บททั้งหมดของ Erased Vows: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 19

I had just gotten home when the rain began again. It felt like a reminder of the kiss. It was past midnight when the knock came. I jolted up from the couch, my heartbeat pounding in the silence of my small apartment. I have been living with my mind on edge ever since the break-in. I hadn’t been expecting anyone, especially not this late. The rain had stopped an hour ago, leaving the streets wet and shiny. The faint light from Chicago City cracked through my window. Another knock. Firmer. Slower. Intentionally hesitant. I strolled toward the door in my socks, my robe loosely tied over my nightshirt. When I peeked through the peephole, my breath caught in my throat. Liam. He stood there, slightly swaying, one hand in the pocket of his slacks, the other brushing back damp strands of his hair. His suit jacket was missing, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, and his tie crooked and loosened. He looked like an unstable man but still beautiful in the most dangerous way. He looked dr

I sat down calmly at the diner while I listened to the faint hum of the light jazz song filling the background. The notes drifted lazily through the air, mixing with the clinking sounds of cutlery and the low murmur of distant conversations. It isn’t a fancy diner, no dazzling chandelier hanging in the center or marble countertop top but it is just the perfect place to have a meeting you want no one to find out about. My feet tap lightly on the tiled floor betraying the nerves I am trying to keep low and thankfully the dim light did justice in covering the nervousness on my face. A soft chime from the doorbell indicating someone had just entered the diner dragged my attention. And then a large smile covers my face when I saw her. I looked up, and the moment I saw her, my lips stretched out a smile I haven't worn in years. Aunt Natty. I stood up raising an eager wave to catch her attention. She stops mid-step, her eyes locking on me. Not much has changed about Aunt Natty in the l

My phone buzzes on the kitchen table, Aunt Natty’s name glowing against the dim morning light. She’s not just my godmother, she’s the closest thing I’ve got to family. I grab it quickly, my heart already pounding.“Aunt, what did you find?” I ask, pacing the tiny kitchen, the smell of coffee grounding me.“Elsie, honey, hold still because this is a shocker,” she says, her voice sharp with that fire I’ve always loved. “I got Clara in records to pull Liam’s file again. It isn’t good. Dr. McMillian, the slick neurologist who signed his release.”There was a pause“But there’s no medication listed. None. No painkillers, no anti-seizure meds, nothing. For a man in a coma for three weeks? That’s not a slip-up. That’s suspicious.” She continued.My stomach twists. Last week when I told her about McMillian resigning, I saw the suspicion spark in her eyes. She knows the hospital better than anyone, and just his name set her off. “You think he was hiding something?” I whisper, my grip on the ph

I sat frozen on the edge of the bed, the phone’s glow burning my eyes, that message scarred into my brain. *Stay away from Liam or you’ll end up like your mom.* My hands shook, the air too thick to breathe. The sea roared outside, mocking me with its endless waves. My mom’s death was sharp, sudden, and a house fire they called an accident had always felt wrong, like a puzzle with missing pieces. Now someone was tying it to Liam, to us, and the threat felt like a blade at my throat. I wanted to scream, to call Aunt Natty, to run to Liam’s room and beg him to remember me. But I just sat there, heart pounding, the world tilting under me. Should I tell Liam about the threats? But how do I explain all these? A soft knock at the door snapped me out of it. My breath caught, pulse spiking. It was midnight and nobody should be here. The phone slipped from my hand, landing on the sheets. I stood, legs shaky, and crept to the door, the marble floor cold under my bare feet. “Who’