him and Amelia.I quickly averted my eyes, trying to halt that train of thought. But why had I allowed myself to break down crying over someone so cruel? Damien had no place left in my heart. But in that shattering moment, I just couldn't stop the tears from pouring out.
ELLA'S POVThe classroom fell into a heavy silence, Damien's loaded words seeming to suck all air from the room as they hung. Every pair of eyes bored into him, waiting with breath for what he would reveal next."I know who really did it," he stated again, letting each word resonate.I studied Damien closely. What was he playing at now? Beside me, Amelia had narrowed her eyes at him. Clearly she was just as taken aback as I was by Damien taking my side instead of hers."And who exactly is this supposed real culprit?" Amelia challenged.Damien paused a moment, as if carefully considering his words. "It was someone who wanted to frame Ella," he finally said.Murmurs rippled through the classroom at this. Then a voice piped up, "And why would anyone want to frame her?" That same question must be on everyone else's mind too.Damien cleared his throat. "I don't know the motive for certain, but can we all take a step back and examine the facts objectively?"He turned to me, holding my gaze
TRENT'S POV I tugged at the crisp uniform shirt, ensuring my fake police badge was straightened on my breast pocket. The navy pants were a bit loose at my waist, but the entire get-up was convincingly official - from the cap down to the sturdy boots. I had my uncle Charlie to thank for this hook-up.The retired cop had been skeptical about lending me his old uniform for misuse at first. But after laying on some carefully crafted lies about needing it for a theatre production, he finally relented and handed it over with a gruff warning not to get into any trouble.I scanned the deserted area with a furrowed brow. The suspected drug exchanger was running late, not that I was complaining tho. I still needed more time to prepare to face him.As I waited, my mind drifted back to the instructions my father had laid out the previous night regarding the suspicious "task" he expected me to complete."You're going to obtain a certain document from the school's records office," he had stated, n
TRENT'S POVEnzo's meet location was less than a mile away, in an abandoned depot on the edge of town. I navigated the deserted streets, searching for the place listed in the crumpled note.Sure enough, there was Enzo's sleek black car, idling in the shadows of the depot. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves before leaving my vehicle.Suddenly my phone rang yet again, I glanced down to see Ella's name flashing on the caller ID. "Have you met with him yet or not?" Ella sounded at the other end."So impatient, At this rate, your constant calling might get us caught, gorgeous.""Just answer me straight for once!" Ella demanded."I'm literally about to walk up to his car as we speak. Make sure that sexy dress is on for the club tonight. We'll be moving to phase two soon..." I trailed off suggestively."Ugh, you're impossible!" Ella said in exasperation. But before I could tease her further, the line went dead.I chuckled under my breath as I slipped the phone away. I strode up and ra
ELLA'S POVI took a deep, steadying breath as I followed Enzo into his apartment. My nerves were frayed to their breaking point, but I had to see this through - for Susan's sake.Bottles and takeout containers littered every surface. The air hung heavy with stale cigarette smoke. Enzo carelessly tossed his jacket onto the back of a worn leather armchair before turning to me, blatant hunger darkening his eyes.He swiftly closed the distance between us, backing me up against the wall and caging me in with his hulking frame. I tensed as his greedy hands freely roamed my body.No, this is going too far... I had to act now before things escalated.Mustering all my courage, I gazed up at him through my lashes. "Why don't you get us some drinks first to set the mood?" I suggested breathily.I trailed a hand along his muscular arm, using that distraction to squirm smoothly out of his embrace.Enzo's dark eyes flashed with undisguised desire, but he shook his head."Already got plenty of drink
TRENT'S POVMan, this lock picking thing was way harder than it looked in those videos. I had watched so many tutorials at that point that I could probably recite them word for word. "Apply tension to the cylinder...use the rake to scrub over the pin stacks...feel for that subtle give when a pin sets..." Yeah, yeah, I knew the drill. But actually executing it was a totally different story.I stared down at the lock on my bedroom door and tried it again, jiggling it up and down hoping to feel even the slightest hint of movement as the pins set. But nothing. The damn thing wouldn't budge."Come on, you stupid piece of junk!" I growled through gritted teeth, my frustration level rising by the second. Sweat started to bead on my forehead as I strained to make some progress. I paused to wipe my brow with the back of my hand. Get it together, Trent. Getting all worked up wasn't going to help. I took a few deep breaths, trying to center myself.Alright, let's try this again, but slowly an
TRENT'S POVI strolled into Coach Robert's office, unable to hide the smug grin on my face. He looked up from his desk as I entered."Trent, have a seat," He said, gesturing to the chair across from him. I obliged, making myself comfortable. "I have to admit. I'm not sure what changed your dad's mind about letting you play again. But I'm glad he came around. You're a heck of an asset to this team."I plopped down and feigned an expression of pleasant surprise. "No kidding? He's letting me play again? That's such great news!" If only Coach knew the lengths I went to in order to get back in my dad's good graces. Not that any of that mattered now that I was safely back on the court.Coach leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk.. "There's a big tournament coming up soon, we need you playing your best. The rest of the guys have already started double-time practice sessions to get ready. You're going to have to work twice as hard to catch up."A proud smile spread across my face.