LOGINThe sound of Nick's footsteps splashed softly through the rainwater puddles covering the old harbor. The phone in his pocket vibrated over and over again. With an irritated sigh, Nick stopped and looked down at the screen.Several messages had come in, along with missed calls from Peter and Kyle. Their messages were filled with worry, asking where he was.Nick replied to the latest one."Our witness doesn't want a crowd showing up. I'll meet him myself. Once everything's clear, I'll bring him back to the shop."He slipped the phone back into his pocket and continued walking.The witness said he was on the last boat to dock at the pier. That's where Nick was headed.When he stepped onto the deck, the place was eerily quiet. He moved cautiously before pushing open the unlocked cabin door.Inside was complete darkness."Hello?" Nick called.Nothing. The cabin was empty.At that exact moment, his phone vibrated again. Nick let out a breath and looked at the screen.It was another message
Belle had already made up her mind. She was going to tell her father about Renee's crimes. After dinner, she walked over to him."Dad, can we talk?"Mr. Watson looked up. "Sure. What's this about?""It's about—"Before Belle could finish, a knock echoed through the front door.She let out a quiet sigh and headed for the entrance. The moment she opened it, her eyes widened in surprise.Tobias stood on the doorstep. He hadn't mentioned he was coming."Hey, Belle. Is your dad home?" he asked.Belle frowned slightly. "Yeah. Do you need to talk to him?""I do. There's something important I need to discuss with him."Mr. Watson welcomed Tobias inside with obvious warmth. Even so, Belle could feel the tension settling over the living room like a heavy fog.Across from her, Tobias sat calmly."So, Tobias." Mr. Watson smiled. "This is a surprise. What brings you here tonight?""Am I interrupting anything, sir?""Not at all. You know you're always welcome here."Tobias returned the smile before
BANG!Anthony slammed the bedroom door shut and locked it from the inside. His eyes locked onto Renee with an anger that had been buried deep inside him for far too long.Renee clicked her tongue in annoyance. “What the hell is wrong with you, Anthony? Are you trying to break the door?”“Two million dollars.” Anthony’s voice was low.Renee’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained her composure.She turned to face her husband, raising an eyebrow dismissively.“What are you talking about?”“Stop playing dumb, Renee! I heard it! I heard your phone call!” Anthony roared.He strode forward until his shadow completely covered her.“Richard Ward. The two-million-dollar bribe. And you ordered him to sabotage Bastian’s court records! You planned all of this from the very beginning!”Renee stood silent for a few seconds. Then she laughed softly. It was a light, almost pleasant laugh, as if Anthony had just told her a joke.“So... you’ve been eavesdropping,” Renee hissed casually as she
Tobias looked at the file Belle had slid across the café table. Belle looked conflicted.“I’m turning it down,” Belle said quietly.“You’ve read the file? Then why are you turning it down, Belle?”Belle remained silent, lowering her gaze.“Listen, Belle. My legal team found a procedural flaw in Bastian’s arrest that we can exploit,” Tobias said calmly. “You read everything carefully, didn’t you? We can file a motion for his release pending appeal, Belle.”“Tobias, I—”“By next week at the latest, Bastian could be out of there,” Tobias interrupted. “We could have him released to house arrest.”“I know how hard you’ve worked on this, but Bastian refuses your help.” Belle let out a quiet sigh.“Why? Because I’m supposed to be engaged to you? Or because I’m part of Renee’s family?”Belle looked at Tobias, her eyes glistening with tears. “Both.”“So you’re going along with the pride of a man who’s getting beaten half to death inside that prison?” Tobias scoffed quietly. “This isn’t the tim
The visitation room at the state prison felt colder than usual. Belle sat in the steel chair bolted to the floor, gripping the intercom receiver so tightly that her knuckles turned white.Behind the thick glass, clouded with years of scratches, the steel door opened.Bastian walked in. His steps dragged slightly. His orange prison uniform hung loosely on his frame.And his face...Belle felt as though someone had driven a knife straight through her chest.A dark purple bruise spread across his temple. A dried cut split the corner of his mouth. And the way he kept one hand pressed against his left side told her he was hiding far more pain than he wanted her to see.Bastian sat down across from her.He picked up the receiver, looked into Belle’s eyes, and forced a faint smile.“Hey, Sparrow. I miss you.” His voice came through the intercom, rough and raspy.“Bastian... your face...”Belle’s voice broke instantly. She couldn’t stop the tears anymore.“Renee really did have people torture
True to his word, Tobias let the silence settle between them for a while.Belle could still feel the tightness in her chest. Despair and shattered hope were eating away at the deepest part of her heart.Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. Is there really no way to save Bastian? Does he really have to serve time for a crime he never committed?“Oh, God.” Belle wiped away her tears. There had to be a way. There was always a chance for Bastian. And she had to keep believing that.Belle slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the leaves of the towering oak tree above them.“Feeling a little better?” Tobias asked softly, breaking the silence.Belle let out a long breath before turning toward him.“A little. Thank you, Tobias. I... I really needed a moment just to breathe.”A faint smile crossed Tobias’s face. He shifted slightly in his seat so he could face Belle completely.The arrogance and confidence he had displayed in front of Renee were gone. Now, there was only a deep, serious l
Belle didn’t understand why Bastian said that. Her mind was in chaos, and the ache in her heart intensified. They weren’t supposed to have any kind of relationship, right? So why was Bastian so openly unwilling to let her go?“What’s wrong with you!” Belle shouted, unable to hold back her tears any
Going back to the gallery wasn’t such a good idea after all. Belle could feel Renee’s annoyed expression every time she looked her way. Even though Belle just stayed quiet in the corner with Anthony and the others, including Eve.Still, she felt bad about leaving early, so she decided to wait unti
“Are you okay?”Bastian asked, breaking the silence between them. Belle could feel his breath brushing against her face, but she froze in his arms."Yeah, I'm..."Belle stepped back, trying to distance herself from Bastian. The moment was too awkward. Besides, she didn’t want to cause any trouble w
The anger radiating from Felix was almost tangible to Belle. Especially when he was driving—reckless and fast—making her terrified. Neither of them spoke, and the silence between them was tense.“Were you trying to lie to me?” Felix growled. “A relationship won’t work without honesty, Belle.”Of co







