RYDER'S POINT OF VIEW
"Come have breakfast."Mirabel covered her head with a pillow, ignoring me. I had sent a maid to tell her to come down, but she said she wouldn't. Now that I was in her room, she chose to be stubborn and not listen to me."Mirabel, I don't want to repeat myself, you hear me? Get your ass up and come down for breakfast."She removed the pillow and sat up. "I don't want to.""Mirabel.""Ryder, leave me alone. I said I don't want to have breakfast with you. Can't you respect that?""No." I moved closer to her bed. "I cannot respect that. Who am I supposed to eat with if you're not there?"She looked away from me. "There's Theo.""But you're my family." I removed the blanket she had used to cover herself despite her trying to put it back on."Ryder, please." She angrily kneeled on the bed, trying her best to appear the least bit scary."Mira, please." I teased, lifting her up from the bed. She struggled in my arms, letting me realize she really didn't want to have breakfast with. I didn't want to force her into doing something she did not, so I placed her back on the ground.She seemed to have noticed her actions hurt me and was about to say something, but I beat her to it."You don't have to come down. Do what you want.""Ryder-"I walked out of her room and gently closed the door behind me.This was weird. Eating alone, that is.I wasn't one to eat without having people around me. When Isabella was alive, I'd wait for her to come home before having dinner. Even Mirabel knew it. Asking me to eat with Theo was just unbearable, because he could be very annoying."Isn't she coming down?" Theo asked, placing his fork down. "I thought you went to call her.""I did. It's as if she doesn't want to be around me anymore, you know. It hurts.""You know what it is that you have to do." He reached for an apple in the fruit bowl. "Let the kid go back to school. If you do that, believe me, she'll be back to how she used to be.""But I don't want to do that just yet. I'm worried something bad will happen to her. Why doesn't she understand I'm only looking out for her?"When one of the attacker's men announced Isa's death, it felt as though all the air in my lungs had been knocked out of me. No matter how much I tried to not believe it, I had to at one point. Losing Mirabel would kill me slowly. She was the only family I had left."And that is why you should make sure she's happy.""You don't get it, Theo.""I get it." He argued. "You don't want what happened to Isabella to happen to Mirabel, which is completely understandable. Mirabel gets that, but she still insists on going to school. It's been three weeks, Ryder. These walls must be suffocating her.""She's just being ridiculous. I bet there's a boy she's hell bent on seeing." My eyes widened at the thought of Mirabel having a boyfriend. "Do you think she has a boyfriend?"Theo laughed out loud for a few seconds before his expression quickly morphed into one of seriousness. "You're not serious, are you?""You know something, Theo." I pointed an accusing finger at him. "You know why she wants to leave the house even when she knows her life is at risk. Tell me, who is the little devil who is trying to lure her out of the house?""I know Mirabel. She wouldn't do something she knows you won't like, and having a boyfriend is one of them. Stop being paranoid, it doesn't suit you." He took a bite of the apple in his hand. "Besides, Mira is a smart kid. She knows what's wrong and right. Have some faith in your sister and let her go out. Even if it is three times a week. I know she'll feel better.""No, she'll remain in the palace. I want you to get two women to keep an eye on her. If I hear she snuck out, I'll be using you as my new punching bag. We good?""Yes, sir."<<<>>>The private investigator I was supposed to meet up with yesterday had arrived at the palace. Theo led him to my office and left, saying he had something important he needed to attend to."Please, sit." I gestured to the chair across from me. I hated when people sat down without me telling them to sit down. It was simple etiquette that many people failed to pass."Thank you." He sat down and placed his briefcase on his thighs. "I heard what happened yesterday. Are you alright?"I nodded, placing both my hands on the desk. "It's a good thing I didn't get seriously hurt. People just have to be more careful.""Agreed.""So, what is it you said you have to tell me? Any new update?""I went to the police station yesterday morning. The phone you had brought from Hawaii; the one you said was used by the attacker. A message was seen when the officers turned the phone on.""Message? What message?""Things will happen." He said, "I don't know what the person means by that but I advise you to be very careful."Why wouldn't this person leave me alone? Wasn't Isabella enough? What more could they want from me?"Sir, do you know why?"Confusion etched its way onto my face at his question. "What do you mean?""The reason this person is after you. Did you in any way fight with someone over the throne?"There was no one to fight with. My father was an only child and then he married my mother. The only person who could rule over Ordene was my sister, and she wouldn't fight me for it. As per right, I was the heir to the throne. Mirabel wouldn't hurt me for the throne. Heck, she wasn't even ready for it."No. This person's motive isn't clear to me, so it's a little difficult to know why they're hell bent on making me suffer.""I'll sort this out, Sir.""I hope so.""I'll be on my way now. Thank you for having me."I forced a smile; one I hoped would appear genuine. "Anytime."He got up from the seat and walked towards the door, with me following directly behind him. When we got to the entrance of the palace, he waved me goodbye and left. When I turned around, Mirabel stood in front of me, her eyes going over my shoulder to see who had just left."Who was that?" She asked, finally looking at me."The private investigator I hired to look into Isabella's case." I walked around her and toward the hallway."Private investigator?" She was following me."Yes." I stopped walking to stare at our family portrait that was hung on the wall of the hallway. It was a reminder of what I used to feel. Happiness and love.One was of my parents, Mirabel, and me. The other was after my parents' death. Isabella had her arms around my neck as she smiled at the camera. Mirabel stood beside me, also smiling. The good times I really missed."Why didn't I know about this?" She crossed her arms over her chest.I tore my gaze from what was now a memory and to my sister's displeased face. "You don't have to know everything, Mira. Have you eaten? You don't look too good." I took a step forward so that I could feel her body temperature, but she stepped back."Aren't I a part of this family? Don't you think I should know what's going on? I mean, Isabella was family to me. I have a right to know what you're doing as long as it concerns her.""You're making it sound as though I am doing something wrong." My tone was oddly calm. It felt as if I was a kid being scolded by my mother. I was the older one here."That's because you are." She pointed at me. "First you refuse to let me out of the house and when I leave my room, you have people follow me around even in our home. What is going on with you, Ryder?""I'm just trying to protect you, Mira. Why don't you understand that?""You're the one who doesn't understand me." She fired back. "I hope you would understand my feelings and tell those two..." she looked over her shoulder to where two armed women clad in suit were. "Tell them to stop following me around, okay?"She stormed off, leaving me puzzled and angry at the same time. The two women came to me as soon as Mirabel was out of earshot."Sir, should we still follow her?" One asked."Isn't that what I'm paying you for?" I pinched the bridge of my nose and shut my eyes. "Sorry, that came out wrong." I swear Mirabel was getting on my nerves. "Just follow her closely and make sure she does nothing stupid. Call me if something seems off, alright?""Yes, Sir."Goodness, Mirabel. Please understand me. Why didn't she get it? The reason I did not want her to return to school just yet was because I could not bear the thought of losing her. Especially now that the attacker had made it clear that he or she was not done with putting me through a lot of pain.Just when I thought my troubles would finally give me a break, I heard a commotion outside. Already feeling mentally exhausted, I went out to check what was wrong. A sigh escaped my lips when I saw the person. She was arguing with the guards."Let her through."Elena looked up at me when she heard my voice. She wore a blue jean, white button-up shirt, nude colored heels and a white bag. Her black hair was in soft curls."It's good to see you again, Miss Greene." I was trying my most possible best to be polite. I really wasn't in the mood to entertain any guest. "So, what brings you here?""I came to apologize." She gripped her bag, probably to ease her nerves."Apologize? What for? I should be the one saying sorry for dragging you to the police station. It must have been scary for you."She mumbled something I couldn't quite catch."It was scary, but I said some things I shouldn't have said. I know I was a little disrespectful because I hadn't considered your reason for doing what you did yesterday."I was becoming confused. "What do you mean?"She rubbed her hands together, something lots of people did when they got nervous. "When I got home yesterday, I told my friend about what happened. She explained to me that you lost your girlfriend some weeks back, and it was probably why you insisted on involving the police. I hadn't realized earlier, so I spoke rudely to you. I'm sorry."Talking about Isabella with a stranger wasn't something I wanted to do. I had to end the conversation as quickly as possible."You have nothing to apologize for. I just hope you don't think of me as an annoying jerk because I am certain you cursed me out yesterday."She immediately shook her head. "What? Of course not?" I raised a brow at her and she bit her lower lip. "Well, maybe a little.""Its fine, Elena. If that's all, I would like to return to what I was doing." I told her."That would be all."From the way she answered me, I had a feeling there was more she wanted to say but was stopping herself from doing so. Either way, it was her problem and not mine. We'd both apologized and I hoped we wouldn't cross paths again.MIRABEL'S POINT OF VIEWStaying in my room all day long with two women who were monitoring me outside the room was becoming unbearable. Ryder wanted to keep me safe, and I was thankful for that, but I wanted to do something fun. I wanted to hang out with my friends. Where's the harm in seeing my friends? Isabella's death was getting to his head.He couldn't keep me locked up forever. I would do something I wanted, whether or not he liked it. He wouldn't understand, anyway. I threw on a black jacket on top of the black tank top I was wearing. I knew very well that the women in front of the door wouldn't let me just waltz out of the palace, so I was going to use the window.There was only one person who could help me escape from here. I had no intention of coming back anytime soon because I knew my brother would ground me for life before those women ever told him I had escaped. I grabbed my duffel bag and phone.I dialed my friend's number, and on the third ring; he picked up."Mira!" h
RYDER'S POINT OF VIEWMirabel surprised me two days ago. Just when I was considering letting her return to school and then she decided to mess everything up for herself. How could she even think of leaving me to go stay with some stupid boy who couldn't even afford his own meal? What if he wasn't genuine? What if the attacker was using him to get to Mirabel?But then, as I thought about it more, maybe I was being a little too much. Staying in the same place for three weeks must have been unbearable for her. I had to do something to make her feel better. I spoke to Theo about my plans and he said it was fine, as long as she would be with me at all times."Ryder?"I looked up from my phone when I heard Mirabel's voice. She wore a white, long-sleeved cropped tee, brown camo trousers and adidas sneakers. Her hair was in a messy bun and she had very little makeup on."You look nice." I smiled at her and walked around the car to the driver's side."You're acting weird, Ryder. What's going o
Mirabel rushed into the building. All I knew was the need to survive and the promise I made to my sister. Who were these guys, and how long had they been following us? Who in the world sent them to tail us? These bastards couldn't just appear at random, especially when they were working as a team. There had to be someone behind them. An asshole who wanted me and my family dead.The pedestrians had run away when they heard a gunshot. They were aiming for Mirabel.I ran into the warehouse as swiftly as I could, praying wholeheartedly that I wouldn't get shot. The men followed behind me."Ryder!" Mirabel called for my attention. She was hiding behind a steel drum. I hid behind the one across from her, so that I could see them easily."Be quiet." I instructed, bringing my index finger up to my lips.The men got closer, searching for us with their guns pointed in the air, ready to shoot. They were four and the one with a knife tattoo on the side of his face gave me reasons to believe he was
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEWWhen I said I would pay the price the following day, I wasn't kidding. My head hurt like crazy and the light wasn't helping my situation. I slowly got off the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom, where I was certain I would empty my stomach. If there was a reason I hated drinking, it would be this.Vomit was my nemesis.Unfortunately for me, my stomach decided puking all over my floor was the right thing to do. Vomit pooled beneath me, making me regret drinking as much as I did last night. I heaved on all fours. My stomach clenched in pain as vomit passed through my open jaws. Sweat dripped down my brow, my eyes watering.I wiped the disgusting liquid off the curve of my lips and rose to my feet. Looking down, I felt the need to double over and let the remaining demonic liquid in my stomach come out.Once in the bathroom, I went for the sink to rinse the involuntary tears that had streamed down my eyes. I brushed my teeth and hair. Now on to the part I didn't
RYDER'S POINT OF VIEWTwo days later...Lying in that hospital bed was a soul that had been woven into my own for as long as I could recall. Mirabel hadn't opened her eyes for the past two days. I was starting to fear something was wrong. The doctor had explained it was normal and that she would soon wake up.Annalise and I finally had some time to discuss, since I met her at a wrong time. She explained she had returned to Ordene because she felt restless. She said a part of her wasn't comfortable that she was away. Her father seemed to be becoming depressed with each passing day. She had come to help me find her sister's murderer. Another reason was because she had acquired a company in Ordene and was here to see how they were doing."So how far have you come?" Anna asked me. We were in Mirabel's hospital room, monitoring her. There were men outside, too."There's nothing much yet." I told her, "But I had refused a message. The attacker said there was more to come and one of it is the
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEWAfter eating, I got dressed up for work. Even though my mental state was a little unstable, I couldn't miss a day or I would get fired. My team manager, Miss Miller, was a very temperamental person, and I didn't want to get on her nasty side. I was an intern, or should I say, office servant. Calling someone an intern was an acceptable way of saying servant because here, I ran more errands than actual work. It was all about being an ass kisser. Kiss ass or lose your job.As soon as I walked in, I was hit with the smell of cologne. The room was painted a soft off-white color from top to bottom, with a simple floral design border all the way around. The ceiling of the room was the same color as the walls and vinyl flooring below.Next to the door, there was a coat rack that held two coats at the moment. There were potted plants located in strategic places around the room.Although most of the room was organized, the desks were quite unkempt. Papers that the other em
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEWWhen I returned to the office, Miss Miller was pacing up and down and making the other workers uncomfortable. She rushed to me when she set her eyes on me."What did he talk to you about? Tell me now." She demanded, daring me to tell a lie.I decided to tell the truth. "He asked me if you're making me uncomfortable."A small gasp escaped her lips, and she furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Why would he ask you such a question? What is your relationship with the CEO?""We go way back." I answered, hoping I wouldn't give something away.Truth be told, I did not know who Ryder was before the accident. I didn't bother to know, but here I was, claiming to know him like he was someone I met in college or high school, even.She swallowed, fear obviously filling her. "So, what did you tell him about me?""The truth." I walked away from her, a new feeling of boldness washing over me because I knew all too well that Miss Miller would not dare misbehave with me. In a way, I held
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEWKing Ryder had yet to call me and it had been two days since then. I don't know why, but a part of me had thought he would call to say thank you after my conversation with his little sister. I guess that wouldn't be happening anytime soon or forever."Mind telling me what's bothering you?" Pablo leaned forward from across the bar. "You've been staring at your glass for quite some time."I swirled the drink in my glass. "I don't really know."He nodded his head. "Is it Alistair? Has he contacted you in any way?""Yes." I said. "I received a mail the other day and in it were pictures we had taken back in New Jersey.""And?" He gestured for me to continue."My best friend saw it."Pablo gasped and blinked severally. "The photographer girl saw them? You must be in trouble now." He shook his head, looking at me with pity. "Does she hate you and never wants to see your face?""Fortunately, I was able to lie to her. I told her the woman in the picture was Andrea and she