جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

The road ahead stretches long and quiet as I navigate through the evening traffic, the gentle hum of the engine filling the car.The sky is already changing hues, with warm orange slowly fading into dusky purple. Streetlights flicker on one by one as the city gradually settles into night.I relax my grip on the steering wheel and exhale slowly.Today has been such a long, and tiring day.Shopping alone with Nora felt like a full day's work. By the time we finished, my mind was already yearning for some peace.Then there was Nathaniel, whom I needed to visit. I did go see him right after our shopping trip.My fingers tighten slightly around the steering wheel.We talked about a few things. Nothing out of the ordinary at first, just the usual conversations that seem to arise whenever we meet.But then, out of nowhere he looked at my hands. "Is your phone okay?" he had asked. He started asking if it was broken or if it needed a fix or if I wanted a brand new one. Blah blah blah.I frown

SlADE'S POV::The night outside my house has a serene calm that suggests the city is merely pretending to be asleep. I step out onto the driveway, putting on my jacket as I walk toward my car, the cool air gently hitting my face. Today is Saturday, a day of rest for some, but certainly not for me. It has been a long day, though not in an exhausting sense—just the usual mix of meetings, decisions, and the occasional reminder to certain individuals that my patience isn’t infinite. Still, nothing dramatic happened, and there’s nothing that couldn’t wait until tomorrow.My phone vibrates just as I reach the driver’s door.It’s Rafe. Of course it's no one else but him again.I answer before even getting into the car. “The club better be on fire,” I say dryly.His laugh cracks through the speaker. “Relax, boss. Nothing serious is happening. At least not yet.”I pull the door open, pausing with the phone still against my ear. “Then why exactly are you dragging me out tonight?”“Because yo

The drive to Meeka’s place is even quieter than the night itself.She’s slumped in the passenger seat, buried in the jacket I practically forced onto her the second she stopped shaking enough to walk. Her hands are tucked deep into the sleeves, like she’s trying to disappear inside the fabric. Since we left that stretch of road, she hasn’t said a word, just the occasional, shaky hitch in her breath.I keep catching myself looking over at her. She’s staring out the window, but her eyes are vacant, which is probably for the best. Because if she had any idea what’s actually running through my head right now, she’d probably beg me to turn the car around just to keep me from hunting Pierce down tonight.Unfortunately for him, the night isn't over yet.When we pull up to her house a few minutes later and the engine cuts out, neither of us moves. The silence settles over us until she finally lets out a long, heavy exhale, like she’s only just remembering how to breathe.“I’m sorry,” she whi

"Meeka."Hearing my real name stops me in my tracks.Even though I’m still angry with him, I dislike that he called me that. I wish he understood just how much I’ve come to hate it when he uses my name instead of the other one he calls me, and hearing it now only tightens something in my chest.I let out a quiet sigh and turn back to him.His expression has shifted; the annoyance is gone. Now he looks serious and focused.“You had just fallen asleep, Meeka,” he says calmly. “You were exhausted. I checked your phone, noticed the monitoring connection, and turned it off.”“Not turned it off,” I automatically correct him, recalling what he said earlier. “You mentioned you didn’t disconnect it.”“Yes. Because if I had,” he replies evenly, “Nathaniel would’ve known immediately that someone had tampered with it.”I blink at him, falling silent for a moment.Right.That… actually makes sense.He continues in the same steady tone. “Not that I was afraid of him finding out. But I chose a smart

The line clicks dead. I set the receiver back slowly, letting my fingers linger on the plastic for a heartbeat before pulling away. My little brother's here to see me.A dry chuckle escapes my. lips. I lean back, stretching my arms out like someone who just settled into a front-row seat at the theater. Right on time. I glance at the door, then down at the reports on my desk. I don't touch them. There’s no point in pretending to work now.A few seconds later, there’s a knock on the door. And unlike Rafe, this one actually waits for permission.I don’t give it immediately. I let the silence hang, stretching it until it’s thin enough to snap. “Come in.” I finally say in a very calm tone.The door swings open and Nathaniel steps inside. He walks like he owns the air he breathes. He's in his perfect suit, with the usual controlled expression, not a single hair out of place. If composure were a person, it would be him. My brother.My eyes trail over him before I shift in my chair. “Natha