ANMELDENThe black SUV pulled to a smooth stop in front of Sunset Orphanage. The rusted iron gates looked the same as they had years ago just like she remembered.To anyone else, this was just a crumbling building for kids who had nowhere to go. To Raina, it was the only place in the city that felt like home and held lots of memories of her childhood, when she followed her mother for charity events.She always wondered how a person as kind and angelic like her mother, ended up with a demon like Michael."We are here," Pascal said, and his voice cold pulled me out of my thoughts. He didn't turn off the engine and just sat there, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of trouble.Raina didn't wait for him to open her door, she pushed it open herself, the hot air hitting her face as soon as she stepped down. "You can stay here and wait for me in the car, Pascal," she said, her voice dripping with boredom. "I’ll take an hour…maybe two. I’m sure you have some boring bodyguard stuff to do
Raina moved quickly, her mind focused on seeing Lorenzo. She went to her closet and pulled out a pair of ash-colored joggers and a thick black hoodie. She slipped on the joggers and pulled the hoodie over her head, tucking her dark hair inside the hood. She didn't take a bag or any money, she only slipped her secret burner phone into her pocket.She looked at herself in the mirror and noticed that her eyes were still a little red from crying, but she straightened her back and adjusted her emotions. She couldn't let Maxton or anyone see that she was hurting.She opened her bedroom door and walked down the grand staircase. The house was quiet, but as she reached the bottom, she saw Maxton standing in the middle of the living room. He was holding his phone to his ear and talking in a low but serious voice."I don't care about the cost," Maxton was saying. "Just make sure the documents are forwarded to my private email by noon."He looked up and saw Raina. His eyes immediately moved from
Raina looked at Maxton standing in the doorway and her heart was still pounding from the terrifying phone call with Michael. Her eyes were red, and her hands were shaking, but she didn't want to show Maxton her weakness and she hated being seen like this. Maxton stood there, his tall frame blocking the light from the hallway. He looked at her with his dark eyes as he had heard Michael's threat but he didn't hear what led to the threats.He had also heard the fear in Raina's voice when she talked about her mother and he waited for her to tell him what was happening.But Raina didn't say a word, instead, she just stared back at him, her jaw tight and her lips pressed together stubbornly.The answer to his question was obvious as Michael was simply a monster but she had no intention of opening up to Maxton. She hated showing people her weakness and hated being pitied by anyone.Especially someone like Maxton that she barely knows anything about and had a polite relationship with.Maxton
The morning sun shone brightly through the large windows of the bedroom.Raina slowly opened her eyes and blinked against the light. She moved her arms and legs slowly,to test her body and to her surprise, the sharp pains from yesterday had turned into a dull ache. Which means that the medicine Ramirez gave her was working well, as her bruises were still dark, but they didn't hurt as much anymore.She got out of bed, did a few light stretches to wake up her muscles, and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Even with a fractured rib, Raina didn't move weakly, she was extremely agile. She splashed cold water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror."I've survived worse," she whispered to her reflection like she always did.Knock knock!A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door, and Ava walked in carrying a silver tray with eggs, juice, toast, and fresh fruit. She looked at Raina with a mix of respect and a hint of worry."Good morning, Miss Raina," Ava said as she s
Maxton stepped out of Selene’s room, his face looking extremely cold and furious.The thing he hated most was happening right under his nose and he had no idea of it. Betrayal was a poison, and it had entered his own house without him noticing.He looked at the guard standing nearby. "Find Caleb," Maxton commanded with a cold voice that made the guard tremble. "Take him to the basement immediately!."The guard instantly nodded and hurried away. Maxton walked down the stairs, his aura was extremely cold and any one close by could feel it without even getting close. Carlos was already waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs and they didn't even need to speak, because Carlos knew that when Maxton looked this way, someone was going to pay a heavy price.By the time Maxton reached the dimly lit cold basement again, Caleb was already there. The blood of the thugs that was everywhere before, has been properly cleaned and no trace of what happened to the thugs half an hour ago was left.Th
Selene felt like her heart was going to stop, as Maxton was still gripping her collar tightly, holding her in place and not even allowing her to take even a step forward.She could feel his cold breath on the back of her neck and the hallway was silent, except for the sound of her own panicked breathing. After hesitating for a few minutes, she slowly turned her head to look at him."I... I wasn't running away, Maxton," Selene whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind, as she tried to force a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I just... the blood on your shirt…It frightened me. I got a little dizzy, that’s all….You know how I am with blood."Maxton didn't look convinced and his eyes remained dark and showing no emotion at all. Then he let go of her collar so suddenly that she almost tripped forward. Selene had to grab a nearby shelf to stabilize herself, so she wouldn't fall. Then she turned back to look at Maxton but he just gave her a cold gaze."Go to your room







