Ooof! We're halfway through!

Hello Lovelies! Hope y'all are doing good?

See? I'm back in schedule (I'm trying hard :P)

Anyways... Happy Reading!

XO

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3rd Person POV

An impatient Ezra was pacing around in his study, when the door suddenly opens, revealing a huffing Haze. Sweat droplets cling to his forehead, that held quite a resemblance to that particular raindrop which strides down the window sill on a rainy day. Clinging his head down, he took a step into the study and slowly closed the door behind him. Aware of his presence, Ezra slowly turns around, clenching his fists and asks,

"Is it true?", he asks in an authoritative tone.

"Yes boss", Haze replied in a timid voice, completely aware of the volcano that was about to erupt. He paused for a while, and found himself searching for the traces of Ezra when he didn't hear him yell or throw any sort of a tantrum. He looked around, only to find him standing across the window, peeping through the half drawn curtains, into the backyard. Taking in a deep breath, he continued, "My men reported that the fire was a result of short circuiting of wires in the ICU room... which resulted in bursting of the cylinder that was present nearby".

"What about him?", Ezra asked in a low voice.

"His body caught up in fire...", he hesitated but continued anyways, "... sources claim that he... he is dead".

Pin drop silence engulfed the study and only the sounds of the rugged breathing could be heard, when suddenly it was replaced by the sound of tearing of the curtains. Following the chaos, Haze looked up only to find an angry lion that was ready to rip apart everything that comes in his way. It was like Ezra had completely lost it; lamps were broken, curtains torn apart, while curtain rods lay there broken in two, the centre table was flipped over resulting in the flying of all the important papers and documents, like paper rains.

Haze quickly ran over to him, to stop him from causing more damage when Ezra forcefully freed himself from his grip and pushed haze away. "I TOLD YOU WE HAD TO ACT FAST! I FUCKING TOLD YOU!", Ezra spat angrily at him.

Goosebumps erupted in Haze's body. He knew Ezra wouldn't hurt him purposefully, but there are times like this when the already predicted goes in vein. He was aware of the horrors that would come when he first heard this news on their arrival here at Greece; but he wanted to confirm it before coming to any conclusions. His train of thoughts were broken when Ezra calls him out, "Hmm?", he asks.

"We need to find that bitch NOW! She would've come... Take me to her NOW!", Ezra said with his voice void of any emotions.

There was a murderous look which his eyes held and at that very moment Haze knew that if he didn't handle this situation carefully, then things would go down the lane. In a calming tone, he replies, "Ez... you need to calm down bro. Besides, we're here for your wedding wi..."

Before he could complete the sentence, he was cut off again, "Oh do hell with this wedding! Do you think I give a single flying fuck about this whole wedding drama?!", he let out an evilous laughter. He paused for a moment and then continued, "I want you to take me to Enaya Morriese... or God forbid me, if you don't obey whatever I asked you to do... then I hope you know what am I capable of doing", Ezra said in a dangerously low voice.

On hearing this, Haze couldn't help but gulp. He was totally aware of what Ezra is capable of doing, which is why he felt like there was no need to further anger the already angry lion. "She is not here", he said nervously.

"What did you just say?"

"She didn't arrive with Lucrecia, bro", he said. He very well knew that Ezra's ears would pick up Lucrecia's name, which would calm him for some time. A small smile made its way on Haze's face when he saw Ezra's expression soften a bit.

"Leave me alone", Ezra ordered.

"We'll find a way out bro... we'll figure something out", Haze started, "Just don't ruin this", saying this, he exited the study and closed the door after him.

∼meanwhile on the other side of the manor∼

A loud scream was heard from the adjacent room that happened to belong to Sue. Lucrecia and other girls quickly ran out of their respective rooms to make sure if they had any intruder to fight with. A small pistol clings to the grater that Lucrecia always wears beneath her dress, for situations like this. She pulls out the pistol, aiming at the door when Nans comes out of her room holding up a similar gun in her hand, with Harry on her trail.

She kicks open the door and aims straight from the head of the intruder when another scream is heard in the room, bringing them back to their senses.

"It's me Leon! SIL it's me! Leon! Don't shoot me", an equally nervous Leon pleaded the ladies, with his hands held up in the sir.

"'LEON?!", Sue whispered-yelled. She smacked the back of his head and said, "You scared me... you dofu!"

Shaking her head, Lucrecia walks past Sue and smacks the other side of his head and says, "Man invented stairs for a reason, you idiot! Why the fuck did you climb the window?", she asked.

"Because... it's romantic?", Leon said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head, "Also I was being told that Love was hard and blind...", he paused for a moment and looked at Lucrecia, "...But why did nobody told me that I'll need a rock-climbing training?!", he huffed.

"You mean to say window-climbing?", Nans teased.

"Nah, more like stalker-climbing", Harry said, but she made a face as if she were in deep thought and then continued, "...is that even a word?"

"No", they shouted in unison and started laughing.

That very moment, Nans' phone started vibrating. She pulled it out of her jean pocket and picked up the call.

"Good afternoon mam, sorry to disturb you at this hour but we tried reaching you for quite some time...", a timid voice of a fellow CBI officer said, on the other end of the call.

"Good afternoon Lewi... what happened?", Nans enquired.

"Mam... mam... Mister Ryan Alcon is no more", Officer Lewi replied.

"WHAT?!", Nans exclaimed as if it was hard for her to believe what she was being told. She briefly glanced at her friends, who looked happily engrossed in the preparations of tonight's party; which is why she thought that, it would be good if she just exited the room to talk about this matter calmly. She drew in a deep breath and exited the room, while closing the door behind her.

The call lasted for an hour and half, but during that period of time, all Nans could think of was, how Lucrecia will react to this. She was relieved to know that the dangers that lingered around Lucrecia had come to an end, following the death of Ryan; but could she really muster up the courage to tell her that the one she loved dearly at one point, who happened to be her first love... died burning in flames?

She knew Lucrecia held herself for whatever went down years back, but she was relieved following this incident, every pain and every haunting past can now be buried. At Least looking at the fact that Lucrecia is about to start a new chapter of her life, she needs to keep past everything that would bother her, very failed past relationships... just so that she could focus on the new beginnings.

Mustering up courage, Nans walks into Lucrecia's room that happens to be just in front of her room. Slowly she opens the door, to find Harry and Lucrecia sitting on her bed, talking about something. The moment their eyes fall on Nans, she smiles fondly and asks her to join them. Lucrecia's smile fades away when she sees the tensed face of Nans, who is currently shaking her head.

"What happened?", she asked.

"That call lasted longer... everything good at work?", Harry enquired.

"We need to talk", Nans said.

"Come... sit with us", Lucrecia replied, while making some space for her, on the bed.

Drawing in a deep breath, Nans sat in between her friends and held Lucrecia's hands in hers. "Listen to me carefully..."

Both Lucrecia and Harry found this behaviour of hers quite odd. Lucrecia couldn't help but give a slight nod to Nans and let out a shaky laugh, "You're starting to scare me now".

"Ryan Alcon is dead". The moment these words left her mouth, a chilling silence sweeped into the room. Silence screamed into the room as Lucrecia's face drained off all the colour.

"WHAT?!", Harry was the one who broke the silence.

On the other hand, Lucrecia sat there frozen like a statue. She looked up at Nans with a questionable gaze, as if she was asking her if whatever that she has said was true.

Nans could simply reply to her with a curt nod. "Apparently, he had a heart attack, the moment our plane took off; which is why the officers couldn't provide me with this news, as our cell phones were out of reach. When the doctor examined him in the jail, he said that Ryan was not breathing, so they had to quickly take him to the hospital... but then...", Nans stopped.

"But then what Noemy?", Harry demanded, "I don't get this... how can a guy like Ryan, who is well-built and buff... have a heart-attack all of a sudden?"

"Even the doctor thought the same... but when he checked, Ryan wasn't breathing; which is why he asked the team to shift Ryan to the hospital. But then, before the tests can be done, Ryan was shifted into the ICU meanwhile the doctors were getting everything ready, when suddenly a fire broke out and Ryan was caught up in the flames", Nans said and looked up at a zoned-out Lucrecia. She wondered what actually is going on in her best-friend's head.

Lucrecia on the other hand was trying to process all the information that came out of Nans' mouth. She still can't believe that Ryan, who was a big part of her life, both good and bad, is no more. No matter how hard she tried to express even a bit of a feeling, she couldn't muster up courage to even bat her eyes. She found herself falling in the pithole of over-thinking, when she whispered, "Leave me alone".

Her friends on the other hand knew that she was trying to isolate herself and go back to being that same girl she had become after that incident. They were skeptical about leaving her alone, but when she said, "Please", she left no room for arguments, and they left.

A constant battle emerged in her, where a part of her was asking her to be happy and relieved, now that she is finally free from her demons and she no longer has to live with a constant fear that Ryan or his men will be around the corner, wanting to put a bullet through her head. While there is this other part of her, which is sad because she lost him. That part of hers, was the one she was disgusted about, for still bearing feelings for the one who gave her those wounds.

She knew that no matter what... there will always be a small part of her heart that would belong to him. But then that got her thinking,

Did she really love him? Or she loved the 'idea of loving' him?

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Frankly speaking, I did not expected this chapter to even exceed 1500 words, but it surpassed 2000 lol

Soooooooo, how'd like the twist? Or was it? bc y'all already knew the plan.

Hmmmm.... now I wonder who that 'unknown person' was, who helped Ryan escape. ANy ideas who might that be?

Next up we have a sizzling bachelorette! Yaay!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)))))))))

Have a great day!

Xo <33333