Lahat ng Kabanata ng Too Late to Beg I'm Already Gone: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

Meritt's POV I stood by the side walk and waved a hand quickly at a taxi approaching. The car quickly came to a halt before me and the driver did not ask me any questions. He just looked at my messy hair and my teary face through the rearview mirror, nodded once, and drove me straight to Michael's estate. I paid the fare and stepped out into the cold of the night and stared at the gate. All I could see was… WELCOME BACK TO YOUR NIGHTMARE! I vividly saw the smug expression on Michael's face even before I entered. I heard his voice scolding me already and the usual and never old sentence. “You were just throwing a tantrum, I knew you'd come back!" A deep sigh escaped my lips, my eyes were shut for a moment for a quick breath. I heard the pounding of my heart,my mind screamed at me to go back, but the rattling of the lock on the gate made me flinch. The security guard opened the door without a word and I quietly walked inside to the house. There were no lights on in the front

Meritt's POV The silence in the living room was heavy enough to crush my bones. I stood frozen with my hand hovering just an inch away from the door handle. My heart hammered violently against my ribs and my chest heaved rapidly. Mr. Thomas stood at the edge of the hallway, standing upright, his eyes locked on the suitcase resting on my leg. He was Michael’s most loyal employee and managed every single detail of this house, and of course, his first duty was always to his boss. He had a direct line to Michael’s personal cell phone and if he made one single phone call right now, Michael would send his security team to drag me back inside before my taxi even reached the road. "I am leaving, Mr. Thomas," I said slowly, my breath heavy as I forced my voice to remain steady and calm. I looked right into his eyes , hoping he'd see my pain and sincerity. Mr. Thomas slowly reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out his smartphone. Please don't call him… Oh God, no

Meritt's POV The intercom on flight crackled again and I flinched. “Ladies and gentlemen, the VIP boarding is complete. We apologize for the delay. We are now preparing for takeoff." I sat frozen in her seat, my arms folded, my eyes wide with terror as I watched three men in black suits walk down the airplane aisle. They were laughing and talking about stocks and I recognized one of them from a company dinner years ago. He was the Vice President of Marketing for Sterling Enterprises and from the little I heard, they were flying to a conference in Europe. Michael was not with them. Thank God! That was all that mattered. I let out a deep breath and sank back into my seat as the plane took off. A few hours later, the wheels of the airplane hit the runway with a loud screech. The entire cabin shook slightly before the engines roared in reverse, slowing us down. I looked out the small window at the beautiful city. The sky was blue and blissful. The modern terminals of Fiumicino

Meritt's POV The rehearsal hall was absolutely breathtaking and beyond beautiful. It was astounding and my mouth was agape in awe the whole time. The high ceilings were painted with gold design and ancient patterns. Big black curtains hung from the tall windows, blocking out the bright morning sun so the room was lit by a giant chandelier in the center. The sound in the room was perfect. Every single footstep and breath carried beautifully through the open space. At the far end of the room, a large group of singers stood in neat rows on a small threshold. A man sat at a massive piano, his fingers flying beautifully across the keys. Standing in front of the threshold was Maestro Conti. He was an older Italian man with a stern expression and a head of thick white hair. He held a small baton in his hand and always looked strict. Signora Rossi quietly led me to the back row of the chorus. I stepped onto the threshold and took my place among the other backup singers. A few of the wo

Meritt's POV The tip of the baton pointed directly at my chest and at my racing heart.Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Maestro Conti kept his arm perfectly straight, his eyes locked onto my face. He did not look at my scars. He looked right into my eyes with an intensity that pricked my skin, almost as if he was looking into my soul."You," Maestro Conti repeated. His voice was flat, but it was heavy with authority. "Step down from the stand. Come to the front."What…A quiet murmur echoed through the chorus members around me. Backup singers never stood in the front. The front of the stage belonged strictly to the lead performers.I swallowed the heavy lump in my throat. I squeezed my hands into tight fists to stop it from trembling, stepped off the stand, and walked down the center aisle and stopped a few feet away from his music stand, my arms folded behind my back."What is your name," he demanded."Meritt," I answered clearly.Maestro Conti nodded once. He turned his head and lo