LOGINAaron's pov “What was the date this incident took place?” Collin asked slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, while the other officer I couldn't name wrote all what I was saying down.The light bulb above us flickered and I swallowed tightly.“August 17th 2019”The officer jotting, nodded and scribbled it down before meeting my gaze again“And you said it was a case of self defense?” Collin continued I nodded.The look on his eyebrows didn't seem satisfied so I went on.“Yes, he was trying to hurt me it was just unfortunate i grabbed the knife first” I was so tired. My eyes felt like they were going to close involuntarily any moment from now.I don't even know how long it had been since I got here, but judging by the light slowly fading from the windows, I was guessing a pretty long time.“Mr Warner, tell me in exact details what transpired between you and mr Baxter”There was a bulge in my throat and no matter how much I swallowed it didn't go away.This was my life now.I was a po
Jack's pov The phone buzzed again by my side but I muted it and flipped it over, I had nothing to say to him.Because what exactly do you tell someone who proved to suddenly be everything you were sure he wasn't?.Memories of that night flooded my mind.The way Aaron had bled and Connor wouldn't stop hitting him,And this all happened as a reaction to him being alive and living a life away from his family secretly.I felt so useless.He was so sure.So readyTo inflict so much pain on someone that had hurt him.Maybe calling him a hypocrite wasn't a great idea, but I felt so much negative emotion I didn't even know where to put them.Especially since I related more to the person being beat up than the person doing the beating—which so happened to be my friend and boss.I let out a loud sigh, getting up and making my way back to the bottle, I shouldn't have answered that call in the first place.I needed time to think, not get worked up all over again.It was past 1 for God sake and I
Connor's pov I yawned for what seemed like the hundredth time but yet sleep was still far from me.Even though I was tired enough to take a full day off from work, Thanks to Ethan and he's impossible working hours.The thought of him brought another pull to my already aching heart, I hated it.But I was worried about him.I got up and grabbed my phone, searching for Mandy's number. It was practically routine now to call at the slight sense of discomfort, I dialed her number She picked up the third ring. “Connor what's up?” Her voice sounded sleepy and that sent a punch straight to my gut. I was an idiot.“Fuck, Mandy i didn't mean to wake you, go back to—go back to bed.” “No it's okay, I was going to wake up soon anyway” I could hear a yawn at the brink of her words.“I just couldn't sleep.” I say back to the phone, I really should let her go back to sleep but I needed her.I needed to hear her soothing voice.I needed to feel the comfort in her words.I needed not to think about
Ethan’s POVBy the time I finished with the spreadsheets, the sky outside my office window had gone dark. Not fully night yet, but that deep blue shade that told you the day had slipped away without asking for permission. My eyes burned, my shoulders ached, and my brain felt like it had been wrung dry.I realized I had fallen back into a familiar loop,I used in warner industries.Work until I was too tired to think.Work until my thoughts went quiet.It was the same thing I had done months ago. Bury myself in tasks so I would not feel. So I would not remember. So I would not ache.Alex had brought it all up earlier without meaning to. Innocent, casual, careless in the way people are when they do not know where your wounds are. And now my body buzzed with a restless need. A need to talk to Aaron. To know where he was. To know if he was okay.But I could not.I physically could not.The thought of hearing his voice hurt too much. My chest felt tight, my throat sore, my hands shaky. It h
Ethan’s POVI leaned back in my chair, staring at my laptop screen. It had been a week since I started at Connor’s company, and somehow, I had practically gotten used to everything here. The office was loud, chaotic in a strangely organized way, and every day brought a new kind of challenge. My phone buzzed, and a video call popped up. Mandy’s name lit up the screen.“Hey,” she said immediately, sounding frazzled. “Andrew and Jonathan have completely lost it. They’re on a rampage, I swear, bothering the hell out of me. I think they’ve gone full insane today.”I laughed, shaking my head. “Wow. Sounds like a nightmare. You holding up okay?”“Barely,” she muttered. “I don’t know how they can function like this. I’m just trying not to pull my hair out.”I grinned. “Yeah, I get that. How are you otherwise?”She rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine. But listen, Ethan… Aaron hasn't come back to work”I froze for a second, feeling my chest tighten.“So you haven't heard from him at all?” I add con
Aaron’s POVI sat there in the small, sterile room, my hands shaking. My jacket felt too heavy, my chest tight. Across from me, the police officer had a notebook and a pen, flipping through pages like he already knew I was trouble. His eyes were sharp, but he didn’t look angry yet. Just… watchful.“Tell me again,” he said slowly, tapping the pen against his notebook, “you said what happened to Mr. Paul Baxter?”My throat tightened, and I swallowed hard. My voice came out small, weak. “I… I accidentally killed him. He was trying to hurt me. He had information… information I didn’t want anyone to know. I… I struggled. I was just twenty. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know what could happen. I…”My words were shaky, all tumbling out too fast, too messy.The officer leaned back slightly, his face shifting as he tried to keep a neutral expression. He didn’t interrupt yet, but his pen slowed. My hands were folded on the table, trembling. “I went to a new city. After I buried him







