Lahat ng Kabanata ng Troubled Heart: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Thick, blinding snow whipped across the highway, turning the landscape into swirling chaos. I barely blinked, my focus fixed on the road ahead. The biting wind howled outside, but determination surged within me. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the wheel, pushing through the storm. The engine purred beneath me, a steady reminder of my resolve with each turn of the tires on the icy asphalt. Next to me, the flash drive in the console felt alive, pulsating with energy. It contained everything I needed to dismantle Stacey Sherbourn’s empire—a foundation built on deceit. Inside were damning emails, revealing agreements, and hidden financial transfers that exposed her greed. These weren’t just documents; they were weapons poised to ruin her and shatter her carefully crafted image. The weight of their implications was palpable in the small space between us. Pockets, my loyal companion, stretched beside me before flopping back onto his blanket, blissfully unaware of the danger ahead. Hi

The first thing I felt was warmth. A heavy, comforting weight pressed against my side, radiating heat that contrasted sharply with the last thing I remembered—the bone-deep cold of the storm, the blinding snow, the moment my tires lost control.I wasn’t in my car anymore.My eyelids were heavy, but I forced them open as consciousness clawed its way back. The ceiling was unfamiliar. There were wooden beams. There was a soft, flickering light. It was not my apartment, not a hospital. Not anywhere I recognized.I inhaled, my chest aching with the movement. Firewood. Tea. Something faintly herbal, clean. Not the sterile scent of antiseptic. This wasn’t a medical facility.Something shifted against me, and I turned my head, wincing at the sharp throb that flared at my temple.Pockets.His tiny, fluffy corgi-sized body was curled against me, his fur warm beneath my fingers as I instinctively reached for him. His breathing was soft but quick, his little chest rising and falling in short, une

Sunlight seeped through the curtains, warming my skin as consciousness gradually returned. The dull ache in my ribs greeted me immediately—a lingering reminder of how close I’d come to disaster. Slowly, I pushed myself upright, careful not to aggravate my injuries, my eyes adjusting to the cozy bedroom around me.Pockets lifted his head, ears perking up as I stirred. He wagged his tail sleepily as if reassuring me everything was fine now. I smiled softly, scratching behind his ears. At least one of us had slept peacefully.The woman—my mysterious rescuer—had promised to go back out into the storm and retrieve my things. Had she really braved the blizzard for me, a stranger she’d found crumpled in a wrecked car? Doubt twisted inside me. Growing up surrounded by politicians taught me how empty promises could be. I needed proof.Taking a steadying breath, I slipped my feet onto the cold floor, standing slowly to test my strength. The pain was manageable, and as I wrapped myself in the wa

The darkness wrapped around us like a shroud, sudden and suffocating. I froze, heart pounding, blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the abrupt loss of light. Beside me, Lilac sucked in a sharp breath, her tension mirroring my own. Even Pockets whimpered softly, pressing against my legs, seeking comfort I wasn’t entirely sure I could offer. “Are you okay?” Lilac asked, her voice steady despite the tremor of uncertainty hidden within. “Yeah, just startled,” I admitted quietly. My fingers reached out instinctively, brushing unintentionally against the back of Lilac’s hand before quickly pulling away. “What happened?” “The power’s out,” she said matter-of-factly, though her tone carried an underlying thread of anxiety. “The storm must have knocked down the power line, and since my generator hasn’t kicked on, something likely happened to it too.” I forced myself to breathe steadily, the sudden chill seeping into the cabin now that the fire had vanished. “Do you have flashlights? Cand

The moment the emergency broadcast ended, the silence in the cabin thickened, pressing in from all sides. The wind howled outside, rattling against the walls like a living thing trying to get in, but inside, everything was still. Too still. Two to three days. My ribs ached as I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, my fingers gripping the fabric like a lifeline. A shiver—not from the cold, but from something deeper, more suffocating—crawled down my spine. The cabin walls seemed smaller than they had moments ago, the weight of my circumstances settling heavily on my chest. Breathe, Makayla. You’re not locked in. Except I was. I clenched my jaw, willing the panic to stay buried. This wasn’t the same as that wine cellar at the Frost estate. I wasn’t a scared little kid locked in the dark, waiting for someone to find me. There was light here, warmth. I wasn’t alone. The weight of Pockets against my hip grounded me. He sighed contentedly, completely oblivious to the storm ra