I blinked, the name Alex said echoing inside my head. “Um… who?”He scratched his chin. “I think it might be better if we continue this conversation somewhere… more private.” He gestured at his car, and a moment later, we were heading to this more “private” place Alex mentioned.He took a turn by Central Park and parked the car in front of something that looked like a cozy café. He walked out of the car and rushed to my side, helping me out. I drew a nervous smile as he extended his hand. His little gentlemanly gestures woke up the hyperactive butterflies in my stomach. He tangled his fingers with mine and led me inside.The place was all bricks and wood and was filled with an amazing scent of coffee. Well, he was right about the privacy since, for some completely incomprehensible reasons, this place was completely empty. “This place is owned by my friend, and he is rather discreet,” Alex explained, leading me to one of the tables close to the counter before adding dryly, “Although he

SARAHWhen I returned to Joy's apartment, she led me to the guest's room with half-sleepy eyes and quickly returned to bed. I knew she had to go to work early, so our conversation about Alex and everything that had happened in Phuket had to yet again wait.Thankfully, she had only a few things in our apartment, and for some reason, those who had so violently invaded our privacy spared her favorite Death Note sweatshirt and Tokyo Ghoul trench coat. That made me feel a little bit less guilty for occupying her apartment.By the time the sound of the obnoxious alarm in my phone spread across the room, Joy was already gone. I wished she didn't have to leave for work so early. I could really use a friend at that moment…I drew a deep breath and painted a bright smile. I did it for Liam. I didn't want him to see me anxious or sad. Of course, he was aware of what had happened at our apartment, but I didn't let him see what those bastards did. I told myself that I was going to clean this mess

I forced a deep breath into my lungs. My mimic muscles already hurt from stretching my lips and keeping a smile on my face. The mask I crafted just before I met with Cameron was about to break into dust, and without it, my nervousness would become more than obvious. We were sitting in a French restaurant not far from the Ravenford Corporation Building. Cameron was wearing a light gray three-piece suit, which caused him to look younger and more approachable, but not a bit less charming. I ordered a salad while Cameron had something I couldn't even pronounce. We sat in silence for more than a few minutes. I pretended to be busy chasing cherry tomatoes around my plate, trying to stab them with my fork. Cameron seemed to patiently endure my awkwardness… until his patience eventually vanished. He put down his knife and fork and sighed. “Talk to me, Sarah. What's going on?” I shifted my gaze, reluctantly meeting his. My smile faded. “I've been thinking about… a lot of things recently…” I

SARAHI saw a missed call from Alex and his text message. I tried calling him back, but he didn't answer. I couldn't blame him for it. I was more than aware that he had a lot on his mind. I ended up giving him the “I'm OK” reply to his text… He didn't respond to the message. Perhaps he was even too busy to read it.The whole scene from the restaurant played in my mind on repeat. I somehow managed to hide my anxiety from Liam and put him to bed without the need to tell him that I was fine when I wasn't. I passed the short corridor in Joy's apartment that led from the room where Liam slept to the salon and kitchen. I grabbed two bottles of beer and placed them on the coffee table. Joy was supposed to come home any minute now, and I needed someone whom I could talk to. Certainly, the beer was a bribe.Thirty minutes had passed, and we were sitting on the sofa, beer in our hands. I told Joy about everything that had happened between me and Cameron. My hands still trembled as I recalled th

SARAHMore than an hour had passed since I talked with Alex. I kept glancing out the window and squeezing the phone in my hand. He didn't come like he said he would. A part of me was missed, but a much bigger part grew anxious. Calling him and finding out that his phone was out of reach didn't help me calm down either. I debated whether or not I should call him on his “normal” phone instead. It was almost two in the morning, so I figured that it would be less probable for Jeanette to answer the phone instead of him. Sucking a deep breath, I made the call. This time I heard a signal, but there was still no one to answer…My heart began to thunder. Something was wrong. I could feel it in every inch of my tense muscles, twisting guts, and churning stomach. I paced around the room like a mad woman, trying to figure out a miraculous solution that would help me contact him.What if something had happened to him? What if he had an accident? Of course, it was more probable that there had been