You guys are funny. When Hunter was ruthless in the beginning, you wanted him punished. And now karma is getting to him, you guys blame me 🥹 I'm just writing, Fam, all that's happening to the characters are the fruits of their own actions 🥲 Another thing... I'm not writing anything to drag the story out. I'm just writing it how I wanted to write this book. Before this, all the books I wrote, I wrote under pressure. Never writing as per my will. But in this book, I'm letting myself write freely. I know it's getting long but trust me nothing is written with the intent to rip you off. I'm just writing what I planned. Plz, just hang there. I won't disappoint you 🙏❤️
382Hunter sat across from the graves of his parents in the cemetery in the cold dead night. The sky was the darkest and rain pelted down on him savagely. There was no light. Hunter had placed his phone, with the flashlight on, across from him between the graves. It has been a week since his father's death. Hunter had passed out while crying and when he woke up next, he had found himself in a hospital bed. Rashid was in one corner of the room, Cole by the door, and Grandma Avery sitting on the stool near the bed while clutching his hand between her trembling ones. He asked them about what happened to his father's body. Rashid first sighed, then he looked down on the floor defeatedly. He turned to Cole next, who trudged over to the off white couch in the corner to pick up something. It was an urn carrying the ashes of his father. "We're sorry, Hunter. It was too late when the fire brigade arrived and put the fire off. This is all we've managed to gather." Hunter had been unable to
381The interior of the factory has changed a lot. Where there used to be broken machines and low hanging pipes with cobwebs and darkness, there was a wreck on the floor. Everything has collapsed. Hunter carefully walked ahead.There was no light but thankfully the hole in the ceiling let natural light pour in. It wasn't still bright enough for him to look clearly. The sky was gray and the streak of light filling the factory was faint."Zara, I'm here. I'm alone as you wanted. Where are you? Where's my father?" Hunter glanced around.He kicked out a large piece of rusted machine and stepped into another room. The deeper he was going inside, the darker and scarier it started to get."Zara? Are you even here? I did as you asked. Now it's time for you to complete your part of the deal." Hunter remarked. It wasn't a deal and he expected no mercy from Zara. She was on a spree to hunt his loved ones to cause him pain. But still he assumed that they had a deal. That's how it went, right. Wh
380As soon as Hunter dropped the arm that was holding his phone to his ear, Cole grabbed his arm. "What did she say?" He asked furiously. "She's going to share details of a place. I've got to go there alone.""Alone? To meet Zara? No chance. You're not going anywhere, Hunter. It might as well be a trap." Claire snapped before Cole even had a chance to say anything. Hunter gave her a short look with no emotions showing. When he turned to Cole, his eyes gave up and tears gushed out. "I have no other choice, Cole. I have to save my father... And if I have to sacrifice my life to do that, I would." Claire gawked at him. She hissed and opened her mouth to retort but Hunter turned his back to her. "I'll get my car out. I have to be prepared. She can text me the location anytime." He said and left with Rashid. They both walked away, discussing something in a hushed tone. Meanwhile Claire pulled Cole to her, "He can't go, Cole. Zara is a monster. I don't know what happened to mom but
379"I want you to stay here and make sure everyone is sent home safely." Hunter told him while gesturing over at Penny, Andrea, and some other women he knew. Rashid wanted to protest but he ended up nodding in agreement. He watched Hunter grasp Cole's arm and pull him along. Tyler was watching everything from afar. In fact, he made several discoveries after Hunter came last night. "Claire," Tyler went to her instead of Hunter. Claire looked up and smiled sadly. "I thought you both will come back happy. But this is stunning. What went between you two on the island?" "I said some things in anger and asked him to let go of me. So he did." Claire blinked back tears. Tyler stared at her astoundedly."Don’t tell me you used my name where you shouldn’t have and he actually bought it." Claire remained silent. "God! Are you two ever going to act like grownups, Claire." Tyler eyed her sternly.Claire grinned as her gaze wandered to Hunter, who was discussing something with Cole on the opp
378Claire trudged towards him, hoping to strike a conversation but observed Hunter frowning at Cole, who urgently cast a gaze around."Uncle was right behind me. Where's he?" Cole scratched his forehead."Mr. MacIntyre left to smoke. I saw him leave while drawing a cigarette from its pack." Rashid informed.Hunter nodded and waited, his eyes glued to the ground. Claire was right in front of him. She knew he was aware of her eyes on him, and still he acted like he was standing alone.Time dragged on, and still there was no sign of Leon MacIntyre. When he didn't come back even after ten minutes, Hunter's nerves flooded with dread. "What's taking him so long?" Hunter muttered and rushed inside the cemetery. Rashid, Cole, and Claire followed his suit along with her father. Hunter dashed inside, his eyes scanning around the space frantically. Alas, there was no trace of his father. Hunter went to the tall dense trees lining around the boundary of the cemetery in hopes that he would find
377Claire glimpsed around at the reporters and cameramen. They wore the ID cards of the channels they belonged to. But astonishingly none of them looked eager to cover this news. They stood waiting for Hunter to come out so they could pay their last respects to him."Cole and Hunter's father went to the address Zara gave... It was empty. It was a trap to get Hunter there, I believe. And then Cole got another call from Zara saying that she was disappointed in Hunter for not coming himself and for sending his best friend and dad when she just wanted him to come to the place alone. She ended the call saying that the upcoming consequences were the outcome of Hunter's negligence. Cole was agitated by the call. He didn't sit down for a second after that."He had been helping the cops and Hunter's dad. They searched for her all night and looked around the place Zara had texted him about. Then yesterday morning they found an unclaimed car in the parking lot of Hunter's office building. The C