Laura "It's not like that, Richard. Charme caused me trauma that didn't necessarily have to do with my ex-husband," I told him, trying to hold on to that. I was swallowing hard, feeling cornered by his questions. I simply had no way of answering those questions. He was silent, sighing frustrated
Laura "Are you sure that no one in your family or close to you picked her up from daycare today, ma'am?" The police officer asked when I went to file a complaint at the nearest police station. It was already dark, and I was almost becoming a desperate madwoman, looking for my daughter everywhere.
Laura "Are you saying my daughter was kidnapped?" I asked fearfully. "I'm not saying anything, but that could be a possibility. There are a lot of criminals who trick children with sweets and stuff and then kidnap them," said Terence, and I put my hand on my chest in fear. I swallowed hard at t
"Anne's mother wants to know if you saw Anne today when you left daycare, son," Natasha said to her son. "Yes, I saw her, we played in the courtyard until her father came to pick her up," the boy said calmly. But I looked at the couple and shook my head, saying, "No one picked Anne up from dayca
Jason As soon as I took my daughter from daycare, I fulfilled what I promised and took her to a snack bar and ate a snack with her. She was cute and wouldn't stop talking about everything, especially her mother and the life they led. She was quite curious and also asked me so many questions. "Do
"Can we make a snowman?" She asked after a while so we made a snowman while laughing and talking about snow, Christmas, and most of the time, about things that weren't very important. When I was with her it was like I was in a different orbit, in a reality where I was really happy with my daughter
Laura "I don't want anything from you, but Anne wants you to come to dinner with us," said my ex-husband's voice. My throat suddenly felt dry, and I lost the ability to speak for a few moments. So Jason was with Annie? Was he the one who had picked up my daughter from daycare? Why would he do suc
Laura I had nothing left to argue about because, whether I liked it or not, Jason was right, so I sighed and nodded slightly. I never thought I would sleep in the same house as Jason again, especially with my daughter with me, but circumstances led me here. I noticed that my daughter was yawning
Annie POV I nearly fell over when I saw Peter calling me. My mom, who was watching me from the corner of her eye, clearly knowing something she shouldn’t, as always, asked who it was. “It’s just Summer, Mom,” I replied reluctantly, standing up and heading to the balcony. I loved my mom, but she ha
Laura POV “I love the outfit you chose to wear today. You’re absolutely stunning, my love,” I said, praising my daughter while gently caressing her arm. This weekend had been tough for Annie. She’d had the freshman ball on Friday night, and today, Sunday, she had to accompany me to this brunch at L
Annie POV That night, we fell asleep curled up together, still reveling in each other’s bodies. It was simply impossible to describe. A mix of longing, nostalgia, and satisfaction at having him there again, feeling his body under my fingers, his kisses, his gaze, running my hand through his silky
Annie POV Peter Morton’s face was just inches from mine, staring at me. The electric blue of his eyes was so close I could see his irises dilating and contracting. “You okay, Lady Ann?” he asked. I sighed with a small smile, half in delight. “It’s been a while since anyone called me that.” Actual
Annie POV The masked boy—who I didn’t want to admit was Peter—took me to an upscale, comfortable hotel where I could spend the night safely, away from everything, and try to regain my composure and figure out what to do next. “You can stay here,” he said calmly, though his voice still carried a hi
Annie POV The masked boy led me through the dark campus, his hand firm in mine as we ran away from the ballroom. My legs trembled, the blue dress swishing with each step, and tears still streamed down my face, hot and relentless. The sound of the shouts, the judgments, still echoed in my head, bu
“No choice?” He cut me off, his tone incredulous. “Are you serious? You chose to help Madison make that video. You chose to plug it into the projector. And now Annie’s out there, broken, while you try to run from the responsibility. This doesn’t fix anything, Abby. It wasn’t supposed to end like thi
Abby POV I was there, tucked away in the shadows of the ballroom’s corner, my heart still racing as I watched the chaos I’d helped create unfold. The giant screen kept playing that horrible video, distorted and manipulated clips of Annie echoing through the room like a final verdict. People poin
Annie POV I was still on the dance floor, the warmth of the masked boy’s body against mine, my head resting on his chest as the slow music guided us. The sound of his heartbeat against my ear was almost hypnotic, and I let myself get lost in that feeling I couldn’t quite explain. He’d just said s