ANMELDENMARY'S POV:His large palm pressed gently against my upper shoulder. "You need to stay out here and take good care of yourself," he said softly, his deep voice sounding private and quiet. "I will go inside and check on Hotch by myself. If you walk in there right now while the female nurses are helping him change out of his messy clothes, it is going to be far too awkward for him, and that certainly will not help his body recover any faster."Then Marl deliberately turned his head and raised his voice, making sure every single word was crystal clear for Alistair to hear."And make sure you pass a message along to the crazy person who ran Hotch down with his car. If you are planning to go inside that room to visit him, remember that you are there for a quick checkup, not a romantic date. Otherwise, he might get so furious that he decides to hit Hotch again... or maybe even try to run over the two of us at the same time."Alistair looked completely furious. His face went bright red,
MARY'S POV:His mouth opened wide, then snapped shut, then opened up again. Not a single sound came out of his throat. He looked just like a fish washed up on the grass gasping for air, his pale face cycling through a whole series of different emotions, total confusion, deep anger, and complete disbelief. The bright red handprint from where I had slapped his cheek back in the driveway was still clearly visible on his skin, serving as a loud reminder of what had just happened. He looked as though he desperately wanted to argue back, but the right words simply would not come to his mind.Marl just stood there staring down at him with a mocking look, raising one dark eyebrow while his lips curved up into a faint, quiet smile. He looked as though he were patiently waiting to see what kind of foolish excuse Alistair would try to invent next, clearly enjoying the entire pathetic spectacle unfolding in front of us. The heavy silence stretched out between the two men, thick, awkward, and ex
MARY'S POV:The sudden shout echoed loudly through the quiet hospital corridor, sharp, furious, and full of total rage."What the hell do you two think you are doing?"I turned my head around instantly.Alistair was standing right at the far end of the hallway, his face flushed bright red with pure anger and his dark eyes blazing with fury. He was carrying Vesper tightly in his arms, holding her body cradled against his chest as if she were some kind of fragile, precious treasure that needed to be protected from the world. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, her face buried deep into his shoulder, completely hiding her expression from view. She looked small and helpless in his arms, the perfect picture of a weak, vulnerable woman in distress.Right behind them, a young hospital nurse was walking fast to keep up, her face completely flushed with frustration. Her blue uniform scrubs were rumpled, her messy hair was falling out of its tight bun, and her breath was coming
MARY'S POV:I raised one eyebrow at him. "And raising your prices actually gave you more free time to rest?""It did the exact opposite, actually," he chuckled softly. "Because they are paying such a ridiculously high price for my time, they feel even more entitled to hire me for every little problem. That kept happening until...""Until you started wearing a mask over your face?" I guessed with a small smile."Until I instituted a strict rule telling them that if they wanted me to show up in person, Hotch had to be standing right beside me."The two of us burst into a light laugh together. The cheerful sound echoed through the empty hospital corridor, feeling light, unexpected, and warm. For a brief moment, the suffocating weight of the night seemed to lift off my chest. I could feel the deep tension finally draining out of my tight neck muscles, and the sharp tightness in my ribs began to ease up.I looked up at his face, really taking him in for the first time all night. I no
MARY'S POV: My face went hot, a bright red blush spreading fast across my cheeks. I instantly let go of his jacket as if the fabric had burned my skin, my hand snapping right back down to my side. I could feel the hot blood rushing straight to my face, and I felt the sudden awkward tension fill up the tiny space between us. My heart was pounding hard against my ribs, my breathing coming out in short, shallow puffs. Marl stood there watching my nervous, frantic movements, slowly raising one dark eyebrow. There was zero judgment sitting in his dark eyes, and not a single trace of mockery on his face. He just watched me quietly, a subtle hint of amusement playing around the corners of his mouth. I felt deeply relieved that he did not burst out laughing at my awkward reaction or act offended by my touch. He could have easily cracked a mean joke at my expense, or he could have teased me to make me feel even more uncomfortable. But he did not do any of those things. He simply stood th
MARY'S POV:He had not lost his life on the street just because he chose to stand up and help me. The people who cared about me were not going to suffer permanent, tragic damage this time because of my mess...All the frantic strength that had been keeping my body upright for the past three hours vanished in a single instant.My legs went completely weak, my knees buckling beneath my weight like wet paper. The long hallway tilted sideways, the ceiling lights spinning in wild circles above my head. I was falling fast, my exhausted body completely giving out as the heavy strain of the entire night finally caught up with me all at once. I could feel the cold room air rushing past my cheeks, and I could see the hard floor coming up fast to hit me.Marl moved instantly, reaching out his long arms to catch me before I hit the ground.His strong arms wrapped firmly around my upper body, pulling my chest tight against his jacket. I felt the deep warmth of his body through his clothes, an
HANNAH’S POV: Thankfully. the traffic was merciful that evening. I arrived at Elijah’s office building earlier than expected, the sky painted in soft hues of gold as the sun began to set. I pulled into the parking lot, stepping out with excitement already fluttering in my chest. My phone rang ins
HANNAH'S POV:I sat with that."The name Mirada," Maya said carefully, "is in four languages on the trending lists right now and it's not the brand or the collection but the name itself. Mirada.”The name itself.I pressed the paper a little tighter in my hand."She is everywhere," I said quietly.
HANNAH'S POV: Elijah found me in the greenroom about twenty minutes after the show ended. He came through the door and looked at me across the room and there was a proud look on his face. "The twins?" I said into his shoulder. "With my parents. Safe and asleep and apparently Amelia had been tell
HANNAH'S POV:He was quiet for a moment. "I was angry," he said, with the calm specificity he always brought to his own feelings. "I did not say anything because I thought if I said something it was going to be something too big for school and I would get in trouble. So I did not say anything." A p







