Mag-log in~ALEX~She slaps my hand away and steps back, her gaze flickering. “It’s nothing, Alex. Nothing I can’t take care of.”“Nothing?” I tilt my head to the side. “Nothing that made you come all the way here with…”My gaze flicks to Mira. She swallows and her eyes darts at everywhere but me.I look back at Sara. “…her.”Sara’s breath hitches slightly, and for just a second, I see it. The hesitation in her eyes. A crack in the armor she’s trying so hard to hold together.I frown. Something’s wrong.I’m not stupid. I can read people.She is hiding something from me and I'm sure of it.Her lips part like she’s about to say something, but then she shuts them again.I can almost hear the thoughts racing in her head. The calculations. The lies she’s deciding whether to tell.And I hate that she thinks lying to me will make this better.I take a small step closer.“You’re not a villain, Sara.” My voice softens just enough to show I care. Just enough to make her understand that lying won’t make th
~ALEX~An Hour Ago…The car slows to a stop in front of the mansion, and Jake switches off the engine. We both step out, the night air cool against my skin as we head toward the entrance.“What do you think about Boaz’s findings?” Jake asks, walking beside me.I sigh, adjusting my sleeve. “What is there to think about, Jake?”He shrugs. “If you look at it properly… if she and Miss Frothmoth were close in school, then there’s a chance she knows what happened. Especially since Miss Frothmoth—”He stops talking.I stop walking, then turn to him slowly, clenching my teeth. “Say it.”“Sir, I—”“Goddamit! Say it, Jake.”“Especially since Miss Frothmoth was found dead in the school!” He says quickly.The word hits me. Hard.Dead.It doesn’t feel real, even after all these years. It never does.It feels like something is ripping through my chest all over again. Like I’m being dragged back to that moment—standing there, unable to do anything while everything slipped away from me.She’s gone.N
~SARA~The first thing I do as soon as the car screech into the yard was hop out of it and race into the building. The maids swerve sharply to my direction, eyes widening with shock as I dart pass them."Miss Jane, You—""Where is she?" I bark, cutting the nurse off mid-sentence. Alex had rented the house for my mom. I never had time to visit.The nurse points at a room down the hallway and I storm towards it.She hastens after me with Mira trailing behind, protesting. "Miss Jane. I don't think this is a good time. She is tucked in for the night."I get to the room and slam the door open. My mom jerks up at the impact. I step in, eyes scanning around the room, looking for any trace.Any fucking trace.Just one fucking trace to know if the bastard was still around, lurking in the shadows. Hiding.But the only thing that greets back my gaze is the slight glow of the lamp on the drawer besides my mom and the silent hum of the air condition.Mira and the nurse almost crash into my back. T
~SARA~“Move! Move! Move!” I scream as the jeep behind us roars to life and charges straight at our car.Mira fumbles with the ignition for half a second before the engine finally starts. She slams her foot on the accelerator and the car jerks forward.The jeep rams us from behind.The impact throws me forward in my seat.“Shit!” Mira shrieks.“Drive!” I yell, ducking my head instinctively.“I am driving!”The engine roars louder as she pushes the accelerator harder.I glance at the speedometer, heart pounding. “Isn’t this supposed to be a sports car? Why aren’t you driving faster?”She shoots me a daggers. “Why don’t you take the wheel then!” Then, presses at the accelerator all the way down.The car lunges forward.Under normal circumstances, this speed would scare me to death.Right now?It doesn’t feel nearly fast enough.Behind us—BAM!The jeep slams into us again.Mira screams. “Does this psycho actually want us dead?!”She hits at the accelator and soon, we speed out of the na
~SARA~“What the fuck?” Mira mutters as we stare at the inscription on the wall.My stomach tightens. A chill creeps down my spine, but I mask it immediately with a frown.“Shut the door,” I say, moving deeper into the room, scanning everything.Mira almost chokes. “Excuse me?”I glance at her, my brows narrowing. “The room’s empty. We don’t want anyone walking in, do we?”“But still—”“No buts. The last thing we need is some random person barging in and raising suspicions. You’re popular, and unfortunately…” I exhale sharply. “So am I. It’ll take seconds before we hit the headlines.”She shifts her weight from one foot to the other. Then, mutters something under her breath and walks to the door, pushing the metal panel down until it seals shut.“Happy now, are we?” she sneers.I ignore the comment and start searching the room.“The evidence was in a video format,” I say, opening drawers and scanning shelves. “The chance of it being stored on a flash drive is high.”My foot bumps into
~SARA~I grip at the edge of my seat as Mira turns the car into the school driveway. The headlights sweep across the tall iron gate of Crystal High, and just like I expected, a flashlight suddenly flicks on.A man steps forward from the security post and raises his hand.Stop.Mira slams the brakes immediately. She clutches at the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turn pale. “Great,” she mutters through clenched teeth. “What the hell are we going to tell him?”I lock my gaze on the security man as he approaches. “Leave it to me."Mira scoffs. “Unless you suddenly developed superpowers I don't know about, Sara, I don't think we're taking down two grown men tonight.”The man reaches the window and knocks. Mira jerks at the sound.She inhales sharply, then presses the button. The window rolls down slowly.The security guard leans slightly and pokes his head in.“Hello, ladies,” he says with a smile that lingers a little too long.I recognize him immediately. He used to be one
~SARA~“What is going on here?” Khlan repeats, his voice dripping with something dangerous.I swallow and take a step back, a cold dread creeping through the air. I feel the guard’s hand stiffen in mine. Khlan sees our hands locked together; the guard sees that he does and pulls his hand from mine
~SARA~What. The. Hell. Just... Happened?I ask myself as I stare into the now-empty hall.Alex is pacing back and forth, his hands wiping over his lips like an animal pulling at every restraint, fighting not to go straight for its prey.Jason and Mira are tucked behind Sir Alex Sr., mocking grins
Warning: Chapter features attempted rape. Reader's discretion is advised.~AUTHOR'S POV~27 Hours Until Anniversary.~~~~Morning.Khlan and Sara sits at the dining as the maids steps forward and place breakfast on the table. Plates clink softly as food is set down. No one speaks.Sara barely looks
13 Hours Till Anniversary...~ALEX~We are stationed a few kilometers away from Khlan’s hideout.I stand near the edge of the temporary camp, eyes fixed on the dark outline of the hills ahead. Somewhere beyond them, Khlan is breathing. Walking. Doing to Sara things I can't even bring myself to thin







