LOGINJulianI could tell she was desperate to speak to me. I deliberately acted as though I hadn't noticed, but I saw every attempt because I wanted her to need me.For three days, she had lingered at the edges of every room, finding excuses to walk past wherever I was. She always paused a little too long before turning away whenever I failed to acknowledge her.I made sure to keep my distance.Every morning, I took Leo to breakfast myself. I asked about his dreams, his favorite cartoons, or whatever happened to be on his mind, giving him my full attention while Evelyn sat across the table receiving nothing more than a polite nod."Uncle Julian, do you want to see my drawing?" Leo asked one morning, sliding a sheet of paper across the table."Show me everything," I replied, leaning forward.Evelyn watched us quietly, saying nothing.Neither did I.The separate room had been intentional. The staff had been briefed before she even arrived, and I knew exactly what that small detail would do t
SerenaI needed to reach Frank somehow. Sitting in that house with nothing to occupy my hands was becoming unbearable, especially knowing Evelyn was still out there breathing.It had been almost a week."So Julian still hasn't brought her to me," I muttered to the empty room as I paced the length of the sitting room. "A whole week, and I'm supposed to sit here waiting for everything to fall into place so I can finally get my life back?"I needed something to keep myself busy.I began searching through the cabinets in the study, opening one drawer after another. I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I simply needed something to do.That was when I found a folder tucked against the back of the bottom drawer.I pulled it out and opened it.Inside were documents, photographs, and an investigation report with a name printed clearly across the top.Leo Hart.I lowered myself onto the chair and turned the pages slowly.There were photographs of a little boy, paperwork comparing date
CharlieI didn't know why it had taken me this long to notice it.Even if it would cost the last drop of my blood, I would make sure Evelyn and my child were safe, I would make right every wrong and every hurt I created with Serena, no matter what it took."I'll get her somewhere safe, no matter what," I murmured, scrolling through my contacts.I called the first Airbnb that came to mind. I had used it before for visiting executives. It was quiet, private, and usually available."I'm sorry, sir," the woman on the phone apologized. "We're fully booked for the next three weeks."I called another."Fully booked, sir."The third gave me exactly the same answer.I dropped the phone onto the dashboard and covered my face with both hands.Every closed door felt like Serena getting one step closer.A hotel wasn't an option. Anyone with enough determination and enough money could find out which room Evelyn was staying in. Security only went so far, and Serena had already proven she was willing
Evelyn I had finally conquered my fear and called him. For a moment, I feared his rejection more than anything else. But he had come. Now all I had to do was be ready. I moved through the house with Amanda close behind me, checking every room to make sure everything that needed to stay remained in place while everything coming with us was packed and accounted for. "Is Leo's bag ready?" I asked. "Yes, ma'am. I packed it last night," she answered. "His medication?" "It's in the front pocket." "My documents? The red folder?" "In your carry bag, ma'am. Left-side zip." I stopped in the hallway and turned to her. "Amanda, are you certain everything is there?" She nodded without hesitation. "Everything is in order, ma'am." Satisfied, I walked to the front door and called for the head security guard. He appeared within seconds. "Ma'am?" "I'm going to be away for some time," I explained. "I need you and your team to remain on this property. I don't want the house sitting empty.
Julian It had been a few days since I called her. I had waited and waited, but my patience was beginning to wear thin. I needed to get this over with. I sat at my desk, staring at my phone. For the fourth time that morning, I told myself I wasn't going to call her. The plan depended on her coming to me. Desperation only worked when the other person was the desperate one. Three days of silence, however, was beginning to feel less like strategy and more like defeat. I picked up my phone, then set it back down. "Has she left the city?" I muttered. I pulled my laptop closer, opened a browser, and typed her name into the search bar. It was a habit born from equal parts paranoia and restlessness. The results were exactly the same as they had been two days earlier. Nothing new, no sightings, no public announcements. Just old articles about Hart-Willy, coverage of the gala, and a brief report on the warehouse incident that identified her as the victim without revealing where she was.
Serena Everything was starting to fall into place. I just needed to make Frank believe I was completely committed to him and would never turn against him. Three days in this house, and the walls already felt like they were closing in. I woke that morning with a headache and a craving for juice and cookies. I opened my mouth to call for someone, then stopped. There was nobody to call. No staff, no housekeeper, nobody. Just me, four walls, and the unsettling silence of a house that had never truly been lived in. "Are you serious?" I muttered, pushing myself off the couch and heading for the kitchen. "I'm a fugitive, and I can't even get someone to bring me a glass of juice. This is what my life has become." I found the juice in the refrigerator and the cookies in the cabinet above the counter. Carrying them back to the sitting room, I dropped onto the couch with all the frustration of a woman deeply offended by her own circumstances. I switched on the television. My face filled
CharlieI could not believe it, I was either hearing things or Evelyn was standing on that stage reading my idea out for the whole world to see.I sat completely still in my seat while my mind ran the same calculation three times and arrived at the same answer each time, and the answer was that the
EvelynFinally, the day that I would make a public show out of Charlie and his company."You are doing that thing again," Julian said from across the breakfast table.I looked up. "What thing.""The thing where you stare at nothing and your jaw goes tight," he replied, reaching across and pushing m
Charlie I decided to work from home, taking the advantage to prepare well for the event since it was only hours away now. "Run it again," I told Davies through the screen, leaning back in my chair, "from the infrastructure segment, and this time do not rush the transition into the projections, y
Evelyn"Did you see his face," Julian murmured beside me, and I pressed my fingers over my mouth because the laugh that was building behind it was not the kind appropriate for a room full of investors and business executives."I saw it," I replied, keeping my eyes forward and my expression composed







