Henry’s POVThe weight of the night pressed heavily upon me as I paced the confines of my dimly lit room. The ticking clock on the wall seemed to mock me with every second that passed, each one a reminder of how precariously I was balancing on the edge of a razor-thin line. The authorities had cast their net wide across France, and I could feel the pressure closing in on me. The whole world seemed to be a trap, and escape was slipping through my fingers.My breath came in short, ragged bursts as I struggled to keep my nerves in check. The only solace was the knowledge that tomorrow morning, I would be on a private plane back to the US, thanks to my associate Vito Romano. He really did have plenty of helpful underground connections. The thought of finally being reunited with Julia was the only thing that kept me going, the only thing that made the fear and frustration bearable.I stepped over to the window and stared out into the darkness, the city lights below shimmering like distan
Sophia’s POVI sighed as I stared at Daniel's text on my phone, asking if I wanted to grab dinner on Saturday night. My fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment before I typed out a polite refusal. Sorry, Daniel. I'm just not feeling up to going out this weekend. Maybe another time?I hit send and tossed my phone onto the couch, sinking back into the cushions. It buzzed almost immediately, and I groaned, half-expecting Daniel to try and convince me otherwise. But it wasn't Daniel—it was Elijah.Hey, Sophia. Any chance you're free this weekend? I'd love to catch up.I couldn't help but sigh. Two invitations in one day? I quickly typed out another refusal. Sorry, Elijah. I'm taking it easy this weekend. Maybe next week?With both invitations turned down, I felt a mixture of relief and guilt. I needed a break, some time to just unwind without the pressure of socializing or pretending everything was fine. And I especially needed time away from the two men who were causing my inter
Sophia’s POVI glanced at my watch, anxiety prickling at my fingertips. The seconds seemed to tick by with persistent urgency as I hurriedly wrapped up my conversation with Trevis. “Thank you for everything today, Trevis. I really appreciate it,” I said, my voice catching slightly. His reassuring smile did little to quell my growing unease.“I’m just glad I could help,” he replied. “Go on, get to the court. You don’t want to miss anything.”I nodded, giving him a quick hug before sprinting out of the building. The chilly air hit me like a splash of cold water, but I barely noticed as I dashed to the curb. My car was in the shop, so I needed a cab. I hailed the first one that came by, the yellow vehicle screeching to a halt in front of me.“Hall of Justice, please,” I told the driver, hopping into the back seat. I felt a jolt of relief as the cab pulled away from the curb, heading toward my destination. My thoughts raced ahead to the courtroom, where I hoped to find Elijah and Chris,
Elijah’s POVI sat in the courtroom, the air heavy with the murmur of spectators and the tension of the day’s proceedings. Chris was beside me, fidgeting nervously. He leaned in close, trying to whisper and yet be heard above the ambient noise.“Julia promised she’d tell the truth today,” he said, a faint note of hope in his tone.I nodded, though I couldn’t muster any optimism. My trust in Julia was long gone, eroded by countless betrayals. I expected nothing from her. The bitterness had set in so deep that even the prospect of justice couldn’t stir much excitement within me.She had betrayed me so damn hard. I was so stupid for believing her, and for almost marrying her. Twice. I couldn’t help but hate myself for this, for being fooled by her. And it made me despise her even more. As the court clerk began calling for order, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I discreetly pulled it out, glancing at the screen. The message was from Trevis: Sophia went to the office looking for you. She t
Julia’s POVI must tell the truth. This is my chance to start fresh, to get a lower sentence. I have no other choice. These were the thoughts swirling in my head as I took the witness stand. Henry has failed me, I thought, my chest feeling heavy. I glanced around the courtroom, trying to make sense of everything. The lawyer's voice cut through the din, demanding my attention.“Julia,” he asked sharply, “did you plan the kidnapping of Reese Sinclair? And did you hurt Reese’s mother, Sophia Bennett, at the beach?”His words felt distant, as if they were coming from underwater. My eyes were locked on Chris and Elijah, their expressions a mix of alarm and urgency. I couldn’t shake the sense that something was terribly wrong. My mind raced, my heart pounding in my chest.A sudden, jarring thought pierced through my confusion: What if Henry had done something? The hope that Henry was back and maybe orchestrating something to get me out of this situation surged within me. My emotions chur
Henry’s POVThe sunlight filtered through the gaps in the wooden slats of the hideout, reflecting uneven beams across the dusty floor. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and old timber, and the sounds of the forest outside seemed oddly muted in the confined space. Sophia was bound to a sturdy wooden chair in the middle of the room, her face streaked with tears and her eyes filled with fear. Her attempts to scream were muffled by the tape over her mouth, her struggles only serving to deepen the lines of exhaustion carved into her features.I grinned, happy to see her suffering. This is all for you, Julia, I thought with satisfaction. I grabbed a worn-out chair and dragged it across the floor, the scraping noise echoing sharply. As I sat down and lit a cigarette, the ember glowed brightly in the daylight. I took a long drag, savoring the feeling of control."You think you and Elijah are so smart, huh?" I said, my voice dripping with disdain. "Well, I'm smarter. I managed t
Julia’s POVThe judge announced a recess, and I slumped back into my seat, feeling the heavy burden of the trial hanging over me.But soon, it’ll be over, I reminded myself as I returned to my seat beside my lawyer. The attorney who had been assigned to me by the government nodded to me. “We can head to the room at the back for a while, Miss Stanford.”Just as I began to rise, eager to escape the courtroom for a moment, a shadow fell over me. I turned to see a man leaning in, his face partially obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. His breath was warm against my ear as he whispered, “Henry's back. Be ready to escape today.”This was the same man who had been signaling to me earlier. My heart leaped. I knew it! Henry would never leave me!A grin spread across my face, my anxiety momentarily forgotten. I looked around desperately, scanning the sea of faces in the courtroom for any sign of Henry, perhaps disguised among the crowd. But he was nowhere to be found.Suddenly, a deafening explosio
Kayla’s POVI paced back and forth on the sandy beach, my feet digging into the grains with each anxious step. The sun was beginning to set now. I tried to call Sophia again, clutching the phone tightly in my hand as I failed another time. It just kept going straight to voicemail. “Come on, Sophia, pick up,” I muttered under my breath desperately.Lila was in the middle of her shoot, laughing and posing for the cameras, but I couldn’t focus. The breeze carried her laughter to me, a massive contrast to the riot in my mind. I took a deep breath and dialed Elijah’s number again. This time, to my relief, he picked up.“Elijah?” I said in a quivering voice.“Kayla,” he replied, his voice just as distressed. “There's been a fire at the courthouse.”“What?!!”“It was most likely a distraction to help Julia escape,” Elijah explained.I felt my heart drop. “Julia? Oh, my gosh! Henry must have planned this, along with Sophia’s kidnapping! He must be back, Elijah!”“Don’t worry. Some men I hire