MeredithI watched them take Mariana away like she was a stray dog who wandered into the wrong house. All the drama I had tried to avoid since I arrived in Italy was served before me on a platter of gold. I wished I could tell her that I had nothing to do with her man. Yes, Fabian might be hell-bent on trying to make me feel something for him, but I was controlling myself with the last emotion I had left to give.I wanted her to know how annoying her man was, but I had no choice but to stick with him because the truth I had been seeking all along was tied to my composure. I was nothing but a witness to a crime, and that singular act has been ruining my life since day one. I still had my hands in my face. The sting of that slap was still there, and tears formed at the sides of my eyes. I never expected Fabian to stand for me; I didn't want him to. As much as I pitied her, I wanted to retaliate because the rage was burning inside me. I wanted her to feel the pain she had inflicted on me

MeredithThe previous day flew by very fast. These days, it seemed that the days just blurred together, making me forget the horror of the previous day, which was terrifying. There was nothing to do but sink yourself into every memory. I was able to speak to Jayden, and we sorted the differences aside. He was going to school at Columbia, which was strange because I had always thought he would choose NYU. Inkee wasn't telling me that he had to change his decision that quickly.Every time we speak on the phone, there is a certain sadness that clogs my chest. I knew change was coming, and life was happening to me pretty fast. Faster than I imagined. It feels like I was forgetting him; the image of him I have in my head was fading away pretty fast. It made me wonder if it was happening to him too. Was our friendship going to fade until we became strangers? Was it going to be that bad?It was going to take time for me to get used to the idea that I might not be in every picture of his life

MeredithI couldn't think straight anymore.I held onto the file that the FBI put together. I went through the file over and over, looking for clues that this might not be true. I wanted to swim in the pool of denial,just as I have been these past few months. Mom held on to the truth about Nolan, but I knew why she didn't talk about it. It was depressing to find out what your son was into for years, and we didn't suspect a thing. He was loving and always around when we needed him; it made all of it shocking to me.I saw the pictures and the slides, holding onto the image on the picture. Maybe digging this out was a bad choice. Maybe I should have let sleeping dogs lie and not entered to dig up the past. There was no tangible evidence that Fabian might be involved. From the way he knew a lot of things about me, it was certain that he had had connections with me in the past or that his guys were just good at digging up people's lives.I couldn't sleep because the rough images came to li

Meredith.I became more nervous than I was. I had to play cool, but I didn't know how long I was going to pretend to be this man. He was too smart; he saw everything. I couldn't believe that he was still snooping under my nose even after I tried to ignore him.These past few days have been heavy for me, and he wasn't even seeing how much I needed to be alone; instead, he looked for ways to hover around me and breathe down my neck. I couldn't take it anymore.Sometimes I wonder what it was like to actually avoid him without the pictures of those agents. Would he still be a problem for me? These questions couldn't stop buzzing in my mind. It was like a concert there, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it. It was only going to haunt me in the back all over again. I didn't know Fabian was the ambassador for this school. No wonder he comes and goes as he pleases. I should have known that he was one of the school's managers, and if things were going wrong with the student, the news would g

Meredith.I was shocked, as the slap I had just received stung hard on my cheeks. I made no complaints as the guards carried me to the SUV just outside the building. Nothing made sense after this; my hands were still glued to my face as I relived the moment over and over. I didn't see him as the kind of man who would raise his hands to a woman. I have underestimated him. The first one was how he made it clear that I was nothing but a puppet he could control; now I'm just here to do his bidding. If I refused to adhere to his rules, I would certainly be punished for it.I'm screwed!!!I told myself this over and over until every fibre of my being believed it. I was angry; yes, hatred had developed over time. I should have known not to let my emotions cloud my judgement. I should have kept a low profile; I shouldn't have come to these events. No matter how much I wanted to be close to him, I knew it was futile.A slap across my face was a sign that he wasn't a soft person. He might be ki