pte

ia's

's saviour. Not when you were the

orly lighted alley behind the Sinclair Tower, my hands were trembling, my heart beating, and my breath was laboring

rage and something softer-something I didn't want to describe. His low, harsh voice s

chest. "You have no right to pronounce her name like that. Ethan, you know

oice rising. "You went, Olivia." You hu

. "What did you share with your secretary from bed? T

ooking aside and gently slumping his shoulders. "It wasn't what you think," he murmured softly, t

ook and the genuineness in his speech weighed me. Then I thought of the suffering, the treachery, the

stated coldly. You devastated us. And no half

ict was a live, breathing entity that permeated the little lane with its weight. From his

w concern. not now. Not wh

still lingered on the screen, mocking me with their cryptic warnings. The weight of the risk we

"We need to move." " Whoever comes after you won

firmly, whirling to f

more rising. "You have been hiding secrets, Oli

ack, my voice quivering with rage

followed was deafening, the unsaid accusations hov

o are they, Olivia?" he said. "Why are they hunting for y

idea their name or desire. I know they have been observing

his eyes narrowing. "You didn't believe I

d in my voice. "You are not entitled to claim

voice perilously low. "This relates to safeguarding her." About sa

filling it. Ethan, you already turned away. The minute y

t. But the sound of approaching footfall sent a shu

the alley for the noise source. Every muscle in my body tightened as t

said, his voic

steps got louder, nearer. I assumed it was one of the office guys fo

all, strong, and s

her voice both threatening and

s gaze narrowing as he moved fo

like a predator weighing up its prey. "You d

ned, my voice trembling even with

"Oh, Olivia,," she whispered gently. "It's not about

y poised for conflict. "You're

oadening. Mr. Sinclair, I am not here to

drew out a tiny black gadget. She touched a button,

e, shaking and afraid.

o slink toward its axis. Ethan's face reddene

lethal, "you touch her," th

r," she nodded toward me. "You know, Olivia, what we are looking for

with that, leaving us startled quiet as th

anished into the darkness. His voice was harsh, forceful, every sentence tinged with an intensity fit for the tempest blazing

where

d down from my back against the chilly brick wall until I was seated on the floor. My

broke through the cloud of fear. Grasping my s

e back from the edge. He said confidently, "We're going to get her back."

ey had been trailing after me giving mysterious messages. Thought: I reasone

he said to me, his voice growing in fury. "

to life. "What was Ethan meant to do? Ask you? The man

just enough to catch me off-target. "We don't have time for this," he replied, his voice now softer but no less st

haking hands. "They said I have something they need,

fident you had it, they would not have followed after you. See,

d reply. Glancing at the television, his fac

o a standstill.

pression stiffened as the movie started to run. As the TV c

s. Her face was pale, and she glanced up at someone off-camera with wide-open

my sight. Ethan gazed at the television, his fing

r. His voice came out artificial and distorted. "24 hours, Ol

silence. My voice shaking with desperat

urning with will, he st