SheilaI freeze, my heart racing as I look around the room, trying to spot any signs of danger. Ethan notices my distress and places a comforting hand on my arm."Is everything okay?" he asks, concern etched on his face."I don't know," I say, showing him the message from my dad. "He's telling me to leave."Ethan's expression darkens. "We should go, then. Henrik!" he calls out to my brother, who's standing at the punch bowl, chatting up one of the teachers. "We need to leave. Now."Henrik nods, his eyes scanning the room. "I'll go get the car."We rush out of the venue, and Henrik pulls the car around to the front. We jump in, and he speeds off into the night."What's going on?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest."I don't know. But I got the same message from Dad, telling us to leave," Henrik says, scanning the parking lot.Ethan's phone buzzes, and he checks it. "My dad is telling me the same thing.""Someone is following us," Henrik says urgently as he looks into the rearview mir
Madison “Cheating isn’t always physical. If you’re having to hide it, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.” (Unknown). For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted a family, and that dream might soon come true. Gustaf, my boyfriend, has been sneaking around lately, and I think it’s because he is about to propose! He has made strange phone calls, and when I grabbed his phone yesterday, he quickly snatched it back, probably because he is making wedding plans on it! I wake up with a smile, feeling all excited when Gustaf’s alarm goes off at six o’clock in the morning on a normal Saturday. It’s singing the tune of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, and even though I’m thrilled to start our weekend together, the song is beginning to give me a headache. “Babe...” I whine in a tired voice as I desperately try to reach for the phone to turn off the terrorizing alarm. “It’s time to get up.” Gustaf groans and flips around, hiding his face in the pillows. “Five more minutes...” I snort and am abo
MadisonIt's been a week since I fled from my ex-boyfriend Gustaf and moved in with my brother Stanley. He owns a large flat, and I was given the guestroom. It's not the largest room, but I'm more than grateful for my brother's hospitality.Stanley is helpful, perhaps a little too helpful since he is already trying to get me hired by Victor Giovanni. There is no secret that our childhood friend is the wealthiest man in the city, and not only does he own hotels, but he also owns the restaurants associated with them. Since I'm a brilliant chef, my brother wants me to work at one of them."Hold on. Are you being serious right now? Do you really think that I can handle filling in for Victor's head chef at his famous restaurant?" I ask my brother in disbelief. I'm extremely skeptical about this assignment."Well, you needed a job, right? This is your chance to prove yourself. Victor is understaffed and desperate, Mads. He would take anyone, but since you're talented, you might have a chanc
"Maddie?" Victor repeats. "Is that really you?I nod, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. It's been years since I've seen Victor. He was my brother's friend that I had this embarrassing crush on, and now he is my boss. The irony of the situation isn't lost on me."You've changed," he says, his eyes scanning my face. "You look different.""I've grown up," I say, my voice steady even as my heart races. "It's been a long time."Victor nods, his eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you tell me who you were when you first started working here? You could have told me your name in the elevator."I shrug, feeling a little defensive. "I wanted to prove myself based on my own merit. I didn't want to be judged based on who I used to be."Victor nods. His expression is unreadable. "I can understand that, but you should have told me. It's not fair to keep something like that from me.""I'm sorry," I say, my voice quiet. "I didn't mean to deceive you."Victor stares at me intently as if he is tryi
MadisonAfter a long day working in the kitchen, I’m exhausted. Working at Victor’s fancy restaurant was exactly what I expected: hectic and stressful. Yet the work isn’t what got my heart pounding a mile a minute. The phone call I received from Gustaf yesterday is the reason behind my tiredness.I didn’t sleep at all last night.The anxiety of Gustaf coming to find me prevented me from falling into a peaceful sleep. And whenever my eyes would close, nightmares snared me like a deer caught in a trap in the woods. I honestly think I woke up a billion times, drenched in a cold sweat and tears not far away. It was a terrible night, and needless to say, something needs to be done about the Gustaf situation.“Hmm...” I hum to myself while holding up a book named, “How to stop worrying about your stupid ex-boyfriend,” that I found at the store.“Okay…aha…I see…” I tap my chin while thinking, and then I speak out loud—I never claimed to be perfect. “It says I need something from my ex-boyfri
MadisonVictor doesn’t say a word while I tell him about Gustaf and the chat that I found on his phone. He just stares at me with his intense, calculating gaze. It’s impossible to know what he is thinking, and I swallow thickly.Does he even think my situation is serious?I try to gauge his reaction, but his expression gives nothing away. It’s as if he is lost in his own thoughts, but then I see his jaw thick, and I know he is listening.I continue talking, finishing my story before taking a deep breath. Victor is stroking his chin between his thumb and forefinger, his piercing blue eyes as intense as ever.Then in a calm tone, he asks. “So your ex-boyfriend spread your nudes all over the internet?”For some reason, I shiver. Victor is calm, but there is no denying the murderous glare on his face. Is he angry at me or at Gustaf? I can’t tell, and it frightens me. I don’t remember Victor ever being violent, but he is a grown man now, and all his muscles are tense.I nervously lick my l
Madison"Oh my god, you shot a hole through the fucking wall!" I think I might actually pass out. Stanley is going to murder us both once he sees that we have ruined the apartment.Victor groans. "I'm so sorry! It was an accident!""Stanley is going to flip!" I drag my fingers through my hair while pacing the hallway. "First, the kitchen floor, and now there is a hole in the freaking wall! Why do you have a fucking gun in the shower?!""To defend myself!" Victor whines, looking as upset and nervous as I feel. "And I can pay for the damage!""Why the fuck will you need to defend yourself in the shower?" I'm still confused."Because...you...I don't know. It doesn't matter, okay?""Whatever, but what do we do until you have paid someone to fix it? Stanley will have to live with that hole now!""Uhh...wait!" Victor holds up a finger, and his eyes glimmer in that dangerous way that tells me he has an idea. "What if we move a painting to the bathroom?""That is the most stupid idea that...n
Madison "Ungh...what time is it?" I groan and slowly open my eyes, trying to adjust to the sunlight filtering in through my window. It sounds like someone is searching through the cabinet in the kitchen, and there is music on low volume. That must have been what woke me up. Suddenly, I hear Victor mutter under his breath, “Damn it!” I stifle a laugh at victor cursing like a sea captain and sit up in bed. Is he cooking breakfast for us? I experimentally sniff the air, catching a whiff of something delicious. My stomach grumbles, and I immediately begin searching the floor for clothes. Even though I've known Victor since the beginning of time, I want to look presentable and pretty…is that silly? Probably. Blushing at my own stupid thoughts, I head out of my room, following the scent of sizzling bacon like a bloodhound. I can already imagine the taste of fresh coffee on my tongue and the imagination makes my tongue salivate—so does the view of the gorgeous man standing by the stov