ROBERT'S POVMy heart pounded against my chest as I lifted the receiver, the unease creeping over me like a shadow. Reginald’s presence behind me felt like a physical weight, an immovable anchor tethering me to a sinking ship. I rubbed my fingers together, the sensation of the fine sand still lingering—a small but unsettling detail that gnawed at my mind.Why did he have sand on his hand?“Hello?” I answered, my voice barely steady.The voice on the other end was shrill and frantic, unmistakably Ariana's. My heart skipped a beat, terror and relief colliding in a cacophony of emotion. I nearly shouted her name, but she cut me off sharply.“Don't say anything, I'll do the talking,” she screamed, there was fear and desperation in her voice. “Is this Robert Stone?”“Yes,” I croaked, my throat tightening.There were so many things I wanted to say. So many words fighting for a place in my mind. “Rob, listen. Reginald is not to be trusted,” she said, her voice quivering with raw terror. “I'
ARIANA'S POV The moon cast a ghostly light over the dense forest, illuminating my path as I trudged forward with Nate on my back. My legs were numb with fatigue, each step a battle against the gnawing ache in my bones. The leaves rustled around us, whispering secrets I couldn't understand. Fear clung to me like a second skin, its icy tendrils wrapping around my heart.I had to keep moving. If Detective James was truly the one following us, he’d return to the hideout and discover our absence. I couldn't risk heading back to the train station where he might be waiting, but I also knew Rob would eventually arrive there and find us gone. Desperation clawed at my insides.“Nate, swe
ROBERT'S POV The cold night air bit into my skin as I stared into the barrel of the gun, gripped tightly in Detective James’s hand. Detective James who had before come to stand at my doorstep offering to find Ariana. He was a dirty cop. I could see it clearly now. He would rather hold Reginald’s gun for him and do his dirty business than earn his pay legally.I stood there mulling over Reginald’s words in my mind. The woods around us seemed to close in, the darkness amplifying the tension. Nate was clinging to Ariana, and Sylvia and Josh stood frozen, eyes wide with fear. The flickering station lights cast eerie shadows, making Reginald’s menacing figure even more sinister.
ARIANA'S POVThe room was dark and the air stale. I could tell that the sun was up but the last thing I needed was the sun shining its rays on my loneliness so I kept the curtains drawn. I was seated on a white leather couch in the sitting room cradling my baby bump and sighing for the umpteenth time. Something weighed heavily on my mind. But I did not want to believe it was regret. I did not want to cast my mind back to the events that led to the now: me, pregnant, sitting in a dark room all alone, my husband gone.“I'm gonna be fine”, I whispered to myself. “You hear that baby?” I said, directed at the baby bump. “We're gonna be fine”. Even as I whispered those words, I knew that what I truly wanted was the company of my husband. I wanted him to be sitting right there with me, the curtains open, letting in the sun and the two of us holding hands while whispering sweet nothings and looking forward to the birth of our son.Just so my husband could look at me with approval. With l
ROBERT'S POVI have been an unhappy man since the day I lost her. I lost her in the wedding with Ariana, her sister. It was for business reasons but I’ve never thought about it could make my life become this way. I mumbled a goodnight to my secretary and other staff as I exited the office building. The last thing I wanted was to go home to Ariana, the one who’s my wife, but also the one who always reminds me of her death.Ariana was the workaholic heiress who controlled an entire department of her parents’ conglomerate. She was pretty, tough, and passionate about everything. She’s good. But she’s not Flora.The lady whose smile lit up my world. “How perfect should I do to get your attention? To drag you back from her so that you can face reality? To face me and our baby?” She once shouted to me with tearful eyes.“You are so wrong, Ariana. Flora’s not perfect. She’s just kind, naive, and caring. Compared to you, she’s just a normal person with a normal personality you can see ever
ARIANA'S POV I knew I was panicking and that if I did not calm down, I would not be able to do anything. I did not want to believe Judith, Rob could not still be pining after Flora after all these years! Flora was dead. That much was certain, why should her ghost still haunt our relationship?If Flora’s back, what more could I do to make him love me? If Flora’s back…No, it can’t be true. I saw her dead, with my own eyes. I began to dial my best friend's number. I haven’t called her for a long time from my side. We had a deal. A deal not to contact each other after Flora’s demise, and now, she might just be alive.I shouldn't call her. It could jeopardize the whole thing.But she's the only one who understands…I held my breath as I clicked on Barbara’s number.It rang, and on the second ring, she picked.“Hi Barbara,” I said softly“Ari,” she whispered “I’ve missed you so much,”“Me too. I don't know what to do anymore. There’s a problem, Barbara. ”“What's the matter, Ari? What'
ROBERT'S POVOn the drive down to a hotel, I could not keep my hands off Emily. I was like a starved man finally in front of a banquet and I was eager to start feasting. When we arrived at the hotel, I quickly paid for a room. The moment we were left alone in the room after being shown, I pulled her and we fell into the bed… I sighed now and turned on the bed cuddling Emily. I knew she was not Flora but just for tonight, I pretended she was. Emily stirred in bed and turned to face me, her almond shaped eyes with their hazel color almost bringing me to tears.“I have to go”, she said.“So soon? Thought we would be together all night.”“I've got work tomorrow,” Emily replied, sitting up in bed and beginning to get dressed.I wanted to grab her and pull her back to me, I wanted to savor this moment with Flora's look alike just so I could be catapulted to that far away time when me and Flora had had the best time of our lives but I said nothing and simply began to get dressed too. “I'
ARIANA'S POV I felt as though I was dreaming. Everything was surreal and I could not make sense of the past or the present.All I recalled was hearing Barbara and Rob's voices shouting my name as I ran down the streets angry and hurt and suddenly, I was floating and the whole world was blurry. What has gone wrong? Where was I? Was I stuck in a bad dream? It had been a few weeks to their wedding and the two families; the Stones and the Vanderbilts were both in a frenzy. The marriage was a form of amalgamation. It would make the two families partners and increase their wealth. The Vanderbilts, my family, were the second richest company in Chicago. The Stones were the richest family in Chicago and Rob Stone had made his family so. I was chosen to be the one he would wed because of my knowledge about the business world.Then, Rob had been a tall, young man, 6 '5, handsome, and one of Chicago's most elite bachelors. Apart from that, he had a head for business and was fast advancing