جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 120

[Vivienne]I’m pacing the room like crazy, having no idea what else to do. It’s as if my brain is on fire, and my feet need to keep moving. If not, I’ll go crazy for real. I shake my head.“Who would do such a thing? This… disgusting… act of… what? Ridiculing me? Hurting me? Demeaning me? What’s the motive here?”“Well, with the kind of comments coming in, it’s obvious whatever the motive was, they’ve certainly achieved it. And I can’t believe this post already has more than a million views and has been shared by another million. This is ridiculous.” She glares at the screen, still scrolling through social media to keep me updated.I turn to face her, anxious. “Are the comments still coming?”“Yes,” she sighs, running a hand through her hair. “And they’re getting worse. I’m so sorry, Viv. You don’t deserve this.”I know I don’t. In fact, no one deserves this. But that’s the question I need to answer: who would do such a thing? I have to find out the truth and put an end to this madnes

[Vivienne]I end the call and look back at Rosita.“What the hell is going on?” she asks, and I feel like she’s reading my exact thoughts. “Who took down the posts then?”“I have no idea,” I say, shaking my head, unable to solve this mystery that’s already giving me a headache. “It’s weird, though. My brother and Elijah could’ve made it go away, but they didn’t. They were too late. Someone else got to it first. But why? And who would go to such lengths to help me? It makes no sense.”“Well,” she shrugs, “the good thing is those stupid pictures are down, so I guess there’s nothing to worry about?”“I know, but still. Who would do that?”“Maybe someone realized they were fake and stopped it before it got too out of hand. I mean, there are still good people in the world, right? Not all of us are villains.”I wish I could believe that. But it’s too hard to accept that some stranger did this for me. It feels too far-fetched. “No. I think someone I know did this. And I want to know who that

[Vivienne]I blink a few times, trying to wrap my head around the scene before me.“Anna?”She’s sitting right there, slumped on the floor, her entire body shaking, loud sobs racking through her.I look around, trying to understand what the hell just happened. My gaze lands on the old man, now unconscious on the floor, and I realize how quickly everything unfolded.Somehow, I push myself off the floor and race to my bedroom for my phone. I call the guards and tell them everything. After they assure me they’ll be at my place as soon as possible, only then do I rush back out, only to find Anna now trying to pick the old man up. His lifeless hand slumps around her neck as she struggles to lift him, but she fails miserably against the man’s enormous size.She keeps stumbling but doesn’t give up, not even once.I have no choice but to help her. Despite my reluctance to be anywhere near him, I offer support from the other side, and together we manage to toss him onto the nearest couch.He l

[Vivienne]My eyes hurt like hell, but I keep them open, not wanting to fall asleep in front of the police officer.“So, let me get this clear,” the man says, not looking even remotely interested. “You’re here to report a missing person—someone I’ve already told you isn’t worth reporting?” he looks at Anna, frowning. “Listen. I get that you’re worried, but this is just a waste of time. I know your neighborhood like the back of my hand. No boy ever goes missing there. They just leave home because they don’t give a crap anymore.”“You’re wrong,” Anna’s voice cracks as she fights to hold back the tears. “Javier isn’t like that. He’s a good boy. He keeps his head down, never causes trouble.”“Well, that’s what every family thinks,” the officer grunts, shifting his bulging belly, which is spilling out from between the gaping buttons of his shirt. “That their kid’s the best. That they do nothing wrong. Then, boom—they’re thieves, or worse. Stealing, messing around for kicks.”“How can you s

[Vivienne]The next day, when I wake up, I wake up with a good feeling.I don’t know how to explain it, I just do. Even after one hell of a day yesterday—from going viral to almost being physically hurt—it all feels distant, like it happened eons ago, and therefore, doesn’t matter anymore.I shake myself out of my thoughts and get out of bed.An hour later, I’m ready to leave, planning to have breakfast at a nearby café. I grab my purse, lock the apartment, and take the elevator as soon as it arrives.It’s a five-minute walk, so I don’t bother calling Marcus. I take a slow stroll through the market, enjoying the morning rush. When I enter the café, the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee hits me in a way that makes my whole body vibrate.I smile to myself and slide into one of the empty booths. I’ll be having breakfast alone, but that’s fine. I need this calm and quiet after everything that’s been going on. I deserve some me-time.I grab a menu and skim through it, though I already kno