Attracted By My Ex-wife

Ryan had no choice but to acquiesce to the reason in Nicholas' words. He loathed it but he had to admit that the other man was right.

For now, he had to return home alone.

"Fine. I'm leaving now, but I expect you to show up in a week just like you said," he said begrudgingly.

At this moment, Ryan was coming to understand the gravity of what working with Nicholas truly meant, along with the reality of its less than desirable consequences. He was constantly on edge, teetering on a wire of mistrust and helplessness. Every day was growing more and more tiresome, but he had no choice but to proceed. He was so near to getting Kevin's property and his wife, yet he knew that he couldn't do it alone. He wasn't going to give up easily.

As Ryan left, Nicholas watched him disappear and sipped his tea slowly with a faint sneer lurking on his lips.

Night was approaching in A City. It was summer now, but even the sweet fragrance of the breeze left Kevin desolate.

"Kevin, go back and rest. I'll take care of everything. You haven't slept for two days," Sam said, his voice edged with concern.

Everything was his fault. Seeing his friend so distraught only made guilt eat away at his gut.

Kevin turned to him and saw the shadows in Sam's face. He pulled himself together and answered lightly, "It's alright. You can go back first. I'm not tired."

But instead of being consoled, Kevin relieving him of blame only made Sam feel worse. It would have been better if he had cursed at him, maybe even landed a blow or two. Sam would choose Kevin's sharp words and anger over him being an empty shell every day.

"Kevin, this was my fault. I'm so sorry. I'll do everything I can and keep looking for clues. I swear I'll take responsibility and see this through to the end." Sam was less confident than his words, but he would be damned if he didn't die trying.

Kevin let out a long sigh and shook his head. "No, I was too careless that day. They had already planned it long ago. If anything, I should be the one apologizing that you had to be dragged into this. I'm the one who didn't think things through, so don't go blaming yourself. Besides, Anne is my wife, so this is my responsibility."

Sam took a long look at his defeated friend and found that words had failed him this time. There was nothing he could say to alleviate Kevin's burden. Instead, he opted for action. "No, we both failed here. I'm just as much to blame as you are, so we will both find her. We already have the license plate. We have a lead now. It'll get things moving, but you still have to take care of yourself. There's a limit your body can take. You can't fall ill now, of all times. You know that."

Kevin was the image of exhaustion. Sam could see it in the way his shoulders hunched, and the lost look in his eyes. He was tired, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. More than anyone, Sam could understand Kevin's feelings. He would be in the same state, if not worse, if it had been Emily instead.

But what added to the weight of Anne's abduction was the fact that she was pregnant. Kevin was a father now too, and this catastrophe had endangered his whole family. His pregnant wife was missing, and the baby growing inside her was their hope to save their other son.

The turmoil of his thoughts were becoming a little too much to bear. "I know. Go ahead. I want to be alone," he answered.

He spoke heavily, as if the very act of speaking put a strain on him—far from the untouchable fortress that he always seemed to be in front of everyone else.

Knowing that there was nothing else he could say, Sam sighed and got in the car, giving Kevin a quiet space for his own thoughts.

to him, making his limbs useless. He breathed deeply. No one could see him

would be fine. His children would be fine. Kevin repeated the same phrases to himself, almost as if

scent of salt. Anne woke up and opened her eyes to an

tried to move, she found that her hands and feet had been bound, and that her face was covered. She had no

a voice asked. It had a chilly timbre, but at

memory, chasing the sound of the voice. When she had finally put

for her to be able to trace him so quickly.

you doing? Why did you kidnap me?" Anne demanded sharply. Leaving her anger aside, she

hurt you. I just want to ask Kevin a little favor." Nicholas' voice was even and relaxed. He knew that Anne had a good head on her shoulders. She

you people can be," Anne scoffed, almost mocking. There was not a single quiver of fear in

roll slowly along his tongue like a taste of something foreign. "Shame is such an overrated concept. I guess it can be pretty convenient, seeing how people keep spouting it whenever it suits them. But I'll tell you what, Miss Anne, such ideals are of no value. It will only slow you down and make you hesitate at crucial moments. The sooner you discard

was definitely spirited, but even that wouldn't hide

thought of how she had deliberately put herself in danger in order to protect Eddy. His

also pregnant, so you can rest assured that I won't run away. You're already keeping me captive and I'm not

One: she was blindfolded and Nicholas had kidnapped her. Two: they were on some body of

never ran out of surprises. "Shouldn't you be a little more

smiled, and even under the

since I am pregnant, I don’t really have much of a choice." As she spoke, Anne remembered the look of shock on Nicholas' face when he saw her protecting Eddy. He

he said. "It won’t help you

she needed to know that she

was ridiculous. My mother used to be a proud woman, but she was reduced to a frail excuse of her old self after that. She had even wanted to abort me—she told

with a distant expression, and his

voice— a painful memory speaking from the grave. "How could you

loathed when people prodded about his past. But he felt different with Anne. Before

father's philandering ways. She probably had to tell herself that to save what little was left of her pride, but drinking made her acknowledge the truth. When she got drunk, she was able to see

the man's sake. No child should have to go through what he did. "Children should not have to shoulder their parents' mistakes. Even if two people cannot stand each other, the child should always be put first. If they just

not help but speak her mind. Her love for her children was something that came so naturally to her, like an instinct being awakened. She was ready to

Nicholas said after a long

of quiet filled

At the AN Group.

boundless and magnetic energy. It