LOGIN(Alex's POV)I drove another few minutes away from the condo before my vision blurred.I couldn't do it anymore.I pulled the car over to the side of the quiet road and switched off the engine.My hands were shaking as I held the steering wheel. My chest felt so tight that it was hard to breathe.I closed my eyes.Why did this have to hurt so much?I had to drive off immediately because I couldn't stand to see her cry.Every instinct inside me was screaming at me to go back to her and comfort her. And tell her that I felt worse than she did because of our situation and that everything will be alright.But I couldn't.If I gave in now nothing would ever change.I leaned my forehead against the steering wheel and let out a long, shaky breath."I hate this..." I whispered to myself. "I hate this so much."These past few days has been hell for me.She had called everyday a dozen times.I never answered.Not even once.I let every call go to voicemail and ignored every message. Every sing
(Anna's POV)I pressed redial for what had to be the hundredth time, listening to the same hollow ringing before it inevitably clicked over to voicemail.*You've reached Alexander Anderson. Please leave a message.*I didn't leave one. There wasn't anything left to say that I hadn't already said in the previous ninety-nine attempts.I set my phone down on the table and pressed my brows in frustration.It has been three days since we returned from Maldives, and Alex had completely shut me out.Every message I sent remained unread. Voicemails upon voicemails.He didn't take any of my calls and didn't call back either.I had driven to the condo twice, hoping that seeing me in person would make him soften his heart and hear me out.But both times he had refused to open the door and allowed me to knock until I was tired and left.I'd never seen him this angry before.He was determined to shut me out completely.I leaned back against the garden chair on our balcony, staring blankly at the f
(Isabella's POV)I couldn't breathe.I stood rooted to the floor, staring at Michael's motionless body."Michael?" My voice came out as barely a whisper.He still didn't move."Michael," I said again, louder this time, panic finally breaking through the shock.I dropped to my knees beside him, my hands shaking as I reached for his shoulder, shook him gently and then harder.Still nothing.I pressed my ears to his heart to hear a heartbeat or a pulse, any sign that this hadn't actually happened, that I hadn't actually killed him.But there was nothing.He was really dead.I slowly sank onto my knees.My hands were shaking so badly that I couldn't even feel my fingers anymore."No..."The word barely left my lips."No... no... no..."This wasn't supposed to happen."It was an accident..." I whispered it over and over again. "It was an accident..."Tears blurred my vision.I hadn't meant for this to happen. He'd grabbed me, and tried choking me. He was going to kill me.I had to do some
(Isabella's POV)The moment I pushed the apartment door open, the smell hit me.It was so strong that I immediately covered my nose with the back of my hand."What on earth..."I stood frozen at the door with my suitcase in my hand and just looked around.The living room was a complete mess.Empty bottles were everywhere. Some were on the coffee table, some on the floor, and one was even sitting on the arm of my expensive sofa like it could fall at any moment.Pizza boxes were stacked on top of one another.Half-eaten food sat on the center table with flies buzzing around it.Dirty clothes were scattered everywhere.The curtains were drawn shut, making the apartment gloomy despite the bright afternoon outside.The air was heavy with the smell of alcohol, stale food and cigarettes.The beautiful throw blanket I carefully bought to match my living room now had a dark stain on it. I didn't even want to know what caused it.For a long moment, I couldn't believe this was the same apartment
(Anna's POV)Richard arrived back from Singapore the day after Alex and I returned from France.I had less than few minutes to calm myself down.I had to hide everything that happened between Alex and me during that week.We had just finished breakfast when we heard his car.I watched from the balcony as the black SUV rolled to a stop outside the villa. The driver stepped out first before opening the rear door.Richard climbed out, looking exhausted.The moment he saw Alex waiting by the entrance, a smile spread across his face."Dad!"He walked over and hugged him warmly. "I can't thank you enough. I know I asked a lot from you and you dropped everything just to help me."Alex returned the hug with a polite smile."You don't have to thank me. It wasn't much of a problem.""I do." Richard shook his head. "You stayed here because of me. I owe you."Alex simply patted his shoulder "That wouldn't be necessary. She's family. I wasn't going to leave her to stay alone."Standing a few step
(Anna's POV)The week passed very quickly, like sand through my fingers.We spent every day under the warm sun, laughing, smiling, and enjoying every moment together. Most of the time, Alex was holding my hand, and I never wanted those moments to end.On the second day of Alex arriving, we went parasailing. At first I screamed because I was so scared. But after a while, my fear disappeared and I began enjoying it and even screamed in excitement.Flying high above the bright blue sea was one of the most amazing things I had ever experienced. From up there, our villa looked very small like a tiny dot.The next day we visited a local market. We looked at many handmade items like baskets and jewelry. I was not very good at bargaining, but Alex did it very well. Before we left, he bought me a small bracelet made from tiny seashells. I loved it so much that I wore it every day.Another day, we went deep-sea fishing. I had no idea what I was doing. When I finally caught a very big fis
(Alex's POV)I had to admit it.The date was going surprisingly well. Far better than I had expected.I sat across from Claire in one of the most exclusive restaurants in Beverly Hills, watching as she laughed softly at something I had just said.The golden chandelier lights reflected against the w
(Alex's POV)I sat quietly in the back seat of the car as Dubai's bright city lights flashed past the window.I leaned my head back against the leather seat and looked out the window.Normally, I appreciated views like this.But not today.My mind was preoccupied with the confrontation I had with R
(Richard's POV)For one terrifying second, I forgot how to breathe as my heart slammed violently against my ribs.What was my father doing here of all places?How did he even find me?A thousand possibilities raced through my mind at once.I forced my expression to remain calm.Years of business ne
(Alex's POV)I stayed in my car, watching, until Anna stepped into the house, the door closing behind her.Only then did I finally let out a breathe I didn't know I was holding.She was safe now.I started the engine and drove off.The moment I pulled away from the curb, I was already reaching for







