All Chapters of SOULBOUND: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

When Abby and Alia came home from work, they saw a big truck full of furniture and home decorations parked outside their apartment building."What is this? Are people moving in at night?" Abby asked, blinking in surprise."Is someone finally moving into that empty house?" Alia asked, pointing to the large home nearby."Maybe? It must be a family," Abby guessed."Not a family, just some coworkers," Aidan said calmly as he stepped out from the shadows near the entrance.Alia and Abby both jumped, spinning around at the sudden sound of his voice."M-Mr. Aidan?" Alia gasped, her eyes wide as she looked at her high-level executive director standing casually outside her apartment building at night. "What are you doing here?"Aidan kept his expression cool and steady, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. "I live here now. Across the street."Abby's jaw dropped. She looked from Aidan to the large house, then back to Alia, her eyes shining with sudden, mischievous excitement."Wait," Abby whisper

Aidan immediately snapped out of his trance. Ignoring the splashing cold water, he stepped straight into the shower beside her, reaching his long arm past her to firmly grip the broken shower handle. With one strong, decisive twist, he shut the cold water off.The loud spraying stopped, leaving only the quiet sound of heavy water dripping onto the tiles.Without hesitation, Aidan grabbed the fresh towel off the rack, stepped closer, and gently wrapped it around her shoulders to cover her up."I've got you," Aidan whispered softly, his hands resting gently on her shoulders over the thick towel. "You're okay."Aidan reached out to help her step out of the wet shower, but as Alia shifted her weight, her foot skidded across the slippery bathroom tiles.She lost her balance with a small gasp, falling backward.In a split second, Aidan reacted. He pulled her flush against him, throwing his body underneath hers to break her fall. As they hit the floor together, he instinctively wrapped his h

Alia stood on the rooftop, looking out at the city view with a heavy sigh.Abby came up to look for her. Whenever bad things happened, she always knew exactly where to find Alia."Are you okay?" Abby asked, stepping up beside her.Alia turned to look at her friend. "He told me to fight," Alia said quietly."Who?" Abby asked, surprised."Director Aidan," Alia answered, turning back to look at the view. "I realized a lot when he said that. People say you deserve what you tolerate, right? Maybe all these bad things are happening to me because I just let them happen."Abby stayed silent. That was the exact same thing she and their other friends had wanted to tell Alia for years, but they never knew how to say it without hurting her.Deep down, Abby felt grateful to Director Aidan for finally waking Alia up.Alia's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw Tyrone's name on the screen."Director Aidan is asking for you... we have good news," Tyrone said as soon as she answered.

By 7:00 AM, the mist had fully cleared, leaving a crisp blue sky over the dramatic limestone cliffs overlooking the ocean. The location was breathtaking—a high, rocky ledge where the waves crashed fiercely against the dark stones far below."Alright, everyone! Be extremely careful near the edge," Alia called out through her radio, her eyes scanning the setup with a watchful eye. "Frank, keep the main camera on a stable tripod. Vince, you'll be standing near the rock marker, looking out over the horizon."Vince stepped onto the mark, looking handsome and natural against the wild coastal backdrop. But as he adjusted his posture, he took a step closer to where Alia was standing near the monitor station, giving her a bright, effortless smile."How's this posture, Alia?" Vince asked, leaning slightly over her shoulder to check the monitor. "Should I turn slightly toward the ocean, or keep looking toward you?""Toward the ocean, Vince," Alia laughed softly, pointing at the display. "The dra