Lahat ng Kabanata ng Obey me, Dean (Short Story ): Kabanata 81 - Kabanata 90

Author’s POV: Lucas didn't hesitate. The resolve solidified into action in a single, sharp breath. He snatched the trousers he'd tossed in the corner earlier, his hands patting down the fabric in a frantic search. He was looking for the slip of paper with the new number Perin had given him—the direct line to Wolfe for the day of the party. After a few agonizing seconds that stretched far too long, his fingers brushed against a folded edge in a back pocket. He pulled out the crumpled paper, his heart lurching with relief. Snatching up his phone, he frantically input the digits, his thumb stumbling over the keys. He held his breath, watching the screen as the call began to dial. *Ring ring…* *Ring ring…* “C’mon, c’mon,” he whispered, shaking the phone as if he could physically force the man to answer. Finally, a gruff, sleep-thickened voice grated through the line. “Who’s this?” “I-It’s Lucas, sir,” he blurted, already pacing a frantic path across the motel car

*AN HOUR BEFORE WOLFE ARRIVED* Aria’s POV: If there was one person I could trust with the seismic truth of my pregnancy, it was Ivy. So, I sent the text. I didn’t spell it out—some news requires a face-to-face—but I made it clear she needed to rush to the hospital. It was urgent. Typical Ivy, she arrived a frustrating six hours later, just as a nurse was finalizing my discharge at the reception desk. “Aria!” Her voice, full of relief, cut through the sterile air as she spotted me. “Ivy.” My smile was wide, a genuine burst of light in the clinical gloom, though my voice still carried the weight of my exhaustion. She hurried over and pulled me into a crushing, too-long hug. When she finally released me, her hands stayed on my arms, her eyes searching mine. “What the hell happened?” she asked, her gaze flicking to the cannula taped to my wrist. “It’s a long story,” I whispered. “But I’ll fill you in.” “You’d better,” she said, her smile returning before she hugged me

Aria’s POV: “I need your help,” I whispered, holding Ivy’s gaze, my own pleading and desperate. “Help with what?” she asked, her confusion deepening. “I need you to…” I cleared my throat, the words feeling dangerous even in a whisper. “Help me get some money. Enough to leave the city and start over.” “Girl,” she dragged the word out, followed by a short, disbelieving laugh. “What makes you think I have that kind of cash?” “I know you don’t,” I responded, my expression deadly serious. “Then why are you asking me?” she asked, her laugh fading into genuine bewilderment. “Because you have access to someone who does.” “Who?” “Dad.” Ivy let out another sharp laugh. “You know he’d never just give me that kind of money if I asked.” “I know,” I nodded, my voice dropping even lower, becoming a conspiratorial murmur. “I’m not asking you to ask him. I’m asking you to steal it from him.” “What?!” She took a quick step back, her voice rising before she caught herself, forc

Aria’s POV: The awkward silence in Kade’s car was almost deafening. Since I’d slid into the passenger seat, Kade hadn’t uttered a word. My attempts at conversation had died in the space between us, met with little more than a non-committal hum. I couldn't decipher the language of his silence. Was it anger? Disappointment? Or simply not knowing what to say? The rigid set of his jaw suggested a painful combination of all three. I had a slight feeling it was because I had told my sister the reason why I had passed out and didn’t tell him. But..he was the same person who told me I could take my time, the same person that told me I didn’t have to say anything if I didn’t want to. So why was he acting weird? Or was it something else? Giving up, I turned to the window. I stared out the window at the quiet, rainy streets. The bright streetlights blurred through the wet glass as the rain streaked down. I rubbed my arms, the chill from the air conditioning seeping into my bones

Author’s POV: Kade had expected to have more time. He’d been meaning to tell Aria about the impending visit from his parents who had just landed in Bellmere the night before. But in the chaos of the hospital and her recovery, the words had failed him. Unknown to him, greater bombs was about to detonate. Wolfe. Wolfe, armed with his address was cutting through the city streets. And across the city, Lancaster and Carlos were finalizing a scheme of their own, ensuring the hunt for Aria was closing in from all sides.. **AT LANCASTER’S HOUSE..** “So, what’s the plan for this party?” Carlos asked, swirling a glass of amber liquor as he eyed Lancaster from the opposite sofa. Lancaster didn’t look up, his attention locked on his phone screen—on the chat with the anonymous number that had sent the flyer. “I don’t know, man. The flyer just says ‘party till dawn.’ That’s it.” “So text the number,” Carlos shrugged, the gesture implying the solution was painfully simple. “A