Library
Maghanap
Home / Mafia / THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA / The Seat She Saved For Me

Share

The Seat She Saved For Me

Author: Janina peters
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-07-16 23:01:10

MIA

I push myself on the swing but I can’t seem to find joy in the activity. Mabel beside me just sits still and kicks stones. We've been here for what feels like forever, and the rhythmic creak of the chains is the only sound heard in the park. It’s been a week—a week since Mom’s funeral, a week since our lives shifted permanently. I haven’t cried yet, and I can see that Mabel hasn’t either. It feels as though an invisible barrier has formed inside me, holding back waves of emotion that I know will eventually break free. But for now, we sit together in our silence, feeling the weight of our loss.

Mabel softly pushes off the ground, her tiny feet barely reaching the dusty earth. Her swing arcs gently. "Mia?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think Mom’s watching us now?"

I look up, squinting into the right expanse of the afternoon sky. The blue is almost blinding, impossibly clear. My throat tightens, a familiar ache. “Yes,” I manage, the word a little hoarse. “She p
Patuloy na basahin ang aklat na ito nang libre
I-scan ang code upang i-download ang App
Locked Chapter
Nakaraang Kabanata Susunod na kabanata

Pinakabagong kabanata

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "Just When The Light Returned"

    MIAThe last of my tears dried on my cheeks. My chest still heaves with the aftershocks of a breakdown, the kind that leaves you feeling hollowed out and empty. Aaron sits on the wooden porch stairs, his arms still wrapped around me, holding me close as I lean against his chest. He whispers in my ears. I barely hear what he’s saying but his voice soothes me.I tilt my head back, my gaze meeting his. His eyes, usually so intense and watchful, are softened with a mix of concern and tenderness. “Aaron,” I whisper, my voice hoarse from crying, “I’m so sorry. I… I yelled at you. When you were just trying to protect me.” The memory of my shouts and anger from a few hours ago burns my mind and I groan in embarrassment.He shushes me gently, a soft sound that vibrates against my ear. His fingers brush away a stray tear that had escaped. “Don’t apologize, Kitten,” he rumbles, his voice low and soothing. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. This is all my fault. I’m the one who dragged you into t

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    The Moment I Fell Apart

    MIAThe pieces click into place, a devastating, beautiful mosaic forming in my mind. The sudden, public breaking of the engagement. The way Aaron had looked at me, a desperate, hidden plea in his eyes that I hadn’t understood. He hadn’t been absent. He had been there all along, fighting for me in the only way he could, battling a force far darker than I could have imagined. He leaked the embezzlement info. He called off the marriage. All for me.A shaky breath escapes me. I have to find him. I clutch my phone, my fingers trembling slightly as I pull it from my pocket. Aaron’s name, already burned into my memory, practically leaps out at me from my contacts list.I have to call him. I have to call Aaron.I walk towards the front door, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet. My thumb hovers over his name, then presses down, initiating the call. I lift the phone to my ear, listening to the first hesitant ring, then the second.And then, I hear it. Not through the phone’s receiver, but

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    The Silence that Protected me

    MIAThe living room is a mess. An absolute mess. Cardboard boxes, stacked like houses of forgotten memories, surround me. Drew, stretched out on the rug, rummages through a box of old photos, a mischievous grin already playing on his lips. Joe and Mabel are out fishing, leaving us to look through my old stuff.“Oh my God, Mia,” Drew laughs, holding a faded picture. It’s me, maybe six years old, with the shortest bob cut ever and a huge frown. “What is that? Are you trying to pull off a serial killer vibe?”I roll my eyes, a well-practiced gesture. “And to think that I personally chose the hairstyle and regretted it seconds later.” I give him a playful shove with my foot. He grins, tossing the picture back into the box.I open another, the cardboard flaps protesting with a dry rustle. Inside, nestled beneath a layer of tissue paper, are stacks of familiar blue envelopes. My breath catches. These are Mom’s letters. Not the formal kind, but the random, spontaneous notes she’d write—somet

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    The Seat She Saved For Me

    MIAI push myself on the swing but I can’t seem to find joy in the activity. Mabel beside me just sits still and kicks stones. We've been here for what feels like forever, and the rhythmic creak of the chains is the only sound heard in the park. It’s been a week—a week since Mom’s funeral, a week since our lives shifted permanently. I haven’t cried yet, and I can see that Mabel hasn’t either. It feels as though an invisible barrier has formed inside me, holding back waves of emotion that I know will eventually break free. But for now, we sit together in our silence, feeling the weight of our loss.Mabel softly pushes off the ground, her tiny feet barely reaching the dusty earth. Her swing arcs gently. "Mia?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think Mom’s watching us now?"I look up, squinting into the right expanse of the afternoon sky. The blue is almost blinding, impossibly clear. My throat tightens, a familiar ache. “Yes,” I manage, the word a little hoarse. “She p

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    Velvet Seats and Loaded Smiles

    NATALIEThe noise of the city greets me and suddenly I’m missing the quietness of Texas. People are everywhere here, barely any breathing space.My mind drifts to Reese. I wonder if he will be up for one of our mini smoking sessions. He has a good stash. I shake the thoughts from my head. I can’t deal with him right now. Not today. Today, I push the thought away, a sour taste on my tongue. I need distance and time to think even if it’s just for a moment. Instead, my feet carry me in the opposite direction, away from the docks, towards the neon glow of a supermarket. One thing I do need, consistently, is a fresh pack of cigarettes. I reach the checkout, a pack of my favorite brand clutched in my hand. The cashier, a tired-looking young woman, scans the pack, her eyes glazed over. I pay, the crinkle of the bills a small, satisfying sound. The plastic bag feels light in my hand as I push through the automatic doors, stepping back out into the cool evening air. The city noises assault me

  • THE HOSTAGE'S DILEMMA    "When Power Steps Out of the Shadows"

    NATALIE Mia and I finally part ways and I inform her I’ll be leaving for New York soon. She thanks me again before heading into her house. It’s quiet here, too quiet, very different from the constant noise of New York. My phone vibrates, a jarring sound in the stillness. I pull it from my pocket, glancing at the screen. Reese. My stomach clenches, a familiar mix of annoyance and curiosity. He’s probably calling for our usual meet-up, a ritual that involves cheap whiskey and even cheaper drugs, a momentary escape from reality. I answer, bringing the phone to my ear, already formulating my excuse.“Hey, Reese,” I say, cutting him off before he can even utter a word. “Look, I’m in Texas. Yeah, Texas, believe it or not. So our usual… thing… is a no-go for a while.” Reese’s voice cuts through the line, sharp and devoid of his usual laid-back drawl. “Shut up, Natalie. Listen to me.” His tone is harsh as usual, slicing through my pretense of nonchalance. My eyes narrow, a flicker of irrita

Higit pang Kabanata

Maaari mong magustuhan

Galugarin at basahin ang magagandang nobela
Libreng basahin ang magagandang nobela sa GoodNovel app. I-download ang mga librong gusto mo at basahin kahit saan at anumang oras.
Libreng basahin ang mga aklat sa app
I-scan ang code para mabasa sa App
DMCA.com Protection Status