LOGINMr Beau’s POV; (continued)“Good day, Mr Beau,” one of the police officers greeted, his face and tone serious.I glanced carefully at the two police officers. One kept his hand near his radio as he watched me suspiciously; the other had that flat look people get when they know they’ve already won. My mouth went dry.“Mr. Beau,” the other one said. “We need you to come with us to the station for questioning.”I laughed, a thin sound that might’ve been a sob. “Why?” My voice was small. “What did I do?”“We advise you to cooperate,” the cop who spoke earlier said. “It’ll make things easier for you.”Make things easier. The words landed like a blow. My hands shook so hard they felt useless. “I don’t understand,” I said. My head spun with possibilities. Some neighbors complaint…..my mother being worried that I hadn’t been picking her calls…/..anything but the thing I’d been trying not to think about: Doctor Ryle.They didn’t handcuff me. It felt like they didn’t need to, and that alone cal
BEAU’S POVI sat on the couch, every muscle coiled so tight my hands trembled. It’s been two whole days. Two endless days since I’d been turned away at Shimma’s door. They wouldn’t let me in. They kept her from me.Her photos displaying on my television were a poor substitute. I’d stared at them until the edges blurred…….her face lit the screen and my chest tightened into a fist. It wasn’t enough. I needed to see her in person, to stand near the lilt of her scent, to watch the slow tilt of her head, to watch those eyes that always seemed to look right through me. I craved the curve of her lips, the soft fall of her hair, the way her body moved when she laughed. The want in me had a taste, metallic and hot.My breathing came faster now, shallow and urgent. I rubbed my palms against my jeans until the skin burned. The apartment felt too small. Every clock ticked loud, like a countdown I hadn’t consented to. I was falling apart….my whole life was falling apart and I felt utterly helpless
SHIMMA’S POVI was in the bathroom, the steam curling around me, when the bedroom door burst open and slammed against the wall. The sound jarred me….causing me to freeze in fear.A second later Mattias’s cologne hit me: cedar and something green and strong. Then his voice followed, my heart settling in relief.“Honey?” He called loudly.I opened my mouth to answer, but my throat clenched. Words wouldn’t form. I felt empty and heavy all at once.The bathroom door opened. Mattias stood framed in it for a long few seconds, shoulders squared but not relaxed. His eyes were soft with pity, and that look hurt more than anything….I didn’t like how he looked at me…..i didn’t like how his eyes reminded me of my terror moments with Lucas. Those times he would save me and then stare at me like my life was some sort of torture.Although he warned me…..He kept sensing the danger and I stupidly ignored all the signs. Fuck me!He came in slowly, like he was careful not to startle me, and began undoi
MATTIAS’S POV: (continued)“G…good day, Sir,” one of my guards said as he approached my car. I had signaled him over; he walked up with his shoulders hunched, hands clasped so tight his knuckles whitened. I could see the fear and worry in his eyes.“Good day…” I nodded, stepping out of the car. I straightened my shoulders, cleared my throat and planted my feet so I looked taller……yet calm and in control, before I continued. “The day of the accident… Doctor Ryle’s death, you were on duty, right?” I asked. The police weren’t finished with their investigation, but I wanted to move things forward as quickly as I could before anything got worse.“Yes… yes Sir, I was,” he said, bowing his head slightly and rubbing the back of his neck.“Who came in? Remember I said not to let strangers in. Who was here on the day of the murder?” I leaned forward a little, elbows bent, watching his face. He stared at me blankly, eyes flicking to the ground as though trying to pull memory up. Then he shook h
MATTIAS’S POV.“I swear! If I find out who did this to Ryle!” I said, my voice low and trembling with rage as I clenched my fist, my knuckles turning white. My breath was heavy, almost strangled, as I fought to rein in my emotions at the station, knowing how crucial it was to stay composed.The officer stood there, calm despite the storm brewing inside me. “Mr. Mattias, I know how angry you are right now,” he said, his tone calm and reassuring. He leaned slightly forward, hands clasped in front of him, as if trying to bridge the gap between us. “I assure you, we will find Doctor Ryle’s killer. Please, just give us a little time.”I felt the tension in my shoulders, my muscles coiling tighter with each passing second. “And for the threatening words written on your car, we will check the CCTV footage of the parking lot. Hopefully, we can identify who did it and why… and also, who knows? They might be involved in Doctor Ryle’s death too,” he continued, his eyes meeting mine firmly.“Plea
SHIMMA’S POV.I sat beside my mother who kept weeping and crying. I knew how painful it must be for her…..losing another man she loved. God! The pain!!!!Doctor Ryle was the next best man to my mother after my father passed. Despite the age difference between him and my mother, he loved her so deeply. Not minding what the world had to say about them.I liked him…..I felt safe around him, because for some reason, I knew he would take care of my mother and love her like she deserved to be loved.But now… he’s gone. Oh!…….Who did this? Who could hurt him like this? My heart ached with anger and sadness. I needed to know who had taken him from us.“Mum….please. I am so sorry. I am so sorry that this happened to you,” I said, feeling guilty as hell.Mattias had told me just yesterday about the scratch on his car, and a scratch that wrote “RIP,”. Despite knowing how scary and terrifying that was…I still overlooked it.What if who ever it was had come to attack and then met Doctor Ryle at h
We sat across from each other at the dining table. The smell of baked chicken filled the air.I watched Mr. Mattias take a bite; he shut his eyes, as if savoring not just the meal but the moment itself. A small smile tugged at his lips, and I felt a warmth spread through me, realizing how much I mi
“What are you doing here? And how did you know where i….,”“I own here now,” Mr Mattias said quickly, getting up from his seat.“You own here? where is my boss?“ I stuttered.“He's where he belongs,” Mr Mattias said, a sly smirk playing on his lips as he slowly approached.“Well, I'm here to submit
I took a quick breath as I walked in, and my eyes landed on Mr. Mattias. Wait! Mr. Mattias. He was the boss.Fuck! Not again! I turned to leave, but I heard him yell.“Shimma! Don’t move an inch!” he said, his tone commanding.I turned back to him, eyes wide with shock. Was he ordering me not to mo
Mr. Mattias pulled up in front of my house, and I was seated right beside him in the passenger seat. I sat there speechless, unable to utter a word. Not back at the office, not on the way here. It was as though I had lost the ability to speak.I honestly didn't blame myself. Not after being fucked







