INICIAR SESIÓNBETTYI stare at the photograph for a moment before unfolding it carefully.It’s a picture of Grace. Baby Grace.Of course, Nathaniel would carry around a photo of Grace. Why didn’t I think of that?She is so tiny in this picture.Her little cheeks. Big green eyes, and that ridiculous pink hat Harriette bought her because apparently every rich baby needed designer winter wear, even though she hated wearing hats and screamed whenever one touched her headMy chest softens instantly at the memory, as I can almost hear her tiny, angry cries inside my head again.A breath escapes me as I stare at her smiling face.But then my eyes drift further across, and my entire body stills.Because sitting beside Grace...is me.My brows pull together as I stare harder without blinking. And for a moment there, I think I might be hallucinating.I force myself to blink, just to make sure it’s me, sitting beside her while looking down at her with a tired smile.Yap. confirmed.I remember this day.Harriet
BETTYI haven’t left Nathaniel’s hotel room since he walked out.Somehow, being in here feels safer than being alone in the next room. Which is insane. Because this is still his room.Yet the second he left, I dragged my duffel bag in here anyway.I settled it near the door, convincing myself it was temporary and the minute he returned, I would grab it and leave.That was almost two hours ago.I stand from the bed for what must be the fiftieth time before walking toward the windows, only to turn halfway and head back toward the bed again.I sit for exactly three seconds before standing once more because sitting still somehow makes everything worse.I have tried everything to distract myself from whatever is happening out there.Television. Music. Scrolling through old work emails.At some point, I even turned on some ridiculous reality show and tried forcing myself to focus on it. But all I could see were beautiful people screaming at each other on a beach while my brain kept replacin
NATHANIELSlowly, Betty turns to me, her eyes widening.“Is that them?”I hesitate for just a second, then quickly move toward the phone and unlock it.Unknown number. My stomach knots.“Welcome to New York, Mr. Blackwell. As you can see, we have your cousin. If you want to see him alive again, come to this location. Alone. I do not need to remind you what happens if you don’t.”A location pin follows beneath it.I stare at the message for two full seconds before lifting my head toward Betty. She is already standing right in front of me, breathing so hard I can hear it.“It’s them,” I mutter, as I turn the screen toward her.Her lips part, her eyes moving across the text.“Oh my God!”She grabs the phone from my hand and walks toward the far end of the suite, reading the message over and over again like if she stares at it long enough, the words will somehow rearrange themselves into something less horrifying.I watch panic slowly consume her from across the room as her breathing grow
NATHANIEL.I have been watching her spiral for the last thirty minutes, and I am quickly realizing there is no right way to calm a woman who thinks the man she loves might be bleeding somewhere in this city while we stand here doing nothing.Every attempt I make only seems to make things worse.The first time, she looked at me like she wanted to stab me with the lamp sitting beside the bed.The second time, she waved her hand in my direction and told me to get the hell away from her.So I did.I’ve kept my distance and let her pace across the hotel suite while I sit at the edge of the bed watching helplessly, hoping she would eventually exhaust herself enough for us to have an actual conversation without yelling, accusations, or one of us saying something unforgivable.Though judging by the way she keeps dragging both hands through her hair every few seconds, I am beginning to think that hope might have been a little too ambitious.This is exactly what I had been trying to avoid ever
BETTYNathaniel is sitting at the far end of the back seat, his body angled toward the window while his hand remains wrapped around his phone so tightly that his knuckles are beginning to pale beneath the strain.He looks trapped somewhere deep inside his own head. And it has been that way since I woke up from my nap on the plane.The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was warmth. Which immediately confused me because I distinctly remember freezing before I fell asleep.Then I noticed the pillow tucked carefully beneath my head, and the fleece blanket covering me from my chest down to my legs.I sat up so fast my neck almost protested.“What in the...” I whispered to myself, blinking against the dim cabin lights because for a second, I genuinely wondered whether I somehow did all that in my sleep.Then I remembered the laptop that had been balanced on my lap before I drifted off, and my eyes darted around the cabin immediately until I spotted it resting beside me instead.Clo
NATHANIELThe cabin is quiet now except for the engines humming beneath us and the occasional shift of turbulence against the walls.I stare out through the oval window beside me, watching nothing except darkness stretching endlessly beyond the plane.New York is almost beneath us now.And despite everything happening tonight, despite Rhys missing and the growing feeling in my gut that something is terribly wrong, my eyes keep drifting toward the exact thing I have been trying hardest not to look at.Betty.At some point during the flight, exhaustion must have finally dragged her under because her head rests awkwardly against the window while strands of dark hair spill across the seat around her like ink spreading over silk.Her laptop is balanced on her thighs, tilting dangerously every few seconds whenever the plane shifts slightly, and from the way she has not even noticed, she must be sleeping deeply.I watch her quietly for a moment longer than I probably should.The warm cabin l
Hi my beautiful readers 🤍 I know I’ve been quiet for the last two days, and I wanted to thank you for your patience and kindness. The holidays asked me to slow down for a moment, but I never stopped thinking about this story or about you. I promise to resume posting two chapters a day starting
BETTYI stare at the black gown draped over my body, and I nod. It’s simple and elegant. The kind of dress that whispers rather than shouts.I chose it because I don’t want to stand out tonight, mainly because Rhys seems to command every room he walks into.My stomach twists with nerves, but undern
BETTYThe Virnkirk’s really do know how to throw a party.Every corner of this house hums with quiet wealth, soft jazz, expensive laughter, and glasses chiming like silver bells.I look around and recognize more faces than I expect to. Most of them are always on Harriette’s guest list and part of he
BETTYI shift in my seat, heat flooding my cheeks, embarrassment prickling under my skin, and I glance at Grace, praying she’s not paying attention.Luckily, she’s busy playing with the ribbon on her dress, humming softly to herself, blissfully unaware of the tension wrapping the room like a storm c







