MasukMARKSuddenly, Noelle became the only one with a working brain, and Vector and I didn’t have a choice but to listen to her.“What way is that?” Vector and I asked at the same time.“We should speak with Mona’s ex-husband,” Noelle stated firmly and confidently.And it just felt as though all the confidence I had in her died instantly. What did she mean by that?I stared at Vector, and it was the same time that he also stared at me. Vector didn’t also understand what Noelle was getting at. Apparently, we both expected more from Noelle, but her statement just seemed to make us disappointed.“Aren’t you going to ask why?” Noelle asked, staring at Vector and me.This was the first time that she was even looking at Vector since she walked into his living room some minutes ago.“Why?” I asked.“First of all, we will get to know if the Toronto tradition is true or Mona and her parents just made it up, and secondly, maybe we could find something to hold against her,” Noelle explained.The firs
MARKI thought that Noelle was going to change her mind when she heard that it was Vector’s apartment, but she didn’t, and so after the call, Vector and I sat in his living room and waited for Noelle.“You are lucky, Mark,” Vector told me.“How do you mean?” I asked hi,m.“Noelle actually agreed to come here just to help you; that’s something I never thought was ever going to happen,” Vector answered.Or was he merely bothered about having Noelle in his living room?As far as I knew, no man like to be intimidated in their own home, and Vector was already looking like he was dreading Noelle’s presence.“You said it yourself, Vector...she is doing this for her best friend and not me,” I corrected.“Yeah, you are right,” Vector said with a nod.And we stayed silent for a few seconds.“How did your dinner with Keisha’s parents go last evening?” I eventually asked.“I thought you would never ask, Mark,” Vector retorted.“Don’t push it and make me regret asking, Vector. Just answer the damn
MARK“Who do you have in mind?” I asked Vector because I couldn’t think of anyone I could trust.Vector already knew how sensitive and delicate this situation was, so he understood that he dared not step out of line.“Noelle,” Vector answered.I paused to think about it for a second.Noelle never came to mind, but thinking about how helpful she had been lately, it might not be a bad idea, and for Vector, who rarely got along well with Noelle to be mentioning her name, it meant that this was very serious.“Why Noelle?” I asked Vector, wanting to be sure that Vector and I were on the same page. “What has she got to do with this?” I asked further.“She is Alexa’s best friend,” Vector started.“And somehow, you think that she will take my side over Alexa’s happiness?” I asked.“You and I know that Noelle has been very helpful lately, and if you really think about it, you would realize that she is simply protecting her best friend’s happiness, and if getting married to you would give Alexa
MARKInstead of going to my company, I went to Vector’s apartment. I didn’t even bother calling him this time around because I didn’t want it to go to voicemail or to even get excuses from him.I also didn’t care whether or not he was still upset with me.When I got to his apartment, I knocked firmly and repeatedly until Vector opened the door. Thankfully, his car was packed in his garage, so I knew that he was home.“Jeez, Mark, do you want to tear down my door?” Vector asked as he opened the door.I brushed past him and walked into his living room.“If I have to, yes,” I responded tightly.“What is going on?” Vector asked me.He still looked sleepy and tired, but I really didn’t care. What was important right now was what I was dealing with, and I expected Vector to act with the same level of urgency.“Were you sleeping?” I asked Vector.“Yes, I was, Mark,” Vector answered. “It is still early in the morning,” he added.“No, it is not, and you shouldn’t still be in bed at this time,”
ALEXA“Hey, Alexa, I am stepping out,” Noelle told me, popping her head into my bedroom.It was still early, but I had already had a quick breakfast and freshened up.“Where are you off to?” I asked Noelle.She could tell the instant worry that appeared on my face. I still hadn’t forgotten that just the day before, she was abducted and Mark was running helter-skelter to get her out.I had told her Mark’s role in setting her free. I didn’t know what that would do, seeing that Noelle was already taking Mark’s side, but I just felt like she needed to know about it.“Relax, Alexa, I am fine,” Noelle told me, but I still didn’t feel good about Noelle going out on her own.“Let one of the cops go with you,” I suggested worriedly.“Nothing is going to happen to me and you need to stop worrying about me like I am a baby,” Noelle told me, but I didn’t listen to her.I got up from the chair I was sitting on.“Noelle, please,” I pleaded.But Noelle had this funny look on her face that I didn’t q
IVY“Couldn’t get some sleep, huh?” Jack asked me as soon as I strolled out of the only bedroom in the cabin, yawning as though I could swallow an elephant.“How did you know?” I asked him casually.But he wasn’t wrong, though.I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I kept thinking of the fact that everyone, especially Donald Shell and Doctor Lionel, knew that I was alive.They were the two enemies I was hiding away from, but now that they had found out, I had no doubt that they would look for me.“Were you spying on me?” I asked further, trying to get the thought of my mind, but of course, it was futile.I tried to do the same all night, but nothing worked.“Your eyes tell it all,” Jack simply responded.Indeed, he wasn’t a man who took jokes, and even though I knew that now, I just couldn’t stop teasing him and upsetting him in the process every now and then.“You are right; I couldn’t sleep,” I said, standing in front of the small kitchen.Then my nose caught a sniff of a pleasant aroma
MARK“You have been worried since we left Brent’s house, Mark,” Vector said. “What is the problem?” He asked me.But I just didn’t feel like talking.I was feeling like a complete piece of shit. How could I have forgotten my appointment with Alexa? Even as I asked the question, I already had the
ALEXAHe didn’t show up.And I felt like a fool, just sitting there and waiting for Mark Ronaldo to show up, and he didn’t. I ground my teeth in annoyance, my rage almost bursting out.By the time I checked my watch and saw that he was three hours late, I knew that he wasn’t going to show up again.
ALEXAFour hours later, I was still lamenting on the silly mistake I made, especially when I tried again to see if I could order the chocolate candies from the other city and they just weren’t responsive.It had dawned on me that Mark did not only fly them across cities to get to me, but he also us
MARK I was expecting that what happened at Donald’s office would have made it to the news by now, because knowing him, he was excellent at lying and manipulating situations to suit him, and that was the exact reason I went with Vector.But there was nothing like that.“Because the bastard knows he







