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⊰ 15 ⊱ Whispers of Consequence
If it were you, would you want to know?
After having repeatedly read through the printed copy of Cade’s file over the past three days, I keep hoping that I’ll have some sort of revelation as to why his father hated me so much that he resorted to this.
Between the evaluation and the treatment report, the only thing that I learned was that I was right in suspecting that Cade never volunteered for that hypnosis treatment.
He was drugged.
I wish that I could say that I had prepared myself for it, but learning that throughout the entire process, he was never lucid nearly sent me over the edge.
His mind has been bent and toyed with, and he doesn’t even know…
Despite wanting to know how it was possible, out of whatever respect there is left for the privacy of it, I refrained from telling anyone—including Ava.
I haven’t experienced this much prolonged anxiety for so long sin
Bab terkait
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 15.5 ⊱ Crossing Thresholds
⊰ Cade ⊱I sit in my home office, staring at the pair of monitors in front of me, feeling as though the expansive room is closing in on me, my thoughts racing. Just as Elysian asked me to, I completed the packet inspection. I should’ve braced myself, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what I found.This has to be a mistake…My gaze wanders around the room, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a stunning view of the city skyline, the sleek, modern furniture, and state-of-the-art technology surrounding me. But even the familiar comfort of my meticulously designed space doesn’t ease the sickening feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach the moment my inspection was complete.What the hell is in that file..? And why the hell would she risk her career to access it?…Why does it have my name on it?I lean back in my leather chair, runni
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 16 ⊱ Confronting the Truth
What is he doing here..?…How does he even know where I live?Again, he knocks, and again, Bubbles emits a singular bark.I raise my voice, shouting through the door, “Just a moment!” I place my hands on the side of Bubbles’ legs, urging him to move with me. “Come on, buddy,” I whisper, guiding him to my bedroom where I point to his bed and tell him, “Go lay down.”With this, I shut the bedroom door and turn in the direction of the front door, my heart pounding in my chest. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation I know is coming. As I unlock the door and pull it open, my eyes lock with Cade’s. There’s a desperate, uncertain look on his face as he draws his hands into his pockets.“Hi,” I breathe out after a moment, my voice steadier than I feel.I won’t pretend that I have no idea what he’s here for. Th
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 17 ⊱ A Fragile Agreement
I’ve never dreaded doing something as much as I do today. After a torturously short weekend, I find myself sitting in the parking garage outside of the office building, wishing that I had stayed home.I should’ve called in sick or used my PTO hours…I don’t know how I’m supposed to face him. It was easier before. I stayed out of his way, and he tolerated me. Now? Now, I don’t know if things are going to go back to how they were or if they should—if they ever could.With heavy steps, I somehow manage to find my desk twice as fast as usual.Well, itfeelsthat way, anyway.Between brief good mornings, the rest of the team sporadically trickle in, settling at their desks before 8:30AM—except for Cade.He’s never late…I’m not the only one that notices. Krina furrows her eyebrows, glancing up at his empty office.“Pst.&rdq
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 18 ⊱ Cries in Korean
“Oh! Can we get a to-go boxes, please?” Krina kindly asks the waiter before he excuses himself.As promised, Krina invited me to have lunch with her today. Between shoving bread rolls down our throats and a long conversation about the upcoming IPv6 migration project, we hardly touched our food.I regret none of it. Those were the best bread rolls I’ve had in my entire life.The waiter returns swiftly with boxes and receipts for Krina to sign. “Thank y’all so much. Y’all have a great day!” he says with a warm smile.I offer him a small smile, averting my gaze to the half-eaten steak and rice as I slide it into the foam carry-out box.“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but…” Krina pauses as she packs her plate. I look up and meet her curious gaze. “Do you have a boyfriend?”That didn’t take her very long.I’m not surprised by her question.
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 19 ⊱ Not a Date: Part 1
It’s not a date. There are people who are punctual–like me. I’m always conscious of time, a sticker for being on schedule. Then, there are people who are not so punctual–like Cade. He believes that punctuality is only warranted for things that ‘matter’ or are ‘important’. Does this fall under the category of ‘important’? It’s 5 minutes to 8PM, and I’ve switched out cardigans twice and rearranged the cushions on the couch four times. I’m not in denial. I’m very aware of how nervous this shouldn’t make me. I’m also very aware of how unnecessarily anxious I am, and if there were a way to cope by merely acknowledging my discomfort, I wouldn’t be pacing so much between re-doing chores that I had already done the moment that I got home. At Bubbles’ very audible sigh, I snap my eyes to meet his beautiful golden-brown ones. “You’re just tired of my shit, aren’t you?” I ask sarcastically. As if on cue, a knock echoes t
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20 ⊱ Conversations With a Ghost: Part 2
Cade’s words hang heavy in the air between us, the reality of the implications of his father’s actions sinking in. I search his face, hoping to find a sign of the man I once knew, a man haunted by the ghosts of a past he can’t remember.It’s like I’m sitting with a stranger…I part my lips to speak, desperate to try to find the words to bridge the growing chasm between us, but I falter. How do you rebuild trust when the very foundation doesn’t exist anymore? How do you move forward when the past is one big mess with holes of missing memories?I take a shaky breath, my fingers twisting together anxiously in my lap. I know I should say something, anything, to reassure him, to prove that I’m still the woman he once loved, the woman he can trust. But the words hitch in my throat, trapped behind the knot of fear and uncertainty.But I’m not the same person I was.My hesitation must
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20.5 | 1 ⊱ Beyond the Tattoos
⊰ Cade ⊱The soft glow of Elysian’s apartment envelops us as we sit across from each other, the weight of our past hanging heavy in the air. I search her face, trying to reconcile the woman before me with the hazy memories that dance just out of reach.Now, sitting here, looking at her,reallylooking at her, she looks different than I remember. Her features are more refined, her eyes holding a depth of pain and wisdom that wasn’t there before.I can see it on her face, the desire to have a conversation but unsure of where to start. I clear my throat, searching her soft features. “Tell me something,” I say softly. “Besides how obviously beautiful and smart you are…what was it about you that made me fall in love with you?”I watch as a flush creeps up her neck, coloring her cheeks a delicate pink. She clears her throat, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan before s
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20.5 | 2 ⊱ Beyond the Tattoos
⊰ Cade ⊱As the silence sinks between us, the weight of our history settling over us, I find myself struggling to reconcile the man I am now with the man I was then—the man who loved Elysian with every fiber of my being.The memories are still hazy, the details blurred and uncertain, but the emotions they evoke are as real and powerful as ever. I look at Elysian, taking in the pain and longing etched into every line of her face, and I feel a desperate need to bridge the chasm between us.I want to find a way back to the connection we once shared, even if it means starting from scratch.The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, a plea and prayer all in one. “Elysian,” I say quietly, my voice raw with emotion. “Do you think we could ever be friends again? After everything that’s happened?”I see it in her face: my question strikes her in a way she wasn’t expecting. Her eyes widen as sh
Bab terbaru
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 23 ⊱ Missed Connections
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 22 ⊱ Broken Pieces: Part 2
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 21 ⊱ The Quiet After: Part 1
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20.5 | 2 ⊱ Beyond the Tattoos
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20.5 | 1 ⊱ Beyond the Tattoos
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 20 ⊱ Conversations With a Ghost: Part 2
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 19 ⊱ Not a Date: Part 1
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 18 ⊱ Cries in Korean
- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 17 ⊱ A Fragile Agreement
