To get through a heartache after the sudden breakup, Arabella moves to New York City to start another chapter of her life.
Driven by the hope to make Adrian Castle, the man who left her broken to pieces with an excuse of protecting her against his w...
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I never thought I could ever set foot in Adrian's penthouse, not in this lifetime, but here I am once again. Nothing has changed—it's as though time has been on a halt in spite of many unspeakable events we both had to bear just to forget that we were once happy and full of plans for tomorrow.
Our tomorrow.
Camilla basks me into a hug that lasts a whole long minute. She must've been a mess imagining someone hurting me in her supposedly safe home. I smile gratefully, for it is a beautiful feeling knowing I have a friend who truly cares about me and my well being.
"God, I'm so happy you're fine, Ara. You had my heart on a race, damn it," she whispers.
"Me too. But all is well now." I thaw in her arms, thanking heavens for another countless escape of harm forged my way.
Sometimes I feel like danger has been haunting my existence for much longer than I've known it. Like my own shadow in the dark, it's always lurking around me; I can never escape it regardless of where I go for as long as I live.
"Where is Isla?" I ask Camilla as we pull apart, noticing she's been chugging some of Adrian’s expensive whisky straight from the bottle that is currently placed on the coffee table.
She's barefoot, dressed in a white palazzo with a half-tucked denim shirt. Her hair is messed up in a floppy bun, and I highly doubt it's a style of her choice.
"Asleep upstairs. She has no idea about tonight so… you're good." Relief dances in her eyes as she says this, and I can feel it too deep in my bones.
My little girl didn't sign up for this kind of life. I've failed her.
"Thank you," I murmur.
For a moment I just stand still, not knowing what else to do. I see Adrian by the kitchen having a serious chat with Mario, who nods repeatedly, clinging at every word spoken by him. They seem to be discussing the incident, and if I know that man better, he must be diving to the very bottom of it.
"Have you eaten? You look beat, love," says Camilla, her tender eyes fixated on me.
I nod affirmatively and reply, "We stopped at the restaurant. I'm good."
There's too much in my mind. I've got plenty of questions, and most of them require Adrian to answer for some reason. He and I need to talk; I don’t think I can get a wink of sleep tonight without having clarity about certain doubts. I just know I won't.
A moment later, I head straight to the guest bedroom upstairs, locking eyes only momentarily with Adrian. He lets me move without a word, fully aware that I'm not a stranger around his home. I still remember every part of this house like the back of my hand, and each memory engraved is more alive than the wounds inflicted.
My heart pounds heavily at each step.
When I finally see Isla, my whole body relaxes. My little angel is fast asleep in a vast bed covered with neat linen sheets and soft pillows. The room is huge and ravishly made like the rest of the house. It has everything, including a flatscreen TV and a mini fridge stashed with water bottles, in case nothing has truly changed since my first visit here.
