Chapter 104Jake’s POVAndrea didn’t deserve any of this, I thought as I stood outside her hospital door. Her voice was still echoing in my head, sharp, angry, wounded. And I got it. I really did. She had every right to be pissed. I should’ve told her about Jason and Claire. I should’ve told her the minute I found out. But I didn’t. I waited, thinking it was the best thing to do… thinking I was protecting her.I honestly was going to tell her when she was better. I knew her knowing would be a big blow for her, I was just waiting for her to be better, foolish me thinking that was the right thing to do But now?Now everything’s gone to shit.And to crown it all…Jason got married before me.Damn it.I let out a bitter breath and leaned against the cold wall. Married. That word kept bouncing around my skull like a damn hammer. Jason did it. He married Claire. That smug son of a bitch pulled it off. He beat me to it. And just like that, everything I’d been working toward for years of
Chapter 104“This can’t be real…” I turned to Jason, confusion written all over my face.My eyes flicked back to the TV to be sure I wasn’t dreaming.“My eyes are not deceiving me, right? Jake, you can see this too?”Jake stood frozen for a second before stepping forward.“Andrea, you don’t have to watch this,” he said, reaching for the remote.“No. Leave it,” I snapped.I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt tight. How is this possible? This was the biggest shock of my life. Claire?No. No way. Something was wrong. Somewhere.“Are you sure Jason doesn’t have something against her? Maybe he forced her to marry him just to spite me?” I asked, my voice shaky.Jake sighed heavily. “No, Andrea. Claire’s doing it of her own free will.”“That’s a big lie!” I screamed.“You don’t know Claire like I do. I’ve been friends with her for more than fifteen years. She would never betray me. Never side with Jason.”“It can’t be. It can’t be,” I muttered, shaking my head as tears welled in my eyes.My ang
Chapter 103 It had been three days since I woke up in the hospital. Three days of trying to focus on the sunlight coming through the window instead of the shadows still living in my head. Three days of seeing my parents’ tearful faces, feeling the weight of their worry every time they looked at me. And three days of Jake not leaving my side, not even once. This morning, he was on the couch, curled up awkwardly with one arm over his face. He looked uncomfortable but peaceful, like he hadn’t had real sleep in days. A tray of untouched food sat on the table beside him. He hadn’t eaten much since I got here. “Jake,” I called softly, my voice still scratchy. He shifted, pulling his arm away from his eyes, blinking at me like he wasn’t sure if I was really awake. “You can go home,” I said. “You’ve tried already. My mum can stay with me. You should freshen up and sleep properly.” Jake sat up slowly, rubbing his face. “I’m not complaining.” “I know,” I said. “That’s why I’m telling y
Chapter 102Poom…Poom…Poom…That was the first thing I heard.Soft. Steady. Like a heartbeat, but outside my body.I didn’t know where I was. My eyes were still closed. Everything felt heavy. My arms, my chest, even my thoughts.But that sound kept going.Poom… poom… poom…Like it was reminding me I was still here.My fingers twitched. The air around me was cold, sterile, but safe. Different.I blinked slowly, once, then again. Light rushed in, too bright at first. My lids fluttered open, and everything looked blurry, like I was underwater.It took a few seconds, maybe more, for things to settle.White ceiling. Pale blue curtains. Machines.The beeping beside me made sense now.A soft weight tugged at my hand. I turned slowly, my head barely shifting. A clear drip was taped into the back of my hand, the IV line running up to a bag hanging beside the bed. My wrist and foot were wrapped. Cleaned. Bandaged.I was in the hospital.I was alive.My chest rose shakily. Tears pricked my eye
Chapter 101Andrea’s POVI knew something was off the moment I woke up.The mood was different tonight.No footsteps echoed in the hallway, no keys jangled, no harsh voices barked orders. The house was filled with the normal coldness, but it was lively.Beyond the metal door, I heard it. Music. Laughter. The clinking of glasses. Voices muffled but happy.They were celebrating.My stomach turned, not from hunger this time, but anticipation.I stayed still for a moment, my back against the cold wall, heart pounding so loud I was afraid someone might hear it. My wrists were sore and scabbed from the ropes, but my mind was clear and sharper than it had been in days.Something’s different.They hadn’t done their usual check. No footsteps outside my door. No voices. No shadows under the crack.Maybe… maybe this was it.The metal shard I had hidden days ago pressed against my thigh beneath the blanket. My one sliver of hope. I’d been waiting for the right moment. Waiting for the smallest cra
Chapter 100Jake’s POVThat’s exactly how I felt. Two days—forty-eight damn hours and still no trace of Andrea. Never in my life had I ever felt this restless. I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since she disappeared. And whenever I did doze off, nightmares followed. The same one every time, Andrea, crying out for help, begging, afraid. I’d jolt awake, drenched in sweat, unsure if the dream was real or not.I poured myself another glass—the third one tonight. The first had done nothing. The second only made my head spin worse. My hands trembled slightly as I lifted the glass.These past few days had forced me to face something I’d been avoiding for a long time—how much I truly cared about Andrea. How much I loved her.Yeah. Love. I hadn’t wanted to admit it before, but this fear, this desperation was the kind of pain that only love brings.I dropped onto the couch and ran a hand down my face. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing. But what else could I do? We’d already gone to the po
Chapter 99Andrea's pov There was no clock in the room. No window, no sun, no ticking hand to mark the passing of time. But somehow, I knew it had been close to two days. My body told me. The aching bones. The heaviness behind my eyes. The way my stomach twisted and turned—not just from hunger, but from fear.Two nights. Two damn nights.I had slept. I wasn’t sure when or how, but the dreams had been hollow and sharp-edged, like broken glass on repeat. Every time I woke up, I hoped it was all over. That the door would burst open and I’d be rescued from this pain and torture. But no. Same walls. Same cold floor. Same silence.Except when they came.They didn’t speak. They just came in—faces masked, eyes dull—and dropped food like I was some stray they had to keep alive. After the last time I’d tried to run, they no longer untied my hands. One would hold me still while the other brought the spoon to my lips. No words. No looks. Like I wasn’t human. Like I wasn’t even there.My throat b
Chapter 98 Jake's pov It had been 24 hours since we had heard nothing from Andrea. No calls, no texts, nothing—no sign. The silence was deafening. Everyone in the house was in a panic. Andrea’s mother had been restless. She sat scrunched on the edge of the couch, her eyes swollen from crying, hands wringing a tissue that had long since given up holding anything back. Her father paced by the window, arms folded tightly, a muscle ticking in his jaw every time his phone lit up with nothing. “Where could she be?” her mother whispered, barely audible over the ticking clock. “What if… something had happened to—” She burst out crying, unable to finish the sentence. Andrea’s father walked to her, holding her hands, trying to console her. “She’s fine, darling. Andrea is a strong girl. Nothing has happened to her. Maybe she needed space. Maybe she’s trying to clear her head.” But even he didn’t believe it. None of us did. I sat there, my leg bouncing uncontrollably, trying to calm the
Chapter 97Andrea's pov I jolted awake, my neck aching from the awkward position I’d dozed off in. I must have slept off out of tiredness, or maybe I just wanted to escape this terror so badly. For a fleeting moment, I hoped it was all a nightmare—that if I just closed my eyes and slept, I’d wake up in the comfort of my bed, thinking about the bad dream I had.But reality slapped me faster than any pinch could.I was still here. Still tied. Still trapped.The same damp air filled my lungs. The faint buzz of that godforsaken light above hummed in my ears. I blinked, trying to clear the haze.I shifted slightly. The ropes binding my hands and feet hurt my skin. My mouth was dry, and my stomach growled in protest.“Can I have some water?” I called out weakly.But there was no response.“Is anyone there?” I screamed.Still no response.“Ughhh…” I breathed out in frustration.Time seemed to blur. I had no idea how long I’d been here. Minutes? Hours? A whole day?Panic trickled in slowly—n