"I can't sleep," he whispered, his voice cracking. "Not since that day. Every single time I close my eyes, I just…" His hands shook violently, and he pressed them together, knuckles white from the pressure."I just keep seeing…"His breathing became fast and ragged, his chest rising and falling like he was drowning in air."Keep seeing your face. You, in your own pool of blood.”“ And struggling to even take a single breath.”He then moved his gaze away from me and looked at his hand, with so much anger as if he wanted to have it cut away.“ I can't forgive myself for any of it. And thinking that after taking this step with you, you will have to keep seeing the face of the man who stole your voice and left you in months of pain. Asking you to bear that feels unbearably cruel—like I’m only adding to the harm I’ve already done."“ Every single time you look at my face you will see the same man that slits your throat. You will feel that pain all over again. And I don't want any of that f
***EMMA'S POV***Standing in front of the mirror with my eyes shut tightly, I could feel different hands all around me—maids moving, adjusting, fastening and perfecting. Their hands brushed my arms and waist, setting every detail into place.My hands clasped together as I felt a little nervous—nervous about everything that would happen today and nervous about how things between Darrell and me were going to be after taking this step, since there haven’t been many changes between us these past days.Today was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, the day I had always longed for.So why?Why am I feeling like this?I felt the last pair of hands slip away, and everyone stepped back as if they were finished.Then a familiar, warm hand settled gently on my shoulder, and I immediately knew who it was even before she spoke."You can open your eyes now, beauty," Carmen whispered softly in my ear.A smile tugged at my lips, and slowly, I opened my eyes.Lo and behold, the figure staring b
Then I remembered something else— something that happened in the middle of the night the other day. That Carmen told me that she saw Hailey crying in pain and saw some mark on her neck and had dismissed it, trying to think that she was just paranoid because of her love for her.But what if...?What if Carmen hadn't really been hallucinating? What if she'd really seen all that? And I thought she was going crazy.My mind was racing as I walked back to the car. Immediately Hailey saw me, she quickly sat down properly as if she wasn't searching my car.I entered the car, "Here's your juice, sweetheart," I said, helping her twist off the cap.She took it and drank it.Then she asked, "Did something happen over there? What is everyone looking at?""Nothing serious," I lied smoothly. "Probably just some street performers putting on a show.""A show? Can we go watch?""No, we can't. We really need to get home now.”Her shoulders sagged in disappointment.I was about to start the car when I
******LIAM'S POV*****Hey, babe," Carmen's voice came through, sounding slightly tired."Hey, you good?"She let out a small sigh. "Yeah."I settled onto a weathered wooden bench near the playground's edge, its green paint chipped from years of use. The bench gave me a perfect vantage point to watch Hailey as she played with other kids. It's quite amazing how kids bond together quickly when they just met each other or maybe it's just Hailey that's too friendly."So how's it going?""It's going well, although our dear bride-to-be wants everything to be perfect and they've been adjusting and adjusting since morning. So we're still stuck here.""Please don't tell me you're trying to complain right now. Do you remember your own fitting?""Shut up. I'm not complaining. You're the one asking what we're doing.”I chuckled, watching as Hailey and her new friend moved to the swings."I can hear some noise there. Are you not at home?""Yeah, we're outside.""Outside doing what?""Sightseeing.
I placed the tray beside him.“Are you done with him?” I asked.“Yes, miss,” the pack doctor said as he removed the blood pressure cuff from his arm and packed up his belongings before leaving the room, leaving only me and Grandfather.Turning to Grandfather, I asked, "How are you feeling today, Grandfather?"He chuckled softly, the sound more fragile than it used to be. "Oh, you know me. Strong enough to last a few more years, I hope. This old body isn't ready to give up just yet.""You need to stay strong, of course," I said, settling onto the edge of his bed like I had countless times throughout my childhood. "Grandfather still has so many things to do in this world. Because so many people, including me, still need you."He pulled my cheeks jokingly. "Of course, my dear. I know. But sometimes I wonder..." He trailed off. "I'm just afraid that I might not really be able to witness your marriage, Angela. That's one thing that truly makes me sad. I've always dreamed of walking you dow
*******Angela's pov*******"Did she get it or not?" I muttered, staring at my phone screen for what felt like the hundredth time. Fuck! I can't even tell if she really saw my message or not.But she must have already.And if she had, then why the heck wasn't she calling me back?Such arrogance.Just like her mother.Well, I never knew her or her mother, but I have heard more than enough to write history about from my own mother.I looked at my secret phone again, one that my mother has no idea of, and wondered if I should resend another message or not.Maybe I should?But just then, the door to my room burst open without a knock. The sound made me jump, and I quickly shoved my phone behind the pillow, my heart hammering against my ribs as I knew there was only one person capable of barging into my room unannounced.And that was my mother.Sitting on the bed, with my back resting against the pillow, I acted as if I hadn’t been up to anything since morning. Then I dropped my gaze to