Ethan “Damn it! How did I fuck things things up?” I lamented bitterly. I sat in the empty house long after Reina had gone upstairs angry at me. The weight of what I had just told her felt like a heavy object pressing down on my chest. Eight hundred thousand dollars, gone. I had gambled such a huge amount of money on something that I was not too sure of. I rubbed my elbow, staring at the cold, untouched cup of coffee in front of me. There was no use sitting here and feeling sorry for myself. I have to do something about this. This was not the first time I had made a mistake, but it had to be the last. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Jude's name. He had been the one to pull me into this mess. The one who had promised me that this investment was golden and was worth every penny. I should have seen the warning signs when things started going sideways, but I kept believing him. I was such a fool. I had to fix this, but there was n
Reina I woke up to the sound of the front door closing softly. After waking up, I found it difficult to go back to bed. Looking through the window, I discovered that it was still dark outside, and when I glanced at the clock. It was 2:30 AM. 2:30am!!!My heart sank into my belly. Ethan was not in bed beside me. I sat up, straining to hear anything else. But, I was answered with silence. I threw off the covers from my body and tiptoed to the window to look out clearly.My instincts were right. His car was gone. “Nice. Very nice.”My heart raced as I tried to push back the wave of suspicion that was already rising inside of me. He had promised me that everything was over. The lies and the secrets were done and all over. But now, here he was, sneaking out in the middle of the night.A small voice inside me kept on begging me to be calm and patient. That it might not be what I was thinking. How was I supposed to ignore what I was feeling? I grabbed my keys and pulled on a jac
ReinaI was reluctant to tell Ethan about what I saw the other night but he didn't look too good and I decided not to bother him anymore. I watched the clock tick closer to five in the evening.Ethan had not come home yet, and I didn’t expect him anytime soon. He had been busy trying to fix his mess and has been in the business of moving from one place to another. In a way, I appreciated the space I was getting but I didn't want the distance between the both of us to grow longer. I was lying down in my bed doing nothing serious. I have made a lot of money from the dresses I made for some rich clients. Today was a rest day. While I was still passing time, Bruce texted me asking if I was free to hang out and I could not resist the offer.It had been too long since we met nor spent time together.As I looked around our quiet room. I was filled with so much excitement Ethan would not mind, I told myself. Bruce was just a friend. A very close friend by the way. I quickly changed
EthanI stood outside the warehouse on a cold night. The cold air blew across with so much force and it wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, making me shiver.My hands trembled slightly as I clenched them into fists, trying to keep myself off the cold. The money in the bag I was carrying felt like the only thing that could save me.I had finally gathered enough to pay back the debt, but I knew this was not the end. There was always a catch. With people like them, there was always a catch.The warehouse door loomed in front of me, dimly lit by a single bulb. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open and the creak from the door echoed in the silence. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of oil and rust. My footsteps echoed against the concrete floor as I walked further in, searching for them.They were waiting, as I expected. A group of men stood in the shadows, their eyes locked on me as I approached. The man in the center, Lucian, was the one I was here for. He lean
Ethan POVThe house felt too quiet tonight, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath. I stood by the window, staring out into the street, where the last glow of the sun was fading from. It was getting towards evening.My mind drifted to the pile of mail sitting unopened on the dining table. With everything going on, I had avoided it for days, but there was something that had been bugging me. The letter looked really old, almost as if it had traveled through time. I was unable to shake the feeling that I should open it. I walked straight to the dining room and shuffled through the envelopes. All I came across was Bills, junk mail, more bills… and then, there it was.The letter. It was yellowed at the edges, the handwriting on the front neat but unfamiliar. It was not something that I had seen before. My name was written there, but not my address. The address was that of my parents’ old house, where I had not lived or been to in so many years. It must have been forwar
Reina POVI had a feeling something was not right with Ethan but he didn't want to talk to me. He pretended that he was okay but deep down, I knew he was not. Ethan had been acting strange for the past few days, quieter, more distant, like he was keeping something to himself that he could not share. I tried to ask him about it, tried to understand what was going on, but every time I brought it up, he would either change the subject or say it was nothing. But I knew Ethan too well. He was not himself, and it bothered me that he was shutting me out.Tonight was no different. After dinner, he became unusually quiet, barely touching his food, lost in thought. He said he was going to take care of something and left the house. His face looked pale like he was preparing something that I could not see. I watched him leave the hold and I felt uneasy.Something in my gut told me to follow him. Maybe it was the way he left without a word, or maybe it was just my own worry getting the bet
Reina’s POVMy heart raced and each beat echoing in my ears as I pressed myself against the cold, damp wall of the basement. The crashing noise from upstairs sent chills down my spine. What happened? What fell?I needed no one to tell me that I had to find Ethan. I felt a surge of panic shake me severally. The only thing I could see was the darkness of the basement that closed in around me. I could not just sit here. Not when Ethan was up there, possibly in danger.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling hands. The fear of what could be happening to him spurred me into action. I had to know if he was okay, if he was even still alive or if he was the one that got hot. I crept toward the basement stairs, the wood creaking as I stepped on it. My heart felt like it would explode as I strained to listen. “Get the hell off me!” I heard a voice shout from above. It was Ethan!I could not tell if he was fighting back or if he was in trouble, but the sound of his voice pushe
ReinaThis was not over yet until it's over. I fought against the man holding me, twisting and kicking as I tried to free myself. I could see the anger burning in Ethan’s eyes, and it only fueled my determination. “Let her go!” he yelled again, his voice filled with so much rage. He looked so scared. I think he was just afraid that something might happen to me. In that moment, I felt a surge of adrenaline inside of me. I was not going to let them take him. Not now. Not ever. Not when I still have little strength inside of me. I twisted my body and slammed my heel into the second man’s shin. He yelled in pain and loosened his grip for just a second. I seized the opportunity and broke free, launching myself toward Ethan.I reached him just as the first man was about to strike again. Without thinking, I grabbed a loose piece of wood from the ground and swung it at the man, striking him across the arm.“Get away from him!” I screamed. My voice was hoarse with fury.The man staggere