Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Last Time I Said Yes: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

It was way more than I imagined.The carnival was alive with bright lights, neon signs and a whole bunch of people. From the towering gaze of the Ferris wheel to the carousel horses, it all seemed magical.“Wow!” I marveled.Then something caught my attention. The smell of buttery popcorn and cinnamon pretzels amongst other fried food. It made my stomach growl.We passed a cotton candy stand and I found myself slowing down. “I’ve never tried that.” I mumbled.Mikhail stopped completely and made me bump into him. “Seriously?” he asked.I nodded before looking back at the vendor. “I’ve been on a strict diet for as long as I can remember.”Without a word he walked over to the cotton candy man and bought a blue colored one that was fluffy like a cloud. My eyes sparkled as I took it from him.“You can eat whatever you want now,” I closed my eyes and took a big bite and slowly savored the taste. “What do you think?”My brows scrunched a bit. “It feels weird, but sweet.” I wanted to give so

Mikhail PovThe doors to the shop slammed shut behind me. Trevor was leaning against a car with his arms folded, while John was seated, scrolling through his phone. I walked into my office and came back out with a laptop, which I dropped on John’s lap.“You only call me when you are in trouble Antonov. What is it this time?” John said with an amused tone.“Not trouble. A job.” I stated. “Someone snatched a girl from the carnival. I want every camera, every drone searching for her.”He snapped his fingers. “Ahh… so that’s why the big scary Russian man sounds like he’s about to murder someone. Alright, I’m on it.” Lines of code scrolled across the screen as he hacked into the street cams.John has always been like this… reliable. Hacking into cams, rigging car trackers, the internet is his plaything. He’s the only one I trust apart from Trevor. It’s been years since we last walked paths together. I settled into my business and he vanished into the shadows of cyberspace, but he was alway

Every step I took down the hall felt like descending into a deep black ocean, where its like, the deeper I went, the heavier my body became. The marble floors were perfectly polished that I could see the reflection of the chandeliers overhead, but they might as well been torches lighting up the way to my execution.When the dining room came into view, I stopped short. My parents were already seated with composure at the long rectangular table, and so was Harris. He had a wide grin on his face, smiling like he belonged here.I wanted to turn and run. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.“Alina,” my mother said as she stood up and walked my way. She swept across the room and wrapped me in a warm hug. “Oh, thank God. I was so worried.”I blinked a few times. Is this person really my mother? My mouth opened slightly but no words came.She smiled gently and ushered me to the table.“Come, sit. You need to eat.”She brought me to a chair that was directly opposite Harris. He raised his glass slightly

Alina Pov I hate this. I hate everything about this party. I don’t know a single soul in this room, and they were all here for me, or rather, the version of me my father wanted them to see. I was still locked in my room until this morning, when the key turned the lock I thought maybe, just maybe he’d come to speak to me like a father. Instead he stood in the doorway, perfectly composed and informed me of the party as if it was a business transaction. And now here I was, standing beside him in a dress I didn’t pick to wear, wearing jewelry I don’t want, presenting myself in front of people I don’t want to see. My father turned to look at me when he mentioned my name to the audience and I forced a smile on my face. “You will be on your best behavior.” Those were his words to me before he left my room this morning, leaving no room for discussion. “Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, and all those who’ve supported us… tonight, we raise a glass to the safe return of my daughter, Ali

Now we’ve been left alone.The music from the ongoing opera was like a low hum in the distance. Mikhail doesn’t speak right away, he simply stood there staring at the closed door. It takes him a few seconds before he finally turns fully towards me.His gaze made me look away instantly. My hands tighten around the folds of my dress until it creased.“Are you okay?” his question comes softly and unexpectedly. It was gentle, yet it cut through me like a knife. I wasn’t prepared to see him again, not here or ever.I shook my head continuously. “You shouldn’t be here,” I whispered.His reply was instant. “Neither should you.”That makes me turn to him at last, and his gaze soften when he saw my teary eyes. The tears clung stubbornly to my lashes and threatened to spill over. For a heartbeat neither of us made a move. The tension between us was heavy.He shifts his weight from one leg to the other. “I’ve come to take you back,” he said without hesitation. His voice was steady but there was