ANMELDEN{Third person's pov}One Week Later... Life had quietly settled back into its familiar rhythm, Ramos Media was busy as always.Meetings filled Ethan's mornings and photoshoots filled Natasha's afternoons but evenings... Belonged to them.Some nights they cooked together, most nights they ordered takeout after Ethan admitted his cooking still wasn't trustworthy.It was ordinary and Natasha loved every second of it.That Saturday morning... She had barely finished setting the breakfast table when the mansion's doorbell echoed through the house.Natasha looked toward Ethan. "Were you expecting someone?"He folded the newspaper. "Yes.""Who?" She asked and he replied. "My cousin."Natasha blinked. "You have a cousin?"He gave her an amused look. "I have several.""You never mentioned them." She said and he replied."You never asked."Before Natasha could respond... The front door burst open. "Ethan!"A cheerful voice echoed through the mansion.The next second... A young woman hurried ins
{Third person's pov}Natasha woke before Ethan and the golden sunlight filtered through the thin white curtains of the seaside cottage.She quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake him, wrapping one of his oversized sweaters around herself, she stepped onto the small porch.The sea stretched endlessly before her, the air smelled of salt, the waves rolled gently onto the shore.She closed her eyes.For the first time in a very long time... She felt completely at peace.A few minutes later... She heard footsteps behind her."You escaped." She turned around.Ethan stood in the doorway, his hair was slightly messy from sleep.He held two steaming mugs of coffee. "I only escaped five metres." She said and he replied. "I still noticed."She smiled as he handed her one of the mugs. "Thank you."He nodded toward the beach. "Walk?""I'd love to." They made their way down to the shoreline.The morning was quiet, only a handful of people had arrived, some jogged along the water and others
{Third person's pov}A week had passed since Natasha returned to London, life had slowly begun finding its rhythm again, the bruises on her arms had faded.The nightmares came less often and for the first time in weeks... She drove herself.Her destination was familiar, Maya's apartment and the moment Maya opened the door... She squealed."There she is!"Before Natasha could react... Maya wrapped her in a tight hug. "I missed you, idiot."Natasha laughed. "I was gone for barely a week.""A week where you were kidnapped."Maya pulled back. "I'm allowed to be dramatic."Natasha rolled her eyes. "You've always been dramatic.""And you've always loved me for it." Maya said and Natasha replied. "I'll pretend that's true."They both laughed.An hour later... The two of them sat cross-legged on Maya's living room floor.Coffee mugs rested on the table between them. "So..."Maya leaned forward. "Tell me everything."Natasha smiled. "Everything?""Everything, no skipping details, no mysterious
{Third person's pov}The mansion was unusually quiet, It had been three days since Natasha returned, the bruises on her body had begun to fade.The nightmares... Not so much.That night, rain pattered softly against the bedroom windows and Natasha stirred in her sleep.A sudden movement beside her made her eyes flutter open, she blinked into the darkness and Ethan was no longer lying beside her.He was sitting at the edge of the bed, his back was to her, his shoulders were tense and she could hear it, his breathing almost as if he was trying to calm himself."Ethan?"He stiffened and then slowly looked over his shoulder."I didn't mean to wake you.""You didn't." She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I think you had a nightmare." He looked away. "I don't dream much.""You do." She quietly slipped out of bed and walked over to him, without saying anything... She sat beside him.For several minutes... Neither of them spoke, the rain filled the silence. Finally... Natasha rested her head gently
{Third person's pov}Evan cried out in pain and the gun slipped from his grasp and clattered across the wooden floor. Ethan's man shot him from the window.His hand instinctively flew to his injured arm as he staggered backward. "Sir!"Two of his men shouted simultaneously, before either of them could move... Ethan reached Natasha.He wrapped one arm firmly around her shoulders and pulled her against his chest. "Natasha."His voice was barely above a whisper. "Look at me."For a second... She couldn't, her entire body trembled from the shock, she had genuinely believed those were her last moments.Then she heard his heartbeat and slowly, she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw... Was Ethan.He cupped her face gently. "You're safe." The words she had been waiting days to hear.The tears she'd held back since her kidnapping finally escaped. Without thinking... She buried her face against his chest. "I knew you'd come..."she whispered between shaky breaths."I told you." Ethan rest
{Third person's pov}The house had fallen silent agai, only the occasional footsteps of the guards broke the stillness.Inside her room, Natasha sat against the window, she hadn't given up, she simply waited.Outside... Two guards stood near the front gate, one lit a cigarette and the other glanced toward the second floor. "You know... I don't like this."His companion frowned. "What?""This." He nodded toward the house. "Keeping her here.""We're following orders." The other man said. "So?"The older guard sighed. "I've worked for the Ramos family for twelve years... I've done things I'm not proud of, but this.. .this isn't business, It's personal." The younger guard remained quiet."She hasn't stopped asking to go home and she hasn't stopped believing Chairman Ethan will find her." The older man looked down at the ground. "Maybe he will.""You think Chairman Ethan is really looking?" The younger guard asked the older guard gave a dry laugh. "If Ethan Ramos cares about someone... He
{Third person's pov}Evan woke up irritated, the feeling followed him throughout the morning. Natasha hadn't come back to their bedroom.When he left for work, the guest room door was still closed, when he returned for lunch, it was closed again.She wasn't avoiding the apartment, she was avoiding
{Third person's pov}The drive home was quiet. Evan often worked during car rides, answering messages, checking reports, reviewing schedules, Tonight, he wasn't.His phone lay face down beside him. And that was somehow worse.Natasha kept her eyes on the city passing outside the window. She could f
{Third person's pov}If Evan had come home angry, slammed doors, shouted, Natasha would have known exactly what it was.Instead, he smiled. He brought her coffee the next morning. He kissed her forehead before leaving.He asked how she slept. And somehow, that felt worse.But wasn't it his habit? H
{Third person's pov}Evan didn’t slow down as he walked. Natasha followed, her steps quieter against the polished floor, her awareness sharper than before. His hand brushed briefly against her back as they entered the elevator, light, controlled.“Stay close,” he said as the doors closed. Silence p







