LOGINAva’s POVMy knees felt like they were about to give out beneath me, but I forced my legs to keep moving.I could barely breathe as I raced down the hospital corridor, Doctor Raymond’s words replaying over and over in my head.He hadn’t explained anything over the phone. His voice had been too tense, too careful. Something was wrong. I shoved the hospital door open so hard that it slammed against the wall.“Mom!” My voice cracked as I rushed toward the bed. She was lying there, too still. I reached for her shoulder and shook her gently. “Mom? Mom, wake up.”I shook her harder. “Mom!” My fingers trembled as I touched her cheek, it was cold. “No…” I pressed my palm against her face, hoping, praying, that I had imagined it. “Mom, please.” I grabbed her shoulders and shook her again. “Wake up!”Her body remained completely limp and stiff beneath my hands. A strangled scream tore from my throat. “No! Please wake up!” I bent over her, tears spilling down my cheeks as I desperately searched
Ava’s POVThe moment Winston raised the syringe, I saw my only chance. I swung my leg as hard as I could and drove my foot straight between his legs.“Argh!” Winston doubled over with a strangled groan, the syringe wobbling dangerously in his hand. I didn’t waste a second.I kicked the syringe beneath the bed and scrambled toward the door. My fingers had barely wrapped around the handle when I pulled it open.I froze. Kate stood on the other side. A syringe was clutched between her fingers, and in her other hand was a gun pointed directly at my head. My breath caught.She smiled.“I knew not to trust Winston to finish you off for me. That’s why I had a spare.” She lifted the gun slightly. “Now go lie on that bed before I blow out your brains.”My eyes flickered between the gun and the syringe. One wrong move, and I was dead. I slowly stepped backward, my palms raised. “What’s inside?”Kate’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “Your funeral.”My mouth fell open. “What?”Behind me, Winston
Peter’s POVIt was finally the third day. For two days, we had followed Winston everywhere, and so far, there had been nothing remotely suspicious about him. Work. Home. A few meetings. The occasional outing with Vanessa. That was it.Still, Vindell had warned us not to take our eyes off him. ‘Winston isn’t too far off from being a jerk himself.’ Those words had been sitting at the back of my mind all morning.We were parked across the street from Winston’s restaurant, the engine running while Michael sat beside me, watching the entrance through the windshield.Vindell was leaving the station today. Half of his men had surrounded the station, while the others had been divided between following Winston and keeping an eye on Mr. Blackwood.Nobody was taking chances. I checked my watch. It was six p.m. The restaurant doors opened, and Winston finally stepped outside.“There he is,” Michael muttered.I straightened in my seat. Winston glanced around the street before walking toward his ca
Kate’s POVA faint smile touched my lips when I heard his voice.“I was just about to call you. Good thing you called first,” Winston said.“Really?” I settled more comfortably into my chair. “How have you been?”“Kate, I’d like you to go straight to the point.”I raised an eyebrow. “Someone’s impatient.”“I’ve given you enough time. More than enough, actually. So tell me, what do you have for me?”I glanced toward the closed door, making sure no one had returned. “Something you’ve always dreamed of having.”There was a brief silence. “What?”I smiled to myself. “Something far more valuable than any skeleton hidden in his cupboard.”“Stop playing games and tell me what it is.”I let the silence stretch for another moment before finally answering. “Ava.”For several seconds, there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line. Then Winston chuckled. “What?”“You heard me.”“Look, Kate.” His voice suddenly lost its amusement. “I hope you’re not playing games with me. Because if y
Kate’s POV“I’ve gotten my money, and I’ve frightened him enough to make my point.” Mr. Blackwood leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the polished surface of the table. “I intend to release her tomorrow, so what exactly are you planning to do about her?”I crossed one leg over the other, smoothing the fabric of my dress as I considered his question.“If Ava goes back to him, all of this will have been for nothing.”Mr. Blackwood’s fingers stopped tapping. He stared at me for a moment, and then his eyebrows drew together. “Surely, you’re not thinking of killing her?”I scoffed, almost offended by the suggestion.“No! Of course not.” I shook my head. “Why would I kill her when she can still be useful to me? If she goes back to him, there’s every possibility that I’ll be discovered. And you know perfectly well that I’m your only ticket to taking him down.”His expression hardened. “Kate, I don’t think you understand the situation as well as you believe you do.” He leaned
Ava’s POVIt had been three miserable days since Kate locked me up in this room, and I was beginning to lose track of how many times I’d cried. My stomach cramped from hunger.Water was the only thing she’d allowed me to drink. And every time I failed to deliver the video she wanted, she’d hit me until I begged to redo it.I had lost count of the number of times I’d begged her to let me speak to Peter. She always gave me the same answer, soon.I sat on the edge of the narrow bed, hugging my knees against my chest as I stared at the door. When I heard the lock turning, my head snapped up.The door creaked open. Kate walked in, carrying a large plate piled with food. My eyes widened as the smell of freshly prepared delicacies filled the room. There was rice, meat, fried plantain, and several other dishes.My stomach rumbled. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that moment.Kate noticed the way I stared at the food, and a smug smile spread across her face. “Are you hungry?”I swallo







