Chapter 299:

Julie’s POV

My brows knitted for a moment, my features setting into absolute bewilderment and shock. It was utterly improbable in fact, from the seventh impossibility in my mind that a man like Mike could be infatuated with me or harbor romantic emotions in his heart.

After all, he was my brother Steve’s closest friend for long years, ever since they were together in this town in the past. Surely, he only viewed me as the sister of his lifelong companion and would never actually fall for me. I dusted my palms with a swift, firm motion to rid my fingers of the remnants of fresh leaves and stray stems, turning toward Madam Sophia as I spoke with a coldness laced with helpless surrender: "Madam Sophia, please cease these speculations. Mike is like a brother to me; he is Steve’s closest friend."

Madam Sophia waved her index finger in the air from side to side, a seasoned, determined expression painting her fifty-year-old face as she countered with sheer confidence: "But he isn’t your brother, Julie, and he wasn’t born from your mother’s womb. The looks in his eyes when he sees you are never meant for a sister, believe me."

I swiftly averted my gaze from her, fleeing the confinement of her words which awakened ancient terrors inside me. Turning my body back toward the colorful blossoms inside the glass vase, I said with an obvious detachment, my voice dry as I attempted to put an end to the discussion: "In any case, I am entirely uninterested in these romantic matters. They don’t occupy my mind or my thoughts at all."

Madam Sophia knitted her brows, signs of curiosity and bewilderment etching the contours of her face. She questioned with disapproval, tilting her head: "And why this harsh rejection and cold shoulder, my dear? You are a beautiful girl in the prime of your youth, and you don’t possess a lover or a husband to share your life. Why do you encase your heart in this manner?"

I swallowed the bitter, searing lump that formed in my throat like a sharp razor blade, forcing my facial features to remain frozen in absolute coldness. I said in a dead, dry pitch: "Love is a massive lie, and it has no existence in this real world, Madam Sophia. It is merely an illusion that sickens hearts, nothing more."

Sophia released a light, quiet chuckle, locking her sharp, intelligent gaze onto my eyes, exposing exactly what I was desperately trying to conceal. She said slily: "It has no existence? Or is the truth that you loved the wrong person in your past, receiving a stab from him that made you blaspheme against all emotions?"

My entire body turned to stone for a single second, as though a lightning bolt had struck my spine, the breath locking inside my chest. Of course I had loved a monster in that grotesque past a ravenous, sadistic beast that no sane human could ever love or coexist with. Yet I committed that sheer stupidity of my own absolute free will because I was merely a foolish, naive, and gullible girl at the time, swept away by the current. In that cruel, suffocating second, the brass door bell jingled loudly, signaling the entrance of a new customer looking to buy a bouquet.

It was the absolute perfect timing for me a true salvation from heaven to evade the answer and escape Sophia’s probing questions. Even though this town of "Bay Shore" was naturally small, placid, and still, a massive number of tourists and visitors consistently flocked here to enjoy its nature and its enchanting lake, keeping the traffic in the shop continuous.

The remainder of that long day bled away as I kept myself thoroughly occupied with arranging flowers, trimming stems, and fulfilling customers’ requests. In the shadowed evening, we locked the doors of the shop, and I vacated the place entirely alone. I always adored walking on my own two feet through these quiet streets, inhaling the crisp, cold air that refreshed my weary soul; I never boarded any means of transportation, no matter how long the distance was. On my path, I passed by the beauty salon belonging to Stella my closest and only friend whose precious trust and friendship I had earned when I came to live in this town three years ago. She was only two years older than me, and she happened to be Mike’s younger sister.

I pulled the door open, stepping into the small salon with slow strides. I found her standing with her slender, graceful frame, her long black hair cascading down her back, deeply focused on dyeing the locks of a patron sitting in the chair. The moment her wide blue eyes landed on me, the exhaustion vanished from her face, replaced by a radiant welcome and joy. She said in an elated voice: "Julie! Hello, my dear, I am so incredibly happy to see you right now."

I advanced toward her with calm steps, standing near her large mirror, speaking in a tender pitch: "Hello, Stella... how are you, and how was the grueling workday?"

She replied, continuing to glide her brush through the dye with fluid expertise without pausing: "I’m well. A bit exhausted from standing, but I’m fine, as usual."

I glanced around the space, noting the presence of other patrons waiting their turns, and said as I began to step back: "It seems your workload is heavy and hasn’t ended yet. The place is crowded."

She let out a deep sigh, lifting her shoulders, then pointed the tip of her dye brush toward the other seats: "As you can see for yourself, the customers are endless today. I’ve been drowning in work since morning."

I took a polite step backward, gripping my purse, and said swiftly: "Fine, I don’t want to disturb you or distract your attention from your work. I will head out now and leave you to finish."

But Stella instantly called out loudly to one of the assistant girls working with her in the shop, strictly ordering her to complete the dye process and distribute it through the patron’s hair in her stead. Then, she turned to me swiftly, firmly grasping my palm and pulling me toward her, speaking in an intensely low, grave whisper: "Julie, please wait. Don’t go... I have some crucial, urgent words for you."

I gave a quiet nod, surrendering to the grip of her hand, and said: "Fine, I am with you... I’m listening."

Stella peeled the clear plastic gloves from her hands with a swift, professional motion, tossing them into the trash bin. She directed her steps toward me with anxious features, pulling me by my arm into a quiet, distant nook away from the patrons’ ears in the corner of the salon. She spoke in a low, trembling pitch saturated with apprehension: "Tell me honestly, Julie... is there any new information or contact regarding Jake? Has Steve found out anything about him?"

I shrugged my shoulders in deep regret and absolute helplessness, the coldness firmly gripping my features as I replied: "I know absolutely nothing, Stella. All I know, which Steve informed me of recently, is that he is currently in New York City for private business. That is all he told me."

In truth and reality, my brother Steve had previously confided a massive secret to me. He had informed me in the utmost secrecy that Jake was rotting behind prison bars in New York. However, he never told me or clarified the underlying cause or motive behind his arrest and imprisonment.

He had also demanded with absolute emphasis and pleading that I never inform a single living soul of this matter, because Jake’s pride was deeply wounded, and he didn’t want anyone in the town to know of his fall into prison.

Stella tightly interlaced her fingers in obvious agitation, her gaze flickering as she spoke in genuine fear: "I am deeply anxious and terrified for him, Julie... his disappearance has stretched out in a suspicious, unsettling manner."

I patted her tensed arm with my warm palm to soothe her, saying in a reassuring, polite tone: "Don’t worry in such an exaggerated manner. He is surely a grown man who knows how to protect himself; he is fine right now."

She looked down at the floor in brokenness, whispering in a sorrowful voice: "I don’t know why he vanished so suddenly without bidding us goodbye or leaving a letter to explain his bleak absence!"

I countered with rationality, trying to forge a justification for his absence: "He must have his obvious, private reasons. Working in major cities demands long absences sometimes."

She lifted her head toward me suddenly, her eyes igniting with a strange bewilderment as she asked in a curious pitch: "He went there originally to sell his valuable invention to a major corporation, but he hasn’t returned yet... do you think, in your opinion, that he abandoned our small town and his friends simply because he became wealthy and possesses vast amounts of cash now?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

I knitted my brows in genuine astonishment at her words, asking in bewilderment: "Is Jake an inventor? I never knew he possessed that kind of intelligence."

She nodded her head in absolute confirmation, a flare of pride blooming in her eyes as she said: "Yes, he is actually a genius. He invented a highly sophisticated device that functions as a disarmer and neutralizer for bombs and explosives. A massive security firm offered him an astronomical amount of dollars, and he went to New York to finalize the deal of its sale."

My mouth parted in faint shock and bewilderment at this piece of new information, and I said: "Ah... I see now. I never knew that side of him at all. Steve didn’t inform me of the details."

Stella grasped my shoulders with both of her hands, speaking in a pleading, desperate tone: "Fine, Julie, a special favor... if you find out or hear anything new about him from Steve, tell me instantly. Do not hide a single thing from me."

A calm, reassuring smile painted my lips, and I said: "Yes, of course I will do that if I learn anything new. Now, I will take my leave because it has gotten late. Goodbye."

She waved her hand with lingering sadness: "Goodbye, Julie. Take care of yourself."

I exited the salon and directed my steps toward our house. I always wondered and questioned deeply within myself about the cause of Stella’s continuous, urgent, and daily inquiries about Jake and his news.

I had directly asked her once in the past if there was a prior romantic relationship between them, or if she harbored feelings of love for him, but she always replied with an absolute refusal and noticeable tension, insisting that she merely viewed him as a brother, nothing more, nothing less. Yet her actions screamed the exact opposite of her words.

I finally arrived at the house and walked through the door. Even though it was a small house with simple furniture and modest rooms, I felt a supreme sense of positive energy, tranquility, and safety within its walls and perimeter after all the torment I had witnessed. Steve had informed me on the very first day we arrived here that this house originally belonged to his friend, Jake. Even though I had only met this Jake once in the grim, dark past when the mobsters and Muñiz’s men captured us because my brother, Jake, and Karl had stolen his vast amounts of money and fled I truly did not like him at all back then. I had a strange, negative energy, a profound suspicion, and a repulsion toward him that I didn’t know how to explain or justify to myself. But I felt in my core that I hated him and avoided him without a clear reason or logical basis.

I entered the small bathroom, turning on the warm water faucet, allowing the hot, steam-filled water to cascade over my exhausted frame to wash away the fatigue of standing all day from my muscles and cleanse my mind of bleak thoughts. After some time, I stepped out, dried my body, and entered my small bedroom, laying back in comfort over the clean bed. I snatched my mobile phone from atop the side table, sending a short text message to my brother Steve to inquire about his return: (Steve, are you going to be very late tonight at your work in the restaurant?)

After several heavy minutes, the phone vibrated with force in my palm, and his concise reply arrived: (Yes, Julie. The restaurant is entirely packed with patrons today because of the weekend. The food is ready and in the fridge; just take it out, heat it up, and have your dinner.)

I smiled lightly, writing back with grateful pleasure: (Alright, my dear brother. Thank you for your care... take care of yourself.)

I rose from the comfortable mattress, changing into light, soft pajamas consisting of short shorts and a cotton shirt comfortable for movement.

I dried my locks and my new short bangs with the hairdryer, then directed my steps completely barefoot and silent toward the small kitchen. I pulled the metal food pots from the depths of the fridge, placing them atop the stove, igniting the low flame to heat them. Meanwhile, the pitch-black, dark night had completely settled outside, surrounding the house and isolating it from the silent exterior world.

I ate my food in quiet stillness, then gathered the dishes, washing them with water and soap in the sink and drying my hands with a cloth towel. After that, I wanted to prepare a warm cup of tea to soothe my nerves; I placed the water kettle over the stove’s flame, waiting for it to boil... when suddenly, and without a single warning, a strange, hidden, and mysterious movement caught my ears, coming from the exterior door of the house! The sound of someone trying to pick the lock!

My heart squeezed with violent force, its beats slamming against my chest with pure madness, the breath locking entirely inside my throat. Who the fuck could be behind the door at this late hour of the night while darkness consumes the place? Is it a passing thief looking for cash? A contract killer? Or... or is it the absolute greatest nightmare of my life one of Robert’s men who finally succeeded in tracking my scent and locating my secret sanctuary?!

A terror as cold as ice slithered into my veins, paralyzing my movements for a few seconds. Yet, with everything I possessed, I tried to muster my courage and strength to defend myself until my final breath. I advanced with extreme slowness and cautious steps toward the kitchen table, lifting the heavy wooden stool with both hands, tightening my grip upon it. I moved with silent, calm, and light steps like a feline stalking its prey toward the main entrance corridor.

I stood directly behind the corner, lurking, my eyes widened with fear and anticipation. I clearly saw with my own eyes the iron door handle turning slowly with immense caution and a faint clicking sound... then the door suddenly burst open, and the phantom of a person lunged inside!

Through the crack, I caught the silhouette of a towering, heavily built figure with broad shoulders. He was clad in a dark black leather jacket, his face completely masked in a suspicious, terrifying manner that augured absolutely no good. In the blink of an eye, with the speed of lightning and without granting him a single opportunity to turn, rotate, or process my presence behind him, I lifted the heavy wooden stool with all the power and resolve I possessed, bringing it down with violent, excessive cruelty over his back and head... the wood shattered with a loud, powerful cracking sound, and that massive, inert body collapsed, entirely unconscious, onto the hard floor before me.