Everything slows. I stumble away from the counter for safety. I knock over a table. Falling to the floor. Jace flees to me. So does Alonso. He wobbles over, his temple bleeding. "CUT OUT THE HEART!!!" The frail voice is gone. This isn't an old woman! She aims the knife at my chest. Jace shoves her, but he's too late. The knife is too close.  

Alonso's arm blocks it. The blade pierces through his forearm...slicing through skin. Stopping a few inches above my chest. He hisses from the agony yet withholds the position of his arm. "GET HER TO THE CAR!" He lifts his arm while simultaneously holding the woman back with the other. The other guards rush in and tackle her to the floor.  

"NOOOOO!!!" The lady screeches like a possessed demon.

Jace helps me from the floor and rushes me away. For the first time in my life...I black out. I don't remember how we got inside the car. I don't recall the loud mob. My ears muffle and ring. My mind shuts off. All I see is the sight of a knife flickering before my eyes. The screaming woman. The evilness in her eyes. 

How the blade sped toward my chest. Why would someone try to kill me? Jace said there are death threats with fame. But that wasn't a threat. It was an attempt! Why did she try to kill me?

"Are you okay?" Jace's voice is shaky. I'm not sure how to answer. Am I? Do I lie and say yes? Or should I be truthful? I'm not sure, so I keep quiet. He hugs me, tightly, locking me against his neck. "I'm sorry...I should've been by your side."

"It's not your fault." I manage a wobbly whisper.

"I'm sorry." There's so much misery in his voice.

I don't understand why he's apologizing. I caress the back of his neck. "You didn't know...." I console him. How could he have known she was a threat? So much detail went into her ploy. The makeup, the age lines. The texture of her skin was altered. The acting was convincing. That woman even tricked Alonso. 

I pull from the hug to peer into his eyes. "Don't apologize." He has the same troubled look from before. The same one he had in the shower. Broken and pained. The weakened eyebrows, the life fleeting from his eyes. Why? That night he said he'd tell me in the morning and never did. I can't allow that to happen again. "I've seen this look before...you never told me what it meant." 

"I know..." he speaks meekly. "I avoided telling you."

"Why?"

"Because I knew it'd be a deal breaker."

"Tell me." I demand, although I'm petrified.

"I told you a small part of the danger."

"Yeah...you mentioned death threats. I know. I just never thought there would be attempts."

"The truth is, there will always be attempts. I only shared half of the truth. I didn't want to lose you. But now I have no choice but to be honest." He inhales.

I'm afraid of what he's about to say.

"Kim was the first one from my family to be harmed. Five years ago, she received a bomb hidden in a wardrobe. It went off and scarred her. That was my fault." He dreadfully eyes the floor. "Then my mother's jet exploded. It was meant to kill her, but she usually forgets something. So she de-boarded the craft just in time. My family left America after that. Since then, I've been the only target. The worst I suffered was a backstage stabbing. That forced me to hire professionals." My heartbeat thumps my entire ribcage. I have trouble focusing because of it. I force myself to retain all the information he's exposing. "I wish I was the only one who needed protection. Now you and your family are at risk. I hired extra men...so far, that's done little to help."  

"What do you mean, it's done little to help?" I croak.

He stares sadly at me. I can tell admitting this is torture. The eyes are the windows to the soul...he's in anguish. But Jace pushes through it. "Alonso left for a reason. One of my rivals has your mother's DNA coded. They planned on initiating biological warfare to terminate her."

My breaths catch in my lungs. There's a noise from my throat. I sound as if I'm drowning on air. "Terminate?? No...no, that can't happen!!" 

"I know...it's been handled. The threat no longer exists." I hold my chest. My eyes frantically bounce around. "Breathe. It's alright. Breathe with me." He begins a breathing method.

I follow along. In for five seconds. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Out for five seconds. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. "This is too much!" I admit. I stopped myself from telling him this before...but now I can't. My mother was almost killed. My family is at risk! "It's all too much!" 

Jace is gutted by my words. "I know."

"I wish you never told me..."

"I had to...you have to know the life you're entering. I promised your father I wouldn't sugarcoat the past."

"My father?"

"Yes...he had worries about the crowds. So, he came to me. Neither of us want you hurt. Today was too close. You have the right to be frightened. No matter what you choose to do, I'll respect your decision." His bassy voice is void of hope. "I won't make you to stay." 

"I don't know what to choose."

"It won't be easy...I'll give you time to work it out. You and your family will be secure at Alodia." 

JACE

I wave to Madi and her family as they board the jet. I stay near the limo to keep my distance. I don't like being visibly helpless around others. Only Madi can see me that way. But now I don't know if she's ever going to see me again. Madi was nearly stabbed to death. I accepted walking away if she got harmed.  

Now I'm wondering if I even want to risk it happening again. Today was a nightmare. The horrible thing is there will be more attempts. Bombings. Explosions. Stabbings. Biological warfare. If I were in her place, I would run far from this situation. I'd drop everything once I knew how lethal the attacks could be. Maybe we're on the same page. Maybe my fiancé is thinking the same.  

If so...I'd have to respect Madi's choice. She's distressed about her parents and her girls. Unsettled because their lives are in her hands. Lives that can end at any given second...I'm prepared for the engagement to end. The jet rolls the runway. I sense my baby's eyes on me. Our connection is still so electric after all this time. To the point that the static air lessens the further the craft flies. My soul aches for her. But I have to toughen up. This can't break me. My day is full of work for the Orbe merger. The French council converses over the phone. We downsize workers. Eliminating employees who are unproductive or at risk, both on my and their end. A grand total of 115 employees are laid off.  

Next, we cut expenses by combining our labor workshops as one. Thailand has been my main country for years. But Colombia benefits us financially, labor cost is only $1.61 an hour. This leads to even more downsizing. Of course, both I and them will have to construct a headquarters there as StryOrbe, a subdivision of Strygent. Next, we discuss bonus gifts.  

Since Orbe is a tech industry as well, they recommend gifts with each purchase a customer makes. A free holographic keyboard. I'm emailed the product; a display video of how it pairs to all devices, including TVs and vehicles. My eyes constantly watch my dark phone screen. Don't think about it. Look away. Focus on business. I force my eyes away and stare at the phone. "The Strobe Sports Car needs further evaluation."  

"Yes, it does." Madam Cavill, the blunt woman from Paris, agrees. "The stylistic choice is still not to our liking. Too much of your influence overtakes our design. There needs to be a balance between both our signature themes." 

"Yes. That will be amended, no matter how long the process takes."

"Lovely."

When the evening arrives, I view the security cameras of Alodia on my PC. Madi's parents pace the hallway. I don't see her with them. Has she taken a few days off again? I know when she's too challenged by the world; she isolates herself. I recall when she hid in the ballroom after the video leak. 

She even faked sleep in the morning to avoid the outcome. At least I kept her company during that bad time. Now it seems she wants no one around. Madison is alone. I wonder if her family knows what happened. Did she tell them about the crazy woman? Or did she bottle it up? 

Again, I look at my phone and then back to the security cameras. Paul anxiously walks back and forth before a closed door. Madi must be inside. His stride is critical. An unnerved father. Lucy walks to knock on the door. She speaks. 

I can't hear what she says. I'm not sure where Lily and Jess are. Maybe they're in the room with her. Madi shouldn't be alone. Should I call? Or give her space? 

Paul exits the hall. Lucy holds her forehead with both hands, stressed. Both of them are on edge. I'm guessing they know. My finger clicks to change to a camera within the room. The curtains are drawn. Not even a ray of sunshine penetrates space. It's completely pitch black. 

I strain my eyes to examine the oversized bed. There's a lump there. She's sleeping. Or she's zoning everyone out. Madi blacked out on the way to the car. Maybe she's doing it again.

My phone rings. It's an unregistered number. A noncontact. I pick up. "What have you done to my daughter?!!" The hostility in Paul's voice catches me off guard.

I need to respond with a leveled head. "I've done nothing."

"Bullshit! She's never locked herself away!! Something is wrong. It's all in her eyes. I don't like it!"

I know the look he's talking about. I recall Madi's reaction in the car. A detached gaze. A look of complete disturbia. Pure panic. "She's had a rough day."

"What does that mean?"

I guess I'm the one to tell the truth, since Madi is incapable of doing so. "There was a near assault today at the homeless shelter. Alonso was quick to neutralize the threat. But it was a close one."

"How close?"

"It won't occur again, I promise."

"How close, Jace?!" He's half upset, half fearful.

"The knife came inches from her chest..." There's a long pause. Paul's breathing is uneven. He's worked up. "It's up to Madison if she wants to stay with me or leave. I won't force her into this life."

Paul lets out a long breath. "I don't get how it was that close! What are you paying all the guards for?!"

"This was well orchestrated...that's why. It wasn't a crazy fan. The woman was most likely a paid actor."

"Paid by who?"

"The Bacia Family. One of my rivals. An Ugandan mafia. My precautions have held them at bay until now."

"Mafia???!"

"Yes."

"Why aren't your methods working anymore?"

"I have collateral damage...they view you all as prey. You're all off the grid at the island. Don't worry."

"How long will we have to run?"

Huh? Are my ears deceiving me? Did Paul just say "we?" "I'm not sure....and I wouldn't want you all stripped of your homeland because of this."

"You've already set that in motion with the proposal."

"That was before I told your daughter all the horror stories."

"You think she'll walk away?"

"It's a possibility."

"I don't think she will..." He's highly doubtful...as if one hundred percent sure his daughter will stay with me.

Do I admit that his wife's DNA was weaponized? There's no point in holding back this information. I've already told him about the mafia. Why stop there? "Your wife's DNA was compromised using CRISPR. Her pathogens were altered through the process of bioterrorism. The Bacia family initiated a fatal virus using her cells. Alonso deactivated the coding before this was successful."  

"HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET HER DNA?!!!" He's furious.

"The use of genotypes."

"Did they have her blood?!" Paul is freaked out. I feel the creepy chill in his voice.

"No...her genetic code is airborne. Humans shed DNA daily, which can be collected from air samples by analytic software."

"Will it happen again?"

"I can't promise anything," I speak frankly. "I don't expect Madison to stay. I hardly expect any of you to. Today was a wake-up call. I've never seen anything to this extent."

Paul breathes rapidly. I hear his shoes pacing the floor. Stressful sighs follow. "Will this family stop coming after us if we leave?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because they want me out of the tech industry. Meaning by any means necessary. The Bacia family will use you all as collateral to threaten my dismissal."

"How do we fix this? There has to be a way."

"I'll have to leave."

"You're leaving my daughter??" The disarray in his voice is bizarre.

"Don't you want me to? You're the one who asked if it's too late for her to get cold feet."

"I did...but the wedding is set. You two have made your relationship official."

"We did...that was before the mafia got involved."

"I understand the severity of the situation. I'm just concerned about how Madi's life will fall apart. I don't like this seclusion. She hasn't said a word to us. That's unlike her. There has to be a way around this."

"There is...but I wouldn't want to uproot five people from their country."

"Leaving America is an option?"

"Yes...my family fled and have been safe ever since."

"Then that's the answer."

"Not unless Madi agrees...as I said before, this is all up to her. She's at odds...this isn't just about her life." 

MADISON

I don't want to leave bed. How can I? I couldn't even look at my mom without turmoil in my heart. What if she had died? What if Alonso didn't save her in time? My mother would be dead. I've never experienced death...so I can't picture someone in my life disappearing. Not existing. There one day and gone the next.  

Does it feel like a hole? Or worse? My life would never be the same if I lost her. If I lost any of them. Dad. Lily. Jess. This is all I thought about since I landed. I was oddly silent. Unsettled. Scared. Pissed...mostly because Jace wouldn't have told me if the homeless shelter incident didn't occur. Would he have mentioned this if not for that? Would Jace have kept it hidden? 

There's a lump in my throat. A tremble in my hands. A throb working both my temples. A pressure headache. I hyperventilate when a sharp pain strikes my chest. I winch and hold it. Am I having a panic attack?! I heave air in and out of my mouth. What do I do?! 

The wedding is 8 days away! Everything is planned and scheduled. RSVPS have been sent. The whole world is waiting for the day. Can I even go through with it? 

"Madison?" My mom rattles on the door again. "Please talk to me. What's wrong?" 

Everything is wrong. Life is cruel. Love is confusing. Why can't things be simple? There's always something bad around the corner. It's going to become the norm if I stay with Jace. The danger will never stop. I wish my fiancé didn't wait to tell me how twisted his life was. I don't think I would have remained by his side. Living outweighs love. I'd rather live as long as I can than number my days. I love him...but is it strong enough to withstand assassinations???  

"Your dad is on the phone with Jace trying to figure this out. Please let me in so I can help..."

"What's up?" I hear my Lily. She must have been enjoying the beach or shopping. I didn't see her or Jess when I landed.

"I don't know...she won't talk to me!" Mom is desperate. "Maybe you can try?"

Lil taps on the door. "Hey babe, can I come in?" I detect the nervousness in her voice. She twists the knob. I locked the door. "Maddy." Lil sighs. My phone rings a few seconds later. I ignore it. I don't want to talk. Just leave me alone. This is a crisis. I'm better at handling it by being alone, so I'm able to collect my thoughts. 

"I hope she's okay." 

"She may be sleeping?" Lil lets go of the knob. Her voice is still uneven. Anxious.

"This early? I thought we were choosing the wedding destination today?"

Lil texts me: You okay? I want to disappear...so no one worries about me. It's a burden.

"Paul, what did you find out?"

Pounding knocks sound from the door. That's Dad for sure. "Open up, Maddy, I need to talk to you."

"Did Jace tell you something?" Mom bugs Dad.

"Lucy...just let me handle this, alright!"

"Did he hurt her??!!"

"He better not have!!" Lil bellows emotionally.

"No...that's not it. Let me handle it!"

Why is everyone yelling??? They're making the situation more chaotic than it is. Mom should know better. Jace would never lay a hand on me. He's not my ex! 

"Princess, please open the door." His gentle voice reminds me of baby talk. He's softening his tone to comfort me as a parent would a sad kid. 

Jace must have told him. I get out of bed and walk to the door. I leave the lights off, so I'm not seen. I look a mess. Red eyed from crying, and pale. The blood in my face is vacant. My skin is clammy and cold. I unlock the door and step behind it so the light from the hall doesn't reveal My hideousness.

Dad steps inside swiftly and closes the door. I hear him feel around the wall for a light switch. "Where's the light?"

I guess I can't hide forever. "Lights on." I recoil from the brightness and peer up at him, bawling my eyes out.

Dad hugs me and exhales ruggedly. "I'm here..." I wail into his arm, sniffling and sobbing. "Shh...don't tire yourself out. You've had enough today."

"Did he tell you?" I say through choppy breaths.

"Yes...I know everything." 

"What do I do?" 

"There's a way around this." He lowers his voice so our audience beyond the door doesn't hear. "Jace's family have survived."

"By running...I can't ask y'all to do that. It's selfish." I whisper.

"It's not. Regardless of what you choose, me and your mother are still prey to these people. We're too attached to Jace, so are Lily and Jess. The public knows us. Leaving America is the only option." He ends the embrace and eyes me with apprehension. "I wish today wasn't so hard. But it was...now you have to be smart to keep living. If you run away from this, the response will be horrific."  

"Horrific??" I'm clueless as to why he used that word. He knows something I don't. Jace told him more than me. "What else did Jace tell you?" My dad can usually put on a jolly demeanor...yet he fails. His smile and eyes are too strained to be natural. "Dad...?" 

"Don't worry about it...we just have to stay on the island until there's a solution."

"There's more...what aren't you telling me??!!" My terror turns the question into a shout.

"Get some rest." Dad forces another grin. "Don't worry."