Chapter <b>12 </b>
-HUNTER’S POV-
<b>38 </b>
The city hums beneath me, a dull, never–ending sound. Lights stretch across the skyline, flickering like tiny, distant ghosts. Everything looks the same as it always does<b>–</b>cold, unreachable.
And yet, my mind won’t quiet.
Three years<b>. </b>
Three years, and the memory is still just out of reach. Like a dream I wake up from too soon. Like <b>a </b>song I almost remember but never fully do.
I press my fingers against my temples, exhaling slowly.
I’ve tried. God knows I’ve tried. I’ve torn that night apart in my head, searching for something real, something solid. But all I ever get are fragments.
Soft fingers. Warm breath. Augh that feels like home.
But her face? Always a blur.
And now–now there’s him.
Caesar.
A kid with blue eyes that look too much like mine. A kid who stares at me like he knows me. Like he’s waiting for me to recognize him too.
I tell myself it’s nothing. A coincidence. But my gut is screaming at me, and my gut has never been wrong.
I don’t even think before grabbing my phone. My fingers move on their own<b>, </b>scrolling through my contacts until Ind on the name I need.
I press call.
One ring. Two. Then a groggy voice. “Boss<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“I need you to look into someone. Celine Brown. Everything–where she’s been, who she’s been with.” My voice is sharp, impatient. “Go back three <b>years</b><b>.” </b>
A pause. Then, “I’ll start in the morning.”
“No,” I snap. “Start now.”
Another silence. Then <b>a </b>quiet, “Understood.”
I hang up. I don’t move. I don’t breathe. Because if my gut is right–if Caesar is-
I don’t let myself finish that thought.
I turn back to the window instead, staring at the city, letting the hum of it drown out the storm inside me.
-CELINE’S POV-
<b>1/3 </b>
9:08 pm GGGG.
38
I let out a long sigh as I finally pushed open the door to my tiny apartment, the exhaustion of the day weighing down on me like a boulder.
The moment I stepped inside, the familiar scent of home filled my nostrilsvender detergent, a hint of baby powder, and the lingering aroma of the dinner I had barely had time to eat.
I set my bag down by the couch and exhaled, rubbing my temples.
Today had been a disaster.
I couldn’t believe I still had a job after everything Caesar had pulled.
I sank onto the bed, the events of the morning reying in my mind. Caesar refusing to get up. His stubborn little arms crossed, his defiant scowl making my stomach drop. The way Hunter had looked at him—at me.
God, what must he think of me now?
Did he regret hiring me?
Was he mad?
I closed my eyes, pressing my palms against them. I couldn’t afford to lose this job. Not when it was the only thing keeping a roof over our heads.
Hunter had been patient today, but what about next time?
What if Caesar pushed too far? What if Hunter decided he had had enough?
The thought made my chest tighten. I couldn’t risk it. I had to be more careful. I had to make sure Caesar stayed far from him–no more idents, no more confrontations. <fn0779> Th?s chapter is updated by </fn0779>
away
I pulled myself up, dragging my feet toward the bathroom. A hot shower. That was what I needed. Something to wash away the tension knotting in my muscles.
Turning the faucet, I stepped under the warm stream, letting it soothe my aching body. My thoughts drifted again, no matter how hard I tried to push them away.
Hunter.
That look in his eyes today…
It hadn’t just been annoyance. It had been something else. Something I couldn’t quite ce.
Shaking my head, I let out a bitter chuckle.
It didn’t matter.
Hunter was my boss. <b>That </b>was all he would ever be.
And after today, I was going to do everything in my power to keep it that way.
By the time I stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself, the exhaustion had truly settled in.
I barely made it to bed before my body gave in, sleep dragging me under before I could worry about tomorrow<b>. </b>
<b>2/3 </b>
9.08 pm BB BB