All Chapters of Holding you close: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CHAPTER THIRTY TWOCALLUM'S POV It came from the nightstand—a sharp, mechanical buzz vibrating aggressively against the wood, sending a glass of water rattling against the lamp base.My phone was lighting up, the screen flashing a bright, harsh white in the dim room, standard alarm chime piercing through the silence to remind us that the rest of the world was still turning outside this bedroom.Ian stared at the glowing phone, his chest heaving as if he half-expected the sound to turn into another crisis. I let out a low, shaky exhale, wrapping one hand over his cold fingers where they still clutched my shirt."It's just my alarm, Ian," I said gently, reaching out with my free hand to tap the screen and kill the noise. "Just the phone.”The room fell back into a heavy, ringing quiet the moment the screen went dark.Ian didn't immediately let go. His hand was still locked into the fabric over my ribs, his knuckles white, his chest rising and falling in fast, shallow hitches. Even with

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR CALLUM'S POV Who could have sent that text to me?I took a quick glance at Ian. He sat completely rigid in the passenger seat, speechless, his eyes glued to the glowing screen resting on the console between us. I could practically hear the gears turning in his head, a thousand frantic questions forming behind his dark eyes—questions I wasn't sure I was ready to answer."What happened last night?" he asked, his voice cutting sharply through the quiet cabin and jolting me right out of my thoughts."Practically nothing," I said, my voice smoother than I actually felt. I pulled the car over to the curb directly in front of Nonnie's restaurant, shifting into park. "I don't even know who the sender is."He didn't look convinced. Not even for a second. His brow stayed furrowed, that sharp, scholar's mind of his picking apart every twitch of my jaw and every stiff line in my shoulders.Before he could push any further, my phone buzzed against the leather console a secon

CHAPTER THIRTY SIXCALLUM'S POV The breeze on the hill had turned cold, but the sweat pooling at the nape of my neck felt ice-cold.When Ian mentioned swimming, it wasn't just memories of the pool that flooded back—it was Kai.I could still see Kai’s face the day he walked away, packing his bags for the overseas finals while leaving me behind with a shattered body and a broken career. The betrayal had cut deeper than the injury itself. I had trusted him, built a world around him, and he’d traded it all for a spot on the international stage without looking back once.My chest felt ridiculously heavy. For months, I’d carried the weight of Kai’s ghost like a dead weight tied to my ankles. Looking at Ian now—his wide, honest eyes searching mine with so much quiet patience—I wanted nothing more than to strip away the armor. I wanted to tell him about Kai. I wanted to unload the whole ugly story and finally breathe again.And then there was the text.The strange, cryptic message from la

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHTKAI’S POVEver since Cal walked out of the house that day, he had vanished without a trace. Not a single ping on his usual routes, no sign of his car anywhere in the estate. I’d checked his private residence—empty. Cloud Nine, his usual hotels, every single sanctuary he used to run to—nothing. The utter lack of control was infuriating, leaving me with no choice but to pull back and play the waiting game.Then Mira’s call came through, and everything shifted.Hearing that Cal had actually shown up at training yesterday caught me completely off guard. Where the hell had he been staying? Who was keeping him hidden this well?I tried cornering his PA, applying just enough pressure to see if she’d break, but she remained frustratingly loyal to him. The security team at the facility wasn't any better—falling back on strict orders, refusing to drop even a hint about his whereabouts.Clearly, Cal thought he was playing it smart, hiding in the shadows while he tried to re

CHAPTER FORTY CALLUM'S POV Whatever made Ian freeze and changed Roy’s emotion must be great and ominous. I followed his gaze, and it landed on a large booth near the back corner.There were some angry-looking guys and impatient girls sitting around the long table, looking like they were ready to eat someone alive. The moment their eyes locked onto Ian, the whole table erupted."Ian! You stood us up!""Class rep, it's totally unfair!""We waited for hours!""Where the hell have you been?!""Take it easy, everyone," Ian said smoothly, raising his hands in a calm, placating gesture. His voice remained grounded and completely unbothered by their sudden outburst. "Something urgent came up that needed my immediate attention. I apologize for keeping you waiting.""Urgent? More like you completely forgot about us!" one of the guys snapped, crossing his arms and scoffing.Before the complaints could spiral any further, Roy stepped up right alongside Ian, putting a hand on Ian's shoulder and