______...○ ○ ○ W I L L I A M ○ ○ ○ .Daniel had collapsed mid-flight, so we had no other option but to get Olivia's body back to New York. I saw the condition that Jackson was in. I saw the condition that Sarah was in.And I saw the denial that Harry was drowning in. So I had to be the one to handle it all. She was a friend. She was a very good friend, but more than that, she was a really good mother and a person. As much as I felt bad for everyone who lost her, Kelsey and Cassandra were the two people that I was the most worried about. Losing your mother left a gaping hole in your heart - so huge that no amount of time could ever completely fill it up. Of course, we would try to use some cheap wallpaper over the gaping hole, but as soon as someone even lightly leaned against it, all the pain, all the numbness, all the anger, the denial, and the depression returned with trifold intensity.I did not want to blame anyone but whatever this was had taken a life and
_______...○ ○ ○ J A C K S O N ○ ○ ○.William had always been my friend. In fact, he had always been more of a brother than he had ever been a friend. So when I set out to avenge the pain and suffering that my mother had gone through, of course he was ready to back me up. But he had told me one thing then, even before he met Olivia, that I was setting out to create another Lilith and maybe I should give it another thought. I didn't.And that was exactly why I was waiting for the authorities to do the DNA test on the unrecognisable body of my wife and the mother of my child. It was over. Everything was over. How the hell was I supposed to do this? How the hell was I supposed to take her lifeless body to our daughter? Her mother? I felt like I did not even deserve to shed the tears that wouldn't stop. I was trying my best to not dishonor her more than I already had by shedding these tears. Why was I doing it?It was not like she could see it.It was not like I could manipula
_____...○ ○ ○ S A R A H ○ ○ ○.I have always hated my own life. Too much expectations. Too much pressure.No life other than work. It has always been a mess of sorts. The only good thing in all of this? The only feeling of belonging and non-judgement? My best friend. And her precious child. My godchild. And now, she was in danger. And I was not able to do anything that would help her. “Can you stop doing that?” Harry asked. I looked over at him and raised a brow. William's attention also turned to us. “Do what?” I asked. “I am not doing anything.”“Yes, you are.” William and Harry said in unison. “You are stewing. You are beating yourself up for whatever that has been happening as if you are responsible for all of this.” William said. Harry looked over at him, seemingly impressed. William looked over at Jackson, who was seated beside the cab driver. He had a faraway look on his face as he fidgeted with his phone. “And he is doing the same.”“Well, he does have so
_____...○ ○ ○ J A C K S O N ○ ○ ○ .“Monkey has started asking about Olivia. I don't know what to tell her anymore. I told Daniel about it and he said that he will manage the situation there. But how long are we going to distract Monkey from what's going on? And even if we managed to deal with Monkey, how the hell are we going to keep all of this under wraps from Cassandra?” I guessed this was the longest words I had ever spoken to Sarah in a stretch. She used to be pretty cordial with me when Olivia and I first got married. She did crack a few jokes about me stealing her best friend from time to time but she was convinced that I was a good guy and I would take great care of her friend. But ever since the truth had come out, she had been nothing but cold. And she had every right to be. But the developments that I was seeing between her and William, I hoped that we would be able to put aside our differences as well. "It won't be long," Sarah replied. "We are going to find her
_____...○ ○ ○ S A R A H ○ ○ ○.I rubbed my eyes, trying to chase away the tears. I was tired, but more than that, I was scared. My best friend had been going through the worst in her life for the past few years, and I did not think that was fair. She had done nothing to deserve this."You okay?"I rubbed my eyes furiously before turning to face William, and I nodded. "I'm fine. I just don't know what to do right now.""We'll figure something out."He sounded weirdly comforting, and I did not think a day would come when William Harvey, out of all the people in the world, would be the one giving me words of comfort."Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked."Like what?" I countered."Like you’re finding it impossible that I could say something like this."He shrugged, and I mirrored his motion, shrugging right back."Well, it is kind of hard to believe that you could say something like this," I said, nodding to myself, satisfied with my explanation."Now you're just e
_____...○ ○ ○ J A C K S O N ○ ○ ○.“What kind of father are you, Daniel?” I growled into the phone. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this. Maybe I don’t even have the right. But this stupidity had dragged my wife into a crossfire she never should’ve been caught in, and that wasn’t okay with me."What on earth are you talking about, Jackson?" Daniel had the audacity to sound confused. "Is everything alright in Paris?"I gritted my teeth, and I could feel my blood boil. "You know that we are not in Paris," I told him. "You know that we are in California, and you kidnapped your own daughter. You got her kidnapped, and I know of this, and I am not going to let this off the hook."Daniel let out a humorless laugh, an almost maniacal one. He sounded like the villain of a movie - the kind who would rip your insides out if you messed with him."That's rich coming from you, Jackson Reign," he spoke in a very angry tone. "After all that you did to my daughter, you should be happy that I