Share
32. Glide through Life
November 2026,
Scars Bay, USA
Katerina
Alaric was a great artist. That was an undeniable fact.
There were a few paintings of his that I could look at for hours without getting bored. There were so many intricate details in them that the longer you look at them, the more things you find. This one, in particular, was the painting of the High Street, one of the main streets in downtown Scars Bay.
"I'm not sure which view is more beautiful to behold- you or that painting," I heard a deep voice say from beside me. I recognized the voice but it sounded a little different than it did a few years ago. It was deeper, more confident, and had an edge that hinted at dangerous promises. It commanded attention and respect, which, if not given, would be taken by force.
I turned to look at Soren. It wasn't just his voice that had changed. He looked like a completely different person. H
Related chapters
Pause, Rewind, Play 33. Gala
November 2026,Scars Bay, USADimitri"You look absolutely stunning, Katerina" a guy complimented as he looked at her from head to toe and pressed his hand against his heart. "I don't know how those art pieces are ever going to compete with you for everyone's attention."Katerina laughed lightly. "Thank you, Tomas. I-""You will burn a hole through him if you glare at him any harder." William's amused voice distracted me from the conversation I was eavesdropping on. "I wouldn't recommend that. Kate has a huge savior complex. That might work against you."I looked at Katerina's brother. The two of them were polar opposites in almost every way - all the way from physical appearance down to basic nature - and yet, the two were very close. It would be good for me to be in his good books and not take his bait. "Good evening, William." I smiled."Come, let'
Pause, Rewind, Play 34. 48 Hours
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterinaGrowing up, Alaric had always been the cool father. There were times when I used to see him with Alya and wish for my dad to be like him. While he always treated me as his daughter, the bond he shared with Alya was incomparable.While my father also did his best, he was so busy that he didn't get very many opportunities to do it very often. Because of that, I was closer to Alaric than my own father. Well, that was until we thought Alaric left and I started disliking him.I remembered him enjoying classical music but what Ididn't know was that Alaric had an entire collection of Vinyls in his office. But I suppose it was normal to not remember details of a place you have been only a handful of times more than a decade ago.As I went through it, I realized that it was mostly classical music and I didn't recognize most of t
Pause, Rewind, Play 35. Roots
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterinaI called him again as I rode up the elevator to his apartment.In classic Jayden fashion, he did not answer.Rolling my eyes, I walked down the hallway and entered the pin to his apartment. The edges of my lips tugged up when the door unlocked. Jayden might not have come to tonight's gala but the code to his apartment was still Alya's birthdate. It always has been. He could say whatever he wanted but I considered this proof that he didn't completely hate her. Maybe, there was still hope.I opened the door and walked in. I didn't know what I had been expecting when I walked in but it certainly wasn't this.The apartment smelled fresh, there were no empty bottles of alcohol, takeout containers, or the stale smell of heartbreak. In fact, I spotted a vase full of day-old lilies in a corner. If this was any evidence, Jayden was doing a
Pause, Rewind, Play 36. One Chance
November 2026, Scars Bay, USA Katerina Alya was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, her back against the bed and a drink in her hand. With her other hand, she played with a ring hanging off the necklace she was wearing. She looked up and her teary, red-rimmed eyes met mine. Oh no. I walked over to her, wanting to take a seat beside her but my dress wouldn't allow that. So with a bit of difficulty, I took it off. Only in a pair of panties and a bra, I lowered myself beside her. She looked over at me, her gaze lingering on my face, neck, and then chest before she looked away entirely. What was that about? "You should wear some clothes. It's winter," she whispered. "It's warm in here. I'm fine; you don't need to worry about me." I took the glass from her hand and placed it aside. "I was d
Pause, Rewind, Play 36. Empty
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaCold water hit my face and cascaded down my body.'He didn't have the luxury of hope of a future together like you did.'Tears welled up in my eyes. Heartache formed a ball in my throat, choking me up.How could I have not thought of it? How could I have been so callous? How could I have been so self-centered in my misery that I failed to see how it would have affected the one person I cared about the most?I had hurt Jay more than I could have even imagined. I had hurt the one person I love with all my heart. The one person I never wanted to hurt. The one person I stayed away from by telling my broken and bruised heart that while he might be hurt, he was at least safe. Alive. But it seemed like he hadn't done much of living. Just like me. He had been hanging on to the past. Just like me. But unlike
Pause, Rewind, Play 37. See You Soon
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaKate opened the door to her bedroom and we walked in."BOO!"I jumped in shock and my hands flew to my chest.The lights turned on and I came face to face with a grinning William. "Gotcha, Squirt.""Helliam!" I admonished, but I couldn't stop my lips from lifting up in a smile.This wasn't the first time this had happened. When we were kids and Kate and I had sleepovers, Will would sometimes crash them - much to our annoyance - and we'd spend the entire night talking and hanging out or doing sometime crazy. When we grew up a little, Kate and I would catch Will sneaking into the house in the middle of the night, drunk, and looking back on it, probably high on drugs. We'd take care of him and put him to bed or if he wasn't in the mood to sleep, we'd stay with him and give him company. When we beca
Pause, Rewind, Play 39. Promise
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAAlyannaIt was still a couple of hours before sunrise so none of the house staff were out and about. Quickly and quietly, I navigated my way out of Kate's bedroom and to woods from around the gardens.I knew my way around the property very well, courtesy of Kate. Sometimes, she managed to drag me to parties with her that we had no business going to. To hide from Kon and her dad, she figured out a way to sneak out of her bedroom and pass through the grounds withoutbeing noticed or getting caught on camera. She also managed to create a way over the mostly impenetrable property walls. Kate was an unstoppable force when she put her mind to something.The route I was taking was the same. I, too, would pass through unnoticed if things had remained the same in the last five years. And I hoped I did. Because, I couldnot afford t
Pause, Rewind, Play 40. Car
November 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterinaI walked into my bedroom only to find it empty.Shit.Where the hell is she?I ran into the bathroom. Open and clear.I rushed to the closet. Empty.Where the hell is Alya?I knew she wouldn't be inside the manor. Someone would immediately spot and recognize her. She wasn't dumb enough to do that. Which means she left. She was definitely dumb enough to do it with the right motivation.If she left, there was only one route she'd use to leave. So, I ran.Why the hell would she leave? Did something happen? Was she upset?Of course, she was. With the night she'd had and after I broke my promise of cheering her up, I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to leave. But if she wanted to be left alone, she could have just locked the be
Latest chapter
