Zoe's P.O.V.As I enter Sky's penthouse, the place we've made our home over the past month and a half, fresh tears trickle down my cheeks. Every corner of the apartment is filled with memories of us.I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him here, but deep inside, I knew that happiness wasn't written in my cards. God would take Sky away from me, just as I lost my family. I was certain that destiny would play this cruel trick on me.As I step into the living room, I picture Sky chasing me because I stole the last piece of pizza. "Trouble, we had a deal to split this last piece," I recall him saying. I replied, "I don't remember any such deal." His laughter echoes in my mind—a sound I desperately long to hear again.As I walk into the dining area, I see myself sitting on his lap, giggling while he feeds me, teasing me."Sky, stop it! I can feed myself." I laughed, trying to grab the fork from him. "But you're such a messy eater," Sky teased, holding the fork just out of my reach
Zoe's P.O.V.Selena's voice echoes through the penthouse. "Zoe?"So it's Selena. Sky must have sent her to check on me. I shouldn't have left so hurriedly. Now she won't let me go. But I've made up my mind, and it won't change.Grasping the handle of my suitcase, I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. As I wipe my tears, Selena comes toward me, her eyes filled with concern."Zoe, what the hell are you doing?" Selena asks, her gaze shifting to the packed bag beside me. "You're not seriously thinking of leaving, are you?"I avert my eyes, can't able to meet her gaze. "Selena, you already know it's for the best. Sky will be better off without me.""No, he won't," she insists, stepping closer. "Zoe, you're thinking wrong. Sky needs you. He loves you more than anything. It's not right. You can't let your fear destroy everything."I can't hold back my tears any longer. "Selena, you don't understand. Everyone I love leaves me. My parents, my brother, my grandmother... they all died.
Sky's P.O.V."Alex, I'm feeling so helpless, lying injured here. I need to find Zoe. I don't know what state she's in or where she could be. She could get into any kind of trouble. I want to be with her," I express my concern to Alex. It's been twenty hours since Selena told me that Zoe left the penthouse after locking her in. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this.When Selena told me that Zoe wasn't in the right state of mind and was constantly blaming herself for my condition, I wished I could be there with her to explain that she shouldn't run away like this. She shouldn't leave me because of her fear. She's thinking completely wrong.Fuck! I'm already missing her. My life becomes dull when she's not around me.I run a hand through my hair, aggravated. "Zoe's always been the light in my life. Everything feels so dull and empty without her here.""I know, man. But we'll find her. Don't worry," Alex reassures me, standing beside my bed."I just wish I could get up and search f
Sky's P.O.V.A Week LaterI enter our penthouse with a broken heart, my hand still in a plaster. It's been a week, and I still have no clue where my Trouble is or how she's doing. Her phone has been switched off since she left, and when we traced her number, the last location it showed was our penthouse.She didn't just leave me; she left everything behind to save me. Her studies, her apartment, her friends—everything she built for herself. It's like she disappeared into thin air.The doctors still weren't ready to discharge me, but I begged them. I need to find Zoe. I was going crazy lying in the hospital bed, not knowing where she was.God! Please keep her safe. Please.The penthouse feels so empty without her, and every corner reminds me of her.As I look at the sofa, I recall how she was jumping on it with excitement like a kid two weeks ago when I told her we would go on vacation after our exams.FlashbackAs she bounced on the sofa, I cautioned her, "Trouble, careful. You'll fal
Zoe's P.O.V.It's been a week of hell since I left New York and came to Ibiza. I have no clue how Sky is. Is he recovering well after the accident? Is he okay?God! I wish I didn't have to leave him like that.I don't know how I'm going to survive here, all alone, without him. Living without him is worse than anything I could have imagined. Every moment feels like an eternity. I'm haunted by the memory of his face, his voice, his touch. Every fibre of my body, my soul, is yearning for him.However, I have to live without him. I can't put Sky's life at risk because of me. With time, I'll grow accustomed to living like this. I have to accept that living alone is my fate.I wander down the streets of Ibiza, lost in thoughts and memories of Sky. A loud honk jolts me back to reality. I freeze—a car is speeding toward me. But before I can react, someone yanks me back onto the sidewalk.I turn to see a woman about my age, looking at me with concern in her amber eyes. "Hey, where were you los
Zoe's P.O.V.I regain consciousness and find myself in a dark basement. My head throbs with pain, and I try to make sense of my surroundings.Where am I? How did I get here?As I wonder, I recall opening the villa's door, shocked to see a few men standing there. Before I could ask anything, one of them hit me with the end of a gun on my forehead, and I blacked out instantly.I struggle to sit up, my hands trembling in fear. The air is damp and musty, and I can hear the distant sound of water dripping. I can't see much, but I can feel the cold, hard floor beneath me. I'm afraid. The darkness around me is terrifying.Why would anyone do this to me? Who are these men? What do they want? I don't even know anybody in Ibiza.I walk over to the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I press my ear against it, trying to hear any sounds from the other side, but all I get is silence.The fear is making my entire body shiver, but I know I have to find a way out and stay strong, even though I don't
Sky's P.O.V. I sit in the waiting area, distraught. I don't understand what is happening in my life. First Zoe, now my father. I feel like my mind is about to explode. The minutes feel like hours as I wait for news about my father. My heart is pounding, and I can't stop my hands from trembling. Finally, the doctor emerges from the double doors. I rush over to him. "Doctor, how is he? Is he okay?" The doctor's expression is serious but calm. "Your father had a heart attack. We were able to stabilize him, but he needs rest and must be kept away from stress. You can see him now, but try not to upset him." I enter my father's room and see him lying there, looking pale and fragile. As I approach him, he whispers weakly, "Sky," reaching out for my hand. I take it and squeeze it gently. "Dad, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He shakes his head slightly. "It's not your fault, son. But please, listen to me. You need to come back to New York. You can't keep living l
Sky’s P.O.V.The car screeches to a halt as the driver pulls up to the location. I jump out before the engine even stops, my heart racing with fright. But nothing could have prepared me for the sight before me.My heart almost stops beating as I see her—my Zoe. She’s beaten up, her face bruised and swollen, her clothes tattered. She looks so fragile, so broken, that I feel like someone has ripped my heart out of my chest.Literally, I feel like killing my father after making him pay for every single tear and bruise on her body. It’s still unbelievable that he is the one who made his own son suffer. How could anybody do that to their own child?“Zoe…” I cry out, rushing to her side. She is sitting, leaning against a wall, and as her eyes land on me, they shine a bit.“Sky…” she whispers, her voice weak and trembling.I never thought that when I would meet her again, her condition would be so miserable. I feel as if I can’t breathe after seeing her like this, but I need to be strong for
James’s P.O.V.As soon as Selena's parents go home to rest, I rush to her room. I've been dying to talk to her since she regained consciousness. It's been pure torture watching her from afar. Finally, I'll get to talk to her and tell her how much she means to me—that losing her would be like losing a piece of myself, like losing my soul.As I enter her room, her gaze immediately shifts towards me, as if she too had been waiting for me to come and meet her. I take slow steps toward her, my eyes never leaving her face.She's awake. She's here. Although she looks so weak and pale, it's a huge relief that she's alive. I can’t believe God heard my prayers and gave her back to me. I've never felt so thankful in my life before.As I reach her, I lift my hand and caress her hair, our eyes fixed on each other. “Hey…” “Hey…” she murmurs back, giving me a faint smile.God, that smile. It's my strength. It's like a shining star in a dark sky. The smile I thought I would never witness again, when
James’s P.O.V.I'm standing outside the operating room, distraught, as Selena is fighting for her life inside. I thought I had saved her today, but I never expected this. Now, all I can do is wait for the doctor to come out and tell me she’s okay—that she survived. I’m constantly praying for her life. She took that bullet for her father, the same man who never wanted her, and now I see the guilt in Denver and his wife’s eyes. They finally realise after her sacrifice how much she loved them and how little they valued her. They fucking deserve that guilt. But what happened to Selena, she didn’t deserve it. If something happens to her, I don't know what I'll do. God, please make her okay. You can't take away the only person who brings light to my life, not like this. I can’t live in a world where she doesn’t exist.I'm pacing restlessly outside her room, and my heart races with panic. She keeps flashing in my mind—her body covered in blood, her eyes closing as she lay on my lap.Fuck!
Selena’s P.O.V.I'm trapped, feeling helpless. My wrists burn with the pain of tight ropes as I’m tied to the bed. I struggle, yanking against my restraints, but they only dig deeper into my skin, causing me pain. I'm so fucking scared, praying that God will send James to save me. My eyes well up with tears, but I squeeze them shut, picturing his face. The thought of him gives me strength. I won’t let the tears fall. Not in front of these sick bastards.Two monsters are torturing me like hell, but I am not weak. I’ll fight them until my last breath, even though I’m scared. No matter how much it hurts or how terrified I am, I won’t submit to them.Luther climbs on top of me, his dark eyes are filled with hunger, lust, and cruelty. My heart pounds in terror. His lips curl into an evil smile as he touches my cheek. I draw back in disgust, turning my head away, and struggling harder against the restraints. I tremble in panic as I realise what he is about to do.No! God, please save me.
James’s P.O.V.As soon as the call ends, I start the car, gripping the wheel tightly. Denver slides into the passenger seat with fear etched in every line of his face. Just as I pull onto the road, his phone rings again.My heart almost stops beating.Is it Max?Did he send the video he told about?I pull over to the side of the road. I really feel like I can’t breathe. Denver’s hands tremble as he opens the message. His face turns white and his lips part in horror. Every muscle in my body tenses as I lean over, eyes locked on the screen.The video begins to play.Selena is tied to a chair, her wrists bound behind her, ankles strapped to the chair’s legs. Her head hangs low, dark hair falling over her face, tangled and messy.But the sight that shatters me is the crimson streak running from the corner of her lips—a trail of blood smudged against her delicate skin. Her cheek is swollen and a dark bruise forms just below her eye.I grip the steering wheel tightly in a fury. Her pain m
James’s P.O.V.Liar.She is a fucking liar.It has been eight days since she left my life and one week since that kiss.When I first saw her kissing another man right in front of me, I believed it—I believed she had moved on in just one night. I was hurt, broken, angry, and frustrated. But then I realised something. That’s exactly what she wanted. She wanted me to hate her, to walk away from her, to move on.But I won’t.I know she was acting that day because I saw the love in her eyes when she was with me. I have felt it. The same love I have for her.She is running away from me because of her father. She wants me to forget her. But that’s never going to happen. I can’t forget about her. No one can make me forget her because I saw my future with her, and I will do anything to make that future a reality.I won’t give up on us so easily, Selena. I know you want me as much as I want you. From the moment your lips touched mine, you became mine. And we are meant to be together—forever.I
Selena’s P.O.V.Pain.My heart is heavy with unbearable pain. Today, I pushed James away from me forever, and it hurts more than I ever imagined.I kissed someone else when all I wanted was to run to him, to hold him so tightly that nothing and no one could separate us. He is the one who makes me feel special, the one who gives me the attention I have craved my entire life. The way he takes care of me stole my heart completely.When I saw James standing at the entrance of my college, I knew I had to do something to make him stop following me and move on with his life. That's why I kissed that guy in front of him.But the moment our lips met, my heart shattered into pieces. Letting another man feel my lips, when the only man I ever wanted was James, felt like a betrayal.But now… now James will hate me to the core.That’s what I wanted, right?This is what’s best for me.I can’t disappoint my father by going back to James.I grab the glass kept in front of me and gulp down the alcohol
James’s P.O.V.It’s been two days since Selena left my life, and last night she left my house too—she’s vanished from my life completely. For the past two days, she has completely ignored me, as if we never had anything between us. It hurts like someone is stabbing a knife into my heart again and again.I was yearning to hold her, kiss her, touch her—just once in the last two days. But I couldn’t. She’s running away from me, and I can’t force her to stay.For the first time in my entire life, I felt like spending the rest of my life with a woman, and now she’s running away from me.Why, God? Why?I miss her so damn much that my body aches for her touch, for her warmth. My eyes long to see her face, her smile—the smile that melts my heart every time I see it. Without her, I feel like I’m losing myself. I try to numb the pain by locking myself in my room and drinking, but nothing helps.I get up from the stool, grab my keys from the table, and make up my mind—I need to see her, even if
James’s P.O.V. Unbearable pain. I feel unbearable pain in my chest for letting Selena go, even after knowing that she needs me like I need her. Because I don’t want to make things difficult for her, I don’t want to force her to choose me instead of her parents. I never want to push her for anything. Now she's gone from my room, from my life, and I feel completely incomplete without her. I get up from the bed and sit on the mini bar stool in my room before starting to drink directly from the bottle. I feel a type of emptiness that I've never felt before.The bitter liquid burns down my throat, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I take another sip, hoping it will numb the hollow feeling inside me, but nothing happens. Her voice, her touch, the way she looked at me with those eyes full of unspoken words—I can still feel it all. And yet, she’s gone. I let her go. Tears stream down my face as I slam the bottle onto the counter before gripping the edge as I struggle t
Selena’s P.O.V.But I can’t tell him that I love him. I’m too scared.What if I tell him, and everything gets ruined? What if my parents hate me?No. No. I can’t bear to see the disappointment in their eyes. This can never happen. No matter what, I’ll never let my parents hate me. If I have to destroy my own happiness, I’ll do it for them—because my only goal is to please them and finally receive their love. I can’t let anyone come between me and that goal, not even James.I take a deep breath and say, controlling my emotions. “ I don’t care what you feel. Let me go, James. I told you from the beginning—we have no future. I never gave you false hope.”My voice sounds foreign to me.His grip loosens.Now is my chance to leave. He won’t stop me after hearing my ruthless lie—that I don’t care about what he feels.But the truth is, I do.I feel his pain as if it were my own. And I know—I’m breaking his heart.I’m breaking mine too.And God… I will never forgive myself for hurting him.Bu