All Chapters of Broken Then Desired : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Ayden's POV The night was pitch black outside. I mean really dark. I knew I was way past the time my dad likes me to be home. When I finally pulled my car into the driveway and walked through the front door, he was waiting for me. Just like I knew he would be. He always waits up when I'm late, just so he can yell at me. The house was quiet, too quiet, and I could feel his anger from the doorway. He sat in his big chair, legs crossed, eyes fixed on me as I came in. His face was like a stone. But honestly, his stupid rules were the last thing on my mind these days. I had bigger things to worry about. I tried to ignore him. I walked right toward the staircase, hoping he would just let me go to my room without a fight. But no such luck. His eyes followed me across the room, and I could feel them burning into my back. His cold voice stopped me in my tracks. "Ayden." I froze. I didn't turn around. Maybe if I pretended I didn't hear him... Maybe he would just let it go this one time.

Jack Cole's POV I walked into the big room where the meeting was happening. It was a very large room with bright lights on the ceiling. The lights made everything look clear and sharp. The room was full of noise. It was the sound of many people all talking at the same time. It was the sound of people moving around in their chairs. It was the sound of cameras being turned on and tested. Reporters and people with cameras were everywhere. They were all pushed together. They were all trying to get to the front of the room. They all wanted to see the two mayors. They all wanted to hear about the new plan. This plan was for a big new road between our state and the next state. This project had been in the newspapers and on television for many months. Everyone knew about it. Everyone was watching to see what would happen today. All eyes were on this room. I looked across the room and saw him. The other mayor was already there. He was not on the stage yet. He was standing with his group of

POV: Scarlett Today was a long day. A terribly long one. School was boring. The teacher’s voice was like a fly buzzing in my ear. I could not focus on any of the words. My mind was somewhere else. Jaxon is still at the hospital.Finally I came home to a house that was too big and too quiet. Victor was not here. Of course, he was not here. Where does he go in the evenings these days? He leaves home for God knows where. He does not tell me. He just disappears after dinner, leaving me alone with the silence. And for the third night in a row, I had dinner alone. I sat at the long, wooden table. My plate was full of good food, but it tasted like nothing. The only sound was my fork clicking against the plate. It was a lonely sound. A sad sound. After I forced the food down, I felt cranky. A helpless anger was crawling under my skin, down my scalp. I did not know why I was so mad. I just was. I tried to make the feeling go away. I put on loud music. The bass thumped through the floo

POV: Victor The world came back to me in pieces immediately I heard the knock Then, like a bucket of ice water, reality washed over me. What had I done?, what was I about to do? I was twice her age. She had my last name, for God’s sake. I moved, pulling away from her. and it felt like a loss. “Scarlett,” I said, my voice rough. It was hard to get the words out. “I… I am sorry.” The moment the apology left my mouth, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. I saw the change in her instantly. The soft, sleepy look in her eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of hurt, then a storm of anger. She sat up, the sheets pooling around her waist. “Okay” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Scarlett—” “It's alright, there's a knock at the door!” This time, her voice was slightly raised. She grabbed the thick pillow from beside her and hurled it at me with all her strength. I was already moving, stepping out of the room and pulling the door shut. The pillow hit the closed door w

POV: Ayden My lungs burned like fire as I finally reached the house where the party was. I had run the whole way, not stopping once. I burst through the front door, and the wall of sound and heat hit me like a physical thing. The music was so loud I could feel it in my teeth, pounding through my whole body. My heart was trying to punch its way out of my chest, and I was breathing so hard I thought my lungs would burst. I didn’t care about any of that. I had to find her. My eyes scanned the crowded room, moving fast over every face. So many people. So many bodies pressed together, dancing under the crazy strobe lights that made everything look like a broken movie. They were all laughing, drinking, shouting to be heard. They were living in a happy world where a missing girl didn’t matter, where my panic was just noise. I pushed my way through them, not saying sorry when I bumped into people. My head whipped left and right, searching. “Emily?” I yelled, but my voice was a tiny thing,