LOGIN~Sara~It has been two hours since the operation started and yet nothing.I sit in the hospital lobby with my arms crossed tightly over my chest. My leg bounces nonstop against the tiled floor while I hold onto every last thread of restraint inside me.Jeremy is in there.He is in there, unconscious, getting his body cut open and stitched back together.This.Is.My.Fault.All of it.Linda. Celine. Alex. Jeremy. Me.If I had just done it.If I had just gathered enough courage to confront Linda when she unveiled herself. When she still hid behind that fake stalker act.None of this would have happened.“Hey.” A voice pulls me out of my thoughts.I lift my head and see Sandra standing over me with a can of Coke in her hand. She holds it toward me with a small smile on her face.“You look like you're about to murder somebody,” she says softly.I let out a tired breath and lazily take the can from her hand. “Still considering it."She chuckles and drops into the seat beside me.The cold
~Sara~The ambulance screech to a halt.The back doors swing open, and the paramedics hurries out the vehicle.“Move, move!”They pull the stretcher out quickly, and I stumble out after them, nearly losing my balance before forcing myself to keep up.“He’s critical—prep the operating room!”“Call the surgeon now!”The hospital lights are blinding as we rush inside. The smell of antiseptic hits me immediately.I run alongside them, my steps uneven as I try to keep pace.“Is he going to be okay?” I ask, my voice breaking despite my effort to stay composed. “Please, just tell me he’s going to be okay.”No one answers me.They don’t even look at me.I reach out instinctively, my fingers brushing the edge of the stretcher before I pull back again, afraid of what I might feel.Don’t die.Please don’t die.Just then, Sandra and Alex burst in. They rush toward me without hesitation. Sandra reaches me first, grabbing my arms firmly.“Sara, how is he?” she asks.I try to speak, but my throat fe
~Nyx~She stumbles back like I slapped her.“No…” she whispers.“You can’t—” Her eyes flicker desperately. “You can’t do this. You can’t dare go against me. You know what I’m capable of. What I could do.”I chuckle softly, taking a step down. “Bring it on, Celine. You don’t have anything on me anymore.”She freezes, brows narrowing in confusion. Then, slowly, they lift. Slow. Terrified, as everything I’ve said dawns on her.She points at me. “You… you…”I smirk.“Yes, Celine,” I say smoothly. “Your hold on me? Gone.”I glance briefly at Sara. She follows my gaze, then looks back at me, realization settling on her face as my smirk widens.It happens fast.Bam!She lunges and grabs a gun straight off one of the officers.The crowd screams.She spins, gun raised, pointing straight at Sara.Chaos erupts instantly as people scramble back, knocking into each other.The football star and Sara’s best friend jump in front of her immediately.“Move!” she screams. “Move or I swear I’ll—”“Put th
~Nyx~Nine hours earlier...I tuck my hands deeper into my coat, shoulders slightly hunched as I stand on the veranda overlooking the lake.It’s one of those places people romanticize.Wooden rails. Soft lights lining the edges. The quiet ripple of water stretching endlessly into darkness.During the day, couples lean here, laughing softly, tossing coins, making wishes like the world is kind enough to grant them.At night?It feels… colder.I stare into the black surface of the water, watching the faint shimmer of light distort with every ripple.“Why am I even here…” I mutter under my breath, exhaling a cloud of mist.This better be worth my time.Because if she dragged me out in the middle of the night for something stupid, I swear I will—Footsteps approach from behind.I pause.I don’t turn immediately. I let whoever the hell it is come closer, let the silence stretch just enough to be uncomfortable.Then I pivot.And there she is.Sara. Jane.I smirk instantly, tilting my head as
~Sara~Celine steps forward immediately."This is ridiculous," she snaps. "Jeremy, you’re blinded. Of course you’d defend her."Jason laughs.Celine turns to him, eyes flashing. "What’s so funny?"He tilts his head, smirking faintly. "Just wondering if you hear yourself when you talk.""At least I’m not delusional," she shoots back.Jeremy chuckles under his breath, then glances at Linda. "Delusional, huh? Is that what we’re calling it now?"Celine stiffens. "What does that mean?"Jeremy’s smirk widens, dangerous. "Nothing. Just interesting how certain reputations don’t change. I mean, I’m aware she was popular among the boys in high school."Linda’s face turns pale."You’re lying," she shouts at Jeremy. "You’re just trying to protect her! She kidnapped me, and now she’s using you to destroy me too!"She covers her face and starts shedding crocodile tears.Alex’s expression hardens immediately.My heart drops.She’s getting to him.Celine rushes to Linda, wrapping an arm around her."
~Sara~"I... I don't know..." Celine mutters, eyes flickering as she stumbles back. "She might have done that to get Alex's attention. Pose as the hero who saved Linda.""And yet," Sandra cuts in, stepping forward like she’s ready to bulldoze through every lie in the room, "all four of us were kidnapped.""If Sara masterminded Linda's kidnapping," Sandra continues, louder now, turning in a slow circle so everyone hears her, "why kidnap us and herself too? Alex found all four of us tied up in that basement. And let’s not forget..."She crosses her arms, chin lifting toward Linda with open disdain. "Linda wasn’t tied up. She was standing beside Isabelle Monroe the whole time."Murmurs tear through the crowd."Well… she could’ve kidnapped you all to appear innocent," someone mutters from the back."Yes!" another voice jumps in quickly. "Throw everyone off her scent!"Sandra groans like she’s physically in pain. "God, are you people actually hearing yourselves?""You know what?" She lifts
~SARA~“So let me get this straight,” Sandra says on the other end of the line. “You’re on the news for all the wrong reasons. It’s alleged that you planned to siphon half of the money budgeted for a project—a project worth millions contracted to our agency. The board suspended you based on this, a
~SARA~I stare at the burner, blinking.What the fuck have I gotten myself into?I narrow my eyes and take a closer look at the knobs, but one glance tells me this isn’t something I can just try my luck with.The knobs are complicated—more complicated than the ones in Alex’s kitchen. Not only are t
~SARA~"Jesus F—ing Christ!" I yell as I pace back and forth, roaming around the room aimlessly, "I swear to God, I will gouge Jason's eyes out if I ever set my sights on him."My body vibrates with rage, anger grinds through my bones and I seethe my teeth, looking for something to crash all this a
~SARA~She sits across from me, and it feels like a silent standoff.We’re just staring at each other, neither of us speaking, like we’re both trying to size the other up.She looks calm. Too calm. Like she is used to situations like this.She is dressed in expensive clothes. Not flashy, just obvio







