The Dark Side Of Fate

The Beating Of His Heart ~Josphine~ Justin vented his frustration towards Liam, who remained silent and took the blame even though I was the one who convinced him to go to the place in the first place.

The guilt weighed heavily on me and I imagined what Justin must have endured when the King called, desperately trying to speak with Liam, and Justin having no idea how to reach him.

The King’s worry was entirely understandable.

The circumstances had led to everyone being evacuated from Grizlo for a valid reason.

It was only natural for him to be on high alert when something happened, especially since the incident took place at his mother’s house.

I recognised the legitimacy of his fear, and I felt awful for causing so much concern and putting Liam in a negative light with Justin.

I couldn’t shake off the feeling of blame, fearing that it might lead to problems between Liam and me.

As I made my way to my room, I sternly reminded myself not to act impulsively in the future.

Justin’s concerns were entirely justified.

What if we had been attacked in that place? Despite being fighters capable of defending ourselves, we would have been overpowered if they came in large numbers.

The possibility that they might have used weapons as well weighed heavily on my mind.

I may be immune to Silver, but Liam wasn’t.

The seriousness of the situation dawned on me, and I felt an overwhelming sense of remorse for my actions.

While I was in the shower, I heard a knock on the door, and my immediate instinct told me it was Liam.

He was the only person who would come knocking at my door this late at night.

Covered in soap, I decided that once I finished freshening up, I would head to his room.

The idea of going to his room gave me a rush of excitement, causing goosebumps to prickle my skin.

The memories of our time together at the lake and in his room replayed in my mind.

The way he spoke and the things he did made my heart flutter.

The almost-kiss we had shared at the lake was real; it couldn’t have been a product of my imagination.

I was certain of it.

After I finished freshening up and slipped into my pyjamas, I decided to check on Liam to ensure he was okay, especially since Justin’s demeanour had been serious.

Gently knocking on his door, I was surprised when Liam opened it and motioned for me to come in.

As I stood in his room, I felt a bit uncertain about what to say or do.

Liam looked attractive in his shorts, and not wearing anything on top allowed my mind to wander for a brief moment.

“Sorry about…” I began, but he interrupted me, preventing me from finishing the sentence.

He quickly put on a T- shirt and then guided me towards the balcony.

“I had a great time today, and I don’t regret going with you to that place.

I’m just relieved that we made it back home safely,” he expressed, stepping out onto the balcony.

I watched him closely, unsure of how he felt about the situation.

“So you’re not upset with me?” I inquired, and he shook his head, offering his hand to invite me to join him on the balcony.

“Not at all,” he reassured me, pulling me closer so that we stood side by side, gazing up at the stars in the night sky.

In that serene moment, I knew we shared a special connection, and the day’s adventure had only strengthened our bond.

As he gazed at the night sky, I found myself studying him closely.

It was surprising to see that he didn’t appear affected by the incident with Justin.

It seemed as though he had brushed it off, which I knew was to my advantage.

I gently reached out and touched his arm, prompting him to look at me.

“You know you shouldn’t have lied for my sake,” I remarked, feeling grateful for his gesture but also concerned about him getting in trouble.

Liam chuckled and replied, “Who said I was lying? I actually wanted to check it out myself; you just helped me make up my mind faster,” he admitted with a mischievous grin, causing me to laugh along with him.

It was a relief to know that we were on the same page, and our adventurous spirits only brought us closer together.

Not ready to leave just yet, I decided to initiate a conversation with him.

“What do you think the housekeeper might have done?” I asked, seeking his thoughts on the matter.

He gazed at me, pondering the question.

“Beats me, Jo, but one thing’s for sure: we need to be extremely cautious from now on,” he responded, his smile fading as he emphasised the seriousness of the situation.

He continued, “We were under surveillance by those perpetrators.

sent a

have already

They gave instructions and showed us getting into a cab,” he revealed, causing

I exclaimed, grasping the gravity

nodded solemnly and

off, my mind racing to the worst possible scenarios, realising the potential danger we had placed ourselves in due

in a comforting hug while gently stroking my hair

to be

help but embrace him tightly, cherishing the

and we chose to savour the moment,

enveloped us, and if there had been music playing, I would have swayed

focused and present in

and I lifted my head to meet his

was incredible, and I’m grateful we shared it together,” he confessed, and I couldn’t

the incident, it was a day filled with cherished memories etched

wanting to smile, I found myself lost in Liam’s

know I craved, leaving me to wonder if I was merely imagining things or

whisper, but my voice caught in my

a kiss, an unfortunate knock on his door interrupted our moment, and I couldn’t help but curse whatever seemed to be

mutter a curse word under his breath too, which was quite endearing, causing me to

I nodded, signalling that he could

and in need of sleep, I announced, “I’m going to bed,” making my way

Liam didn’t seem happy with that

revealing Oliver, who had a smile that faded when

and rightfully so, as he had

asked, his tone carrying a

even though my demeanour probably gave away

“No, you’re good, Oliver.

to

the near-kiss moment with Liam, and I couldn’t help but curse

I let out a frustrated

should stop waiting for the perfect moment and just

moment had been interrupted, and it wasn’t the

let anything else get in the way

to bed hoping for a good night’s sleep,

been there, I thought, I might

night, and it evaded me

five in the morning, setting the tone

up at eight, I was aware

routine, I managed to get ready by eight-thirty and

I found

chair was at the

promptly got up from his seat beside Liam, offering it

gesture, but it made me feel a

to my tired appearance, as I had completely

everyone would be aware that I

smile in response to her comment and greeted everyone

“Slept late,” and I nodded,

that he was helping me serve my food, a

collect my thoughts, Noah’s question brought me back to the

for me to connect the dots, given my

who sent them blew up the van to cover their tracks,” I was impressed by Justin’s theory and agreed

with all the danger

Liam about finding his girlfriend made me

word “girlfriend” suddenly bothered me,

feelings for Liam were deeper than I

I lifted the fork, but I quickly placed it back on the plate, hoping no

with Sophia weighed

you be able to move

we all here because of her?” Marvin teased, and I found it hard to

surface, but I

wanting to draw attention

in my chest, the kind that usually preceded tears, but I forced myself to take deep breaths and

couldn’t let my emotions overwhelm me, especially

to remain composed and steady, even though it felt like a struggle to keep my emotions in

replied, attempting to downplay

it slide and teased him about the night she went missing,

playful comment, asserting that Liam had practically confessed

Mountain, and it had never

struck a nerve, and I

plate away and stood up to excuse myself, pretending that

sight, I hastened up

inside my room, I allowed myself to release the emotions that had

trying to regain composure, but tears streamed down

and Liam had hit a sensitive nerve, and I needed

my room, I couldn’t help but berate myself for foolishly

cared deeply for Sophia, which was precisely why we were

my cheeks, I allowed

to let out the