MasukRowland’s POV. My heart leaped. A gleamer of hope rose up in me. “I will be heading there now.” I snapped before cutting the call. Lisa straightened. “We aren’t done here.” I said, without turning back as I headed for the door. I dashed into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. Lisa ran down the stairs faster than I have ever seen her move. “Wait!” She heaved out, “I am coming with you.” Before I could protest, she yanked the door open and slid in. "Drive," she muttered. “I don’t have time for this, Lisa." “Then drive, Rowland." I exhaled and hit the accelerator. It took every bit of willpower in me not to speed off the road. ***** The location kept moving farther on the map. Lisa sat quietly beside me. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Her eyes were fixed in her fingers splayed in her lab. She might actually have no idea where Tom went. She is quite a strange woman. Hard to read. She’s young. What made her latch so deeply onto Tom? Thirty minutes later, I
Selene’s POV. I leaned against the window pane. It had been raining for a few hours, and we had been on the road for hours. I had drifted in and out of sleep countless times. My mind drifted back to the house. I hope they found the recording. I knew Rowland would be on his way now; he would find me soon.Could Tom be telling the truth about Sophie? Have I really lost my Sophie? My chest tightened. I pressed my palm against my chest. It all felt unreal. I kept my eyes forward. I didn't want to look at him. He was a completely different person. I would have never imagined. “We are here, honey.” I heard him say. I sat up quickly. My eyes scanned the road. The rain had fizzled down now, but all I could see were bushes. I held my breath. “Where are we?” “Oh, just my little investment for the time being.” He pushed his door open. "We can’t travel immediately."I swallowed. He made his way to my side of the car and pushed open my door. “They would be looking for you now; we mi
Tom’s POV I side-eyed Selene as I drove along the lonely road. Her head rested on the window pane. She sat so still that it looked like she was asleep, but her eyes moved sometimes. She will understand soon why I am doing all these. No one can love her like I do. We are going to be so happy. A car swept past us. Her eyes followed the direction of the sound till it disappeared behind us. I reached for her palm and gave a light squeeze. She remained still. Her other hand rested over her stomach. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Our child. I was getting closer to the garage. “Hey, honey," I muttered, gazing at her. “We are going to stop at the garage. We need to change the car.” She gazed at me, finally. An expression I couldn’t quite read. “Why?” “Extra caution, my love.” She looked ahead, her lips parted to speak, but nothing came out. “Don’t worry, everything will be fine soon. I trust you to be on your best behavior.” A lock of h
Rowland’s POV. The police arrived in ten minutes. I leaned against the wall in the living room. My head throbbed. I couldn’t think straight. “Don’t touch anything.” The officer said. I wasn’t listening. The world seemed to spin around me. She could be anywhere by now. I had no idea where to start looking; neither did the police. Selene’s mother sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her as she rocked back and forth, tears rolled down her face. I had called her immediately. Her husband traveled for an important meeting; he was flying back immediately. Mother was here too. She sat beside Marie, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “It’s okay, Marie; she would be fine.” A position I never thought I would ever see them both in. The second officer stood in front of me holding a note pad while the first conducted a quick search around the house.“Mr. Rowland.”I looked up.“I need you to answer a few questions.”I nodded stiffly.“When was the last time you saw Ms. Selene?”“Last nigh
Rowland’s POV. I sat upright at my desk. The night wind swayed the curtains. I couldn’t sleep. I was still trying to make sense of what happened with Isa. I could swear nothing happened. She set me up. I ran my fingers through my hair. The look on Selene’s face when she saw the stain made my heart race. I exhaled, trying to steady my breath. Just when things were getting better. All because of that man. Tom! He is the cause of all these! I slammed my palm against my desk. So hard that a few of its contents bounced off at once. My phone came on on the table. I rushed for it. Not Selene. I scoffed. She hadn’t returned any of my calls. I wanted to apologise to explain what happened. I stood up. “Maybe I should just give a little space.” I lowered the lid of my laptop. “A few days to cool off. She seemed…tense." I walked to my room at the end of the hallway. The bed was neatly made. The cleaning lady was doing a perfect job around here. I should give her a raise.I made a
Selene’s POV. “No!” I spat. "Where did you get this?” His grin widened further. “Where was your trustworthy Rowland yesterday night, huh?” He asked, bringing the photos closer to my eye level. My mind drifted to the lipstick stain on his shirt, and that floral scent. No, no, no. “Rowland would never do such a thing.” Tom chuckled. A chuckle from the deepest part of his throat. You know, my problem with you, Selene, is that you are too trusting. You think everyone has your best interest at heart. Meanwhile everyone is just overly selfish.” My tears had dried up. My lips quivered now. I thought about the baby. I thought about how many things could go wrong standing here alone with this man. “What do you want from all this?” “I want y..." The distant tone of my phone ringing in the living room silenced the room. Tom’s head snapped. His expression hardened. His eyes moved to me and back to the doorway. “I know what you are thinking, Selene. Don’t.” I lo
PRESENT DAY. Amira’s birthday party. I stood at the far end of the hall, glancing at Tom. Lisa stood beside him. She threw her head back, running her palm over his arm, laughing at something Tom's business associate said. My fingers tightened around the glass of wine in my hand. The nerve
Selene’s POV Tom was above me. His fingers wrapped around my hair while he thrust into me hungrily. My hands were pinned to my side, with each movement making my head bob. We had been going at it for hours, and now my body ached. I wanted him to stop; I had enough. “Tom,” I whispered. “T
Selene's POV(the wedding) My pleadings had fallen on deaf ears. Mr Harold needed a woman for his son, and I was the perfect candidate. How could Father think selling me like this would fix everything? Did he not see me as his daughter or just a pawn to secure a deal? After a week and one day,
FIVE YEARS EARLIER. Selene's POV. "Congratulations, you are pregnant!" The nurse grinned, holding up a clipboard. "Your vitals are great, and your baby is healthy." My heart pounded; for a second, it felt like the world spun around me. I shook my head. "I can't be pregnant; Rowland and I, we







