Novels by Rain Tummy

Zina POVThe house felt unnervingly silent. I sat on the couch, eyes unfocused as I stared at the walls, my mind a chaotic mess. Thoughts of Xaden crowded my brain. His voice, full of threats, filled my head, his words echoing like a constant drumbeat. He promised he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, and I couldn't escape the feeling that he was out there, just waiting for the right moment to strike.My chest felt tight, as if a weight was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. I reached for my phone, my hands shaking. The screen lit up with a message.Where are you? I'm outside.It was from Jared.I hadn't answered his calls or texts all day. I couldn't let him see how scared I was, how out of control I felt. But the truth was, I needed him. I couldn't keep going like this. I had to face it, no matter how terrified I was. Jared had always been my rock.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my hands before typing out a response.I'm home. Come in.I pressed send and

POV: ZinaThe elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, but the sound might as well have been a gunshot for how violently my heart jolted. I stepped out onto the marble floor, the sharp click of my heels echoing down the hall like a countdown to my execution.Jared's words replayed in my head. You don't owe him anything. Don't let him corner you.I gripped the strap of my bag tighter, knuckles white. The conference room loomed at the end of the corridor, its glass walls revealing shadowy silhouettes inside. My reflection stared back at me as I passed, pale and drawn—a ghost of the woman I used to be.I wasn't ready for this.But I didn't have a choice.Pushing down the tremor threatening to claw its way up my throat, I adjusted the blazer that suddenly felt too tight and forced my legs to keep moving.The door opened before I could touch the handle."Mrs. Lennox."I froze.Xaden's lawyer stood there, a shark in a tailored suit with slicked-back hair and a predatory smile. He stepped

POV: JaredThe crimson glow of Xaden's taillights vanished beyond the bend, swallowed whole by the darkness. But his presence lingered thick and suffocating, like the acrid smell of smoke after a fire. My fists curled so tightly my knuckles cracked, but the tremor in my hands betrayed me. I couldn't let Zina see it. Not now.Not after this.She knelt on the damp earth, clutching Asher so fiercely it seemed as if letting go would splinter him into irreparable pieces. The boy's muffled sobs pierced the suffocating silence, each one a blade twisting deeper into my chest. I dropped to one knee beside them, the gravel biting into my skin as I reached out and brushed Zina's shoulder.She flinched hard."Zina." My voice came out hoarse, the strain roughening the edges. "We need to move. Now."She lifted her head, her face pale and streaked with tears. Her bloodshot eyes locked on mine, wild and desperate. "He'll find us, Jared." Her voice cracked, the words barely a whisper. "He always finds

Zina's POVThe cabin door shut behind Jared, leaving me alone with Asher and the deafening silence that seemed to stretch forever. I clutched Asher tighter, my arms wrapped protectively around him as if that could shield him from everything outside. My eyes darted toward the windows, the curtains drawn tightly, but it didn't stop the fear crawling beneath my skin.Jared had promised we were safe here that no one could find us. But the footprints he'd spotted outside told a different story.I kissed Asher's forehead, brushing back the mess of curls stuck to his skin. He stirred slightly, murmuring something in his sleep, but didn't wake. At least one of us could rest.I envied him envied his innocence and belief that Jared and I could protect him. I wanted to believe it, too. But after everything we'd been through, trust didn't come so easily anymore.The fire in the stone hearth crackled softly, but instead of calming me, it only made the shadows dance more wildly across the walls. I

Zina's POVMy gaze drifted toward the window, the curtains half-drawn but still letting in the faint glow of the streetlights. The glass reflected the room around us—the soft glow of the lamps, the shadows dancing along the walls. But for the briefest moment, I thought I saw something else—a flicker of movement outside.The hair on the back of my neck prickled.I froze, my heart stuttering in my chest as I strained to see past the reflection. Nothing. Just the night. Just shadows."What's wrong?" Jared's voice pulled me back, and I turned quickly, forcing a smile."Nothing." I shook my head. "Just my imagination."His eyes lingered on mine, searching. Jared could always tell when something was off. It was one of the things I both loved and hated about him. He saw too much."Zina," he said softly, "don't do that thing where you pretend everything's fine when it's not."I laughed nervously. "I'm not pretending. I swear.""Then why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"I hesitated, uns

POV: Unknown PersonThe night was cold, the kind of cold that seeped into your bones and lingered, but I barely noticed. The wind howled around me, sending leaves skittering across the rooftop, but I stayed still, cloaked in darkness. The only thing that mattered was the scene unfolding through the softly glowing window across the street.I pressed the binoculars closer to my face, my gaze narrowing as I brought them into sharper focus. Inside, Jared and Zina sat together, their faces lit by the golden glow of the room. The way they laughed, their heads tilted toward one another, made my stomach twist. They looked so happy, so at peace.Jared leaned closer to her, whispering something. Whatever he said made her laugh—a full, carefree laugh that filled the space around her. She tilted her head back, exposing the curve of her neck, and I felt a bitter taste rise in my throat. He touched her arm lightly, as if reassuring her of something, and her hand came to rest over his, her fingers l

Ethan’s POVFor the first time in weeks, I did not want to think.That feeling alone was strange.The past few days had been filled with secrets, investigations, missing reports, hidden family members, and enough emotional damage to last a lifetime.I was exhausted.Everyone was.The meeting had eventually ended after hours of talking, planning, and arguing.James had taken the evidence.Sarah had promised to continue searching through old records.Maya had somehow stolen three boxes of cookies.Nobody knew how.Nobody asked.Now the bookstore was closed.The lights were dim.And somehow, despite everything happening around us, nobody seemed eager to leave.Bella was sitting on top of one of the display tables with her legs crossed while Maya talked about a customer who had accidentally knocked over an entire shelf earlier.“It sounded like an earthquake.”“It was three books,” Bella said.“It was emotional damage.”“It was three books.”“It was the loudest three books in history.”Sa

Bella’s POVNobody said a word after the phone call ended.The silence that settled over the room felt heavy and uncomfortable, like a storm cloud hanging directly above our heads. Everyone was staring at Sarah, and I could practically feel the tension pressing against my skin.Sarah looked completely horrified.Her eyes widened as she looked around the room, noticing the suspicious looks she was receiving.“What?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”Nobody answered immediately because, honestly, nobody knew what to say.Ethan’s father had been careful with his words. He had not accused anyone directly. He had simply planted a seed of doubt and then disappeared.That was what made it so dangerous.Now everyone was questioning everyone.Sarah suddenly pushed her chair back and stood.“You cannot seriously think it was me.”Her voice cracked halfway through the sentence.The tears gathering in her eyes immediately twisted something inside my

Bella’s POVThe room fell into a heavy silence after Ethan’s father ended the call.For several seconds, nobody moved.Nobody spoke.The only sound was the faint hum of the bookstore outside the meeting room and the rapid beating of my own heart inside my chest.I stared at the phone sitting on the table as if it might suddenly ring again.As if Ethan’s father might call back and tell us this was all some horrible misunderstanding.But deep down, I already knew that was impossible.Nothing about this situation was a misunderstanding anymore.The lies were real.The secrets were real.The pain was real.And somehow every answer we uncovered only seemed to create ten more questions.Slowly, I looked around the room.James looked tense.Maya looked confused for once in her life.Sarah looked terrified.And Ethan…Ethan looked completely shattered.He was staring at the table, but I could tell he wasn’t really seeing it.His mind was somewhere else.Probably replaying every conversation h

Bella’s POVNobody spoke after James’s announcement.The room had gone completely silent.Not normal silence.The terrifying kind.The kind that made your stomach hurt before anything bad had actually happened.I stared at James.Then at Ethan.Then back at James.“How?”My voice came out quieter than I intended.James rubbed his forehead.“He contacted one of the people we’ve been questioning.”My stomach dropped.“What?”The investigator nodded.“We don’t know exactly how much he knows yet.”“That’s not reassuring.”Maya’s voice immediately broke through the tension.Nobody even looked surprised anymore.At this point Maya could probably walk into a funeral and start an argument with a ghost.James sighed.“I know.”Maya pointed at him.“No. I don’t think you do.”Sarah looked exhausted.Honestly, all of us did.The last few hours had felt like an emotional train wreck.Every answer had created three new questions.Every revelation somehow managed to be worse than the one before it.

Ethan’s POV“No.”The word left my mouth immediately.Sharp.Instant.Certain.Because there was absolutely no way what Sarah had just said could be true.None.I stared at her across the table while my heart pounded violently against my ribs.“That’s impossible.”Sarah looked like she wanted to disappear.“I thought so too.”“No.”I shook my head.Hard.“You’re wrong.”Nobody spoke.Nobody interrupted.The room felt suffocating.Victoria was my half-sister?No.Absolutely not.My father was a lot of things.Cold.Controlling.Manipulative.But this?This was insane.James slowly slid another folder across the table.“Ethan.”I didn’t even look at it.“No.”“Ethan.”“I said no.”My voice came out louder this time.The sound bounced off the walls.Bella flinched slightly.The guilt hit me immediately.I looked away.Because she didn’t deserve that.None of this was her fault.None of it.James sighed.Then opened the folder himself.Inside were documents.Birth certificates.Hospital r

Bella’s POVA horrible feeling settled deep inside my chest as I watched Sarah from across the table.Something was wrong.I could see it in the way her hands trembled against the wooden surface. I could see it in the way she kept avoiding everyone’s eyes. Most of all, I could see it in the guilt written all over her face.The room had become painfully quiet.Nobody spoke.Nobody moved.It felt as though all four of us were holding our breath, waiting for whatever bombshell Sarah was about to drop.James noticed it too.His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward in his chair.“Sarah.”His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable warning hidden beneath it.Sarah immediately froze.The color drained from her face.My stomach tightened.Because I knew that look.I had seen it before.It was the look people got when they were carrying a secret that had become too heavy to hold.The look people got when they knew the truth was about to hurt someone.And judging by the fear in Sar