Clara's POV"Please, didn't you come here to get an explanation from me? So, how are you planning to get it if you're just going to walk away like this?" Keith asked, his hand still holding mine. "And how can I let you leave with that anxiety still weighing on your heart, Clara? While I'm pretty sure you wouldn't open your flat door if I decided to follow you."I stayed quiet, not really thinking he would hold me when he was clearly enjoying himself with Selena, his childhood friend. But the fact that he was willing and promised to explain yesterday earned my respect. Keith led me to the TV room, he invited me to sit for a while but I refused."Keith-" Selena called out to him once more, but she quickly fell quiet when he lifted his hand, gesturing for her to hold on. Selena's face fell, but she complied and kept quiet.That was the third time she attempted to catch his attention, in her previous attempt Keith simply brushed her off. She’s probably wondering about my relationship wit
Clara's POV"I don’t understand why she chose to give them my number as the first point of contact. I think I'm the only one she can trust since her family isn't around.” He clarified. “Selena struggles with trauma and trust when it comes to new people after she faced multiple attempted murders in the past."I found myself nodding, signaling Keith to continue."Yesterday, I was focused on getting to the hospital quickly because I didn't want her to get hurt especially when she came all this way to see me. That's it, Clara. Her family always trusts me to protect her so If anything happens to her I'll live in guilt"Given their long-standing acquaintance and the fact that Selena's parents are business partners with Keith's parents, their relationship is quite close. After hearing that explanation, my doubts gradually faded away. Slowly replaced by a sense of understanding.“What was her condition like when you got there?” I asked. “Luckily, she’s okay. She has only some minor injuries
Clara's POVI looked up to meet her eyes and shook my head. That's when a sly smile appeared on Selena's lips."Keith said that he couldn't live without me. He was so worried that he couldn't think straight when he thought he might lose me."I paused my chewing. I took my time with my food and set my sandwich aside. Out of nowhere, I feel my appetite is gone. I'm aware of it; I understand how precious she is to him and how much guilt Keith would feel if anything happened to Selena.“Yes, Selena. I can see it all from when Keith received the call from the hospital informing him that you had an accident. Who wouldn't feel concerned when you got a call telling you your friend is getting hit by a car?" I offered her a reassuring smile, "We're really glad to see you're alright now."Selena's smirk disappeared. She stepped closer, her gaze fixed on me in a way that sent a shiver down my spine. Then they took a seat in one of the empty chairs directly in front of me. Selena looked at my fa
James' POVI have to hold myself back from stopping Clara's car the moment I see her pull out of TasteTales. I need to clear my head so I don't end up following her.'That's enough, James. It's time to head home now. Stop behaving like a stalker. You've already seen her, so that should be enough.' A voice in my head said.I suppose that's true. Seeing Clara today, all by herself, without Keith next to her, is all I need. At least I can tell myself that she's not with him at the moment. Yet, the desire to find out where Clara is headed continues to nag at me as my car begins to roll forward. Damn. I should start to look for a way to wrap this up. I have to keep an eye on her and ensure that Keith isn't around.Out of nowhere, my phone started ringing, breaking my train of thought. I held it to my ear, feeling a rush of impatience. "Hi James, I've already arrived at the restaurant. Where are you at the moment?" A woman's voice came from the other end of the line.Shit. I forgot that
Clara's POVI headed to the TV room to keep Layla company while she worked on her homework, hoping to take my mind off Keith and Selena's relationship. When I got home earlier, I called Keith to let him know like I always did. But he was on another call. I sent him a message, but he still hasn't replied to me until now.It's nighttime now, so I thought he would have made it home by now. He usually calls me to share updates about how his day going, but this time he didn't reach out at all."Mom, why do you seem a bit worried? What’s going on?" My daughter interrupted, pulling me out of my thoughts. “No, sweetheart. I'm not worried at all." I got up from the sofa and went over to Layla, who was sitting on the furry carpet. I gently ran my fingers through her hair, savoring its softness.God, I miss my little girl so much.A moment later, my phone rang with an incoming call. I got up and walked a bit to take his call. My heart was racing, but I felt a bit of joy because he finally re
Clara's POVFor a moment, I was completely still, unable to move or utter a word as I saw Selena gently cradle his cheek, drawing his lips closer to her own. What really made my heart sink was that Keith didn't even try to push her away. He simply allowed her to kiss him.Just as their lips were about to touch, Selena spotted me lingering in the doorway. She stopped for a moment, her eyes on me. Keith turned around, and that's when he saw me standing there."Clara? When did you arrive?" He asked, his tone remained even. For someone who had just been caught on the verge of a kiss with a woman he insisted was merely a childhood friend, he looks remarkably composed. Keith released his grip on Selena's waist and strolled over to me."Why are you just standing here? step inside." He said. Keith grabbed my wrist and then guided me into the room. We stopped in front of the bed, where Selena was sitting. She’s got a blanket draped over her lap. Selena looked satisfied that I noticed what a
Clara's POVI made my way back to my office as soon as break hours arrived, sinking into my chair. As soon as I powered on my phone, the door flew open and Diana stepped inside. She sighed softly as she walked over to me and then settled into the chair in front of me."You haven't told me what happened to Mr. Keith that required him to be rushed to the hospital last night. Is he alright? Shouldn't you be with him now instead of coming to work, ma'am?" She asked, her voice filled with worry.I haven't shared the details with Diana about what happened at the hospital last night.It was because of the call I had to call her to come to my apartment because of that call to ask her for a favor. And she arrived during the quiet hours to help me. If I knew what I would encounter at the hospital, I wouldn't go there."It wasn't him who needed to be treated." “What? Then, why did he call you to go there?" "Selena was taken to the hospital cause a stomachache she experienced after having oran
Clara's POV"I asked Elise to pick up Layla, and she'll be keeping her company tonight," Keith said as our car smoothly navigated the streets.We're currently in our way heading to his place. He's the one who insisted to take me there because we he had to sort out a few things after what went down yesterday. Keith expressed his regret for blaming me regarding what went down with Selena.I decided to let him take me to his place. I’d be open to giving him another chance and see if he can win me over again."You're still mad." He mumbled when I didn't answer. "Say something, Clara."I’ve let go of my anger. Yet, there's an unsettling feeling that typically isn't present. Is it jealousy now that I feel?"I care about your friend as well, Keith. I didn't like your behavior yesterday. You acted like I would be so petty as to intentionally give Selena something that would make her sick." I said. "I understand now that you could never have meant it that way, Clara. I truly apologize, that
Keith's POVHave you ever felt that moment when you finally get what you want, yet it leaves you with an emptiness? The satisfaction, happiness, and sense of victory that should have accompanied it, seem to just vanish into thin air.I feel completely empty, lacking any sense of fulfillment even after finally being able to breathe the fresh air outside the damned cell. This should be the moment for me to go ahead and carry out my plan. Without Clara by my side, the spark of life within me has... faded away.What did I do wrong?What did I do to deserve her hatred?Maybe, I have gone too far. But believe me, I did this solely because I wanted her to return to me, as she was meant to. Clara belongs to me.Back in those times when my brother treated her more like a disgrace than a wife, I was always there by her side. I knew that her life had been never easy, so I ensured that in our fake and cold social sphere, she had at least one person she could truly call a friend.This feeling th
Clara's POVI finally met up with Lily on the same day. But not at the penthouse where her friend took her; instead, it was at one of the cafes. Lily said that her friend is somewhat shy and doesn't like to meet new people. I don't mind about the meeting location, as long as I can finally see her and make sure she's okay."Clara," Lily got to her feet as soon as I got to her table. I was silent, completely at a loss for words. What left me utterly speechless wasn't her, but rather her 'friend.' So this is the man she has been calling friend all along? I needed to raise my gaze when he finally got up. I'm not sure of his exact height, but it's pretty obvious that he's around 6,7 feet tall. He's so handsome, but not in the typical way that most looks. I have no idea where Lily even met him. "Hey, you must be Clara. Great to meet you." He said, reaching out his hand. I accepted his handshake even though the way he was looking at me made me feel a shiver down my spine. It feels like
Clara's POV"We’ve located the address. It's still in New York." James said. I quickly got up and made my way over to him and his subordinates who assisted us in locating Lily. Since I didn't have much information about her actual location, we just tracked her using the number she called me. I have no idea whose number it was. James shared with me the outcome of Lily's whereabouts. And sure enough, it's still in New York City. I narrowed my eyes, spotting the spot where the phone number was located. The area felt somewhat familiar.I realized it's due to its spot in the city center; the location is pretty upscale. But Lily mentioned that she was kidnapped. I never even thought about this place before. The person who kidnapped her definitely wasn't poor; they could afford to live in that neighborhood. "Do you happen to know anyone who lives there, Miss? Could it be her friend?"I just shook my head. Unfortunately, I don't know who Lily's friends are around here. I don't have their
Lily's POVAshley snatched the phone from my hand just as I was about to wrap up my conversation with Clara. Shit! “You said you were only going to order food? Who did you just ring up?" She asked, her voice raised. "I-" For a moment, I found myself hesitant, too anxious to answer after just being caught red-handed. But suddenly, it dawned on me that I really shouldn't have. Cause there's no chance I'm sticking around here forever, right? Iits my right if I tried to find a way to escape this place.I don’t need to be scared. Especially since Dominic's actions went against my wishes. I can't just accept this and remain quiet. I have to stand my ground. "Answer me." "Yes!. I just called the cops!" I responded with just as much intensity. Ashley was mistaken if she thought I would feel intimidated simply due to my status as a captive. She just confronted Lily Russel. She had no idea how headstrong I could be. “Cops?”"Yes! Soon they'll come and arrest your master. Does he believ
Clara's POVWhen I woke up, my body was aching. I spent a few minutes stretching before getting up to check on Layla. She was still asleep, so I went to the kitchen to get a drink and then headed to the living room. I settled into the couch, my gaze locked on the door.I was kind of hoping it would open and that Lily would appear. She really should have come back to let me know that she was okay. Instead of just vanishing without any trace.Lily already mentioned she wouldn't be staying in my apartment forever, but she hasn't said when she's planning to move out. I didn't expect that she would move out this quickly, especially without giving me a heads-up. Opening my phone, I tried to dial her number. "Can you please answer it, Lily?" I began to feel that anxiety creeping back in.Once more, an automated voice picked up the call. I didn't have the number for her friend to reach out to and I had no idea where to find her. She really shouldn't have just vanished like this.Her careles
Lily's POVMy head hurt, I blinked a few times, trying to lift myself. I reached out for anything nearby to steady myself."Ouch, what just happened to me?" I rubbed my temples. It feels just like that moment when I dozed off at three in the afternoon and woke up all confused. I can't even tell if it's day or night. I can't even tell where I am right now.I shifted my gaze to the unfamiliar room around me. This isn't Clara's place. I didn't even like the apartment I checked out to live in. This feels like it’s straight out of a penthouse, something I could never dream of affording. How did I end up here in the first place?I tried to remember what was happening before I lost consciousness and the memory slowly came back into my mind. Oh, god....Keith Morgan came to Clara's apartment. He claimed that he wanted to see me. And then...That dick! He drugged me! He applied something to that cloth that caused me to pass out. Before he did, I recall him mentioning that someone wanted to m
Lily's POVA week later.I got back to Clara's apartment in NYC three days ago. Clara, James, Layla, and I are heading back to New York today. I had to leave before them because of some things I needed to take care of. I just finished my shower and answered a call from my mother, she asked how everything was going. Before I left LA, I told them that besides meeting Clara, I was going to look for a job here. It wasn't a lie, I want the opportunity to work in this city.My phone buzzed with another incoming call. “What’s up, Josh?” I nervously bit my tongue, waiting for his response. Why did he call me? Is it related to that man again? "Are you still in Italy?" "No. I'm back here again. What is it?" “Sounds good, let’s meet up. I have so much I want to share with you."“Yeah, of course.”I'll head to the airport to pick up Clara in the evening and I don't have anything planned for today beside it. It's still early, and rather than sitting here feeling bored, why not take Josh up on
Selena's POVAs soon as I received a call from Mrs. Iris Morgan, I grabbed my purse and headed downstairs right away. I hopped in a taxi to her penthouse and told the driver to speed like the wind. Keith is free.Can you even believe that? At last, he's out of prison. I'm not sure what finally clicked for James Morgan and made him see things differently. I'm glad he finally understood that his actions towards Keith were unacceptable. How could he possibly lock up his brother just for that woman?As soon as I got there, I settled up with the driver and made my way to Iris's floor. As I reached the door, I pushed it open just like she instructed and stepped into the main room. Seeing Keith there made my heart burst with joy. I held back the impulse to shout with happiness and strolled over to him."Keith!" I exclaimed, "Oh thank God! You are finally free! You finally made it out of that awful place! At last, James had a change of heart and let you go!" I couldn't hold back my joy, s
Clara's POVThe dinner was great. I have no regrets about accepting James' invitation. He's sticking to his word about just wanting to have dinner together and nothing more. And now, we’re strolling through the vast green fields that stretch out on either side of us. Pine trees standing tall, white cobblestone path under our feet."What does Layla think of this trip so far? Is she feeling happy?" James asked. As I glanced over at him, I noticed a worry etched on his face. “She is.” He probably noticed it on his own. Layla hasn't stopped smiling since we got here. I'm thankful that I agreed with James when he decided to invite her on this trip. Took a break from my hectic daily routine and flew to this gorgeous place made me feel like I didn't want to go back. Why can't I just stay here forever? I took out my phone to snap some pictures of the stunning scenery when I heard James ask. "How about you?""Sorry, what did you just say?" I wasn't quite catching what he was asking abou