---- Chapter 8 Hope Morton POV: The anonymous text had been Jaxon's only warning. He didn't tell me he'd sent it, but | knew. It was his quiet, protective way. After that night, Kingston's calls stopped. An uneasy peace settled over my new life, like the calm before a storm. | tried to push him out of my mind, focusing on my work at the clinic and the simple joys of evenings spent with the Spencers. But a part of me was always looking over my shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It dropped on a Tuesday. | was on my lunch break, sitting on a park bench across from the clinic, sharing my sandwich with Buddy, who had followed me to work. The sun was warm on my face, and for a moment, | felt a sense of genuine peace. Then | saw him Kingston was standing on the other side of the street, leaning against his ridiculously expensive car. He wasn't looking at me, but at the clinic, his expression unreadable from this distance. He looked thinner, his bespoke suit hanging loosely on his frame. He hadn't shaved, and his hair was unkempt. ---- My blood ran cold. Finn's warning echoed in my ears. He's not thinking rationally. Buddy let out a low growl, the fur on his neck bristling. He sensed the threat before | did. | quickly gathered my things, my hands trembling. "Come on, boy," | whispered, clipping the leash onto his collar. | needed to get back inside, to lock the door. But Kingston had seen me. He pushed off the car and started walking towards me, his long strides eating up the distance between us. Panic seized me. This quiet street, my peaceful sanctuary, was about to become a battlefield "Hope," he said, his voice raspy when he reached me. He stopped a few feet away, held back by Buddy's persistent growling. "We need to talk." "No, we don't," | said, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "I told you to leave me alone." "l can't do that," he said, his eyes, bloodshot and intense, boring into mine. "You're my sister. You belong with me." "| belong here." "With him?" he scoffed, a bitter, ugly twist to his lips. "A mechanic who can barely pay his own rent? | can give you anything you want, Hope. Anything." "| don't want your money, Kingston!" My voice rose, attracting ---- the attention of a woman walking her poodle. "I don't want anything from you." "That's not true," he insisted, taking a step closer. Buddy barked, a sharp, warning sound. "You want a family. I'm your family. The only one you have left." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. He opened it. Inside was our mother's silver locket. My breath caught in my throat. | hadn't seen it since | was a little girl. "| kept it for you," he said, his voice softening, becoming the coaxing, manipulative tone | knew so well. "All these years. It belongs to you, Hope. Just like you belong with me. Come home." He held it out to me, an offering, a bribe. The sunlight glinted off the silver, and for a heart-stopping moment, the past and present collided. | saw the hurricane, felt the rain lashing down, heard my mother's screams as the water rose. | felt my small hand slipping from Kingston's grasp. The locket wasn't a peace offering. It was a chain. It was another way to bind me to him, to the past, to the pain. "No," | whispered. His face hardened. The mask of contrition fell away, revealing the raw, possessive anger beneath. "Don't say no to me, Hope. After everything I've done for you..." ---- "Everything you've done?" | finally snapped, the emptiness inside me erupting into a volcano of long-suppressed rage. "You did nothing! You found me and then you hid me away like a shameful secret for eight years! You lied to me, you manipulated me, you made me feel grateful for the scraps of your attention while you gave your real affection to a stranger you called sister. You didn't save me, Kingston. You just put me in a prettier cage." His face went pale. He looked as if | had physically struck him. "Now, for the last time," | said, my voice dropping to a low, trembling command, "leave me alone." | turned to walk away, pulling a reluctant Buddy with me. | felt his hand grab my arm. His grip was like iron. "You're not walking away from me." "Let go of me!" | cried out, trying to wrench my arm free. Buddy, seeing me in distress, lunged forward, barking furiously. He nipped at Kingston's hand, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to make him release me with a curse. | used the moment to stumble back, putting distance between us. The woman with the poodle was now on her phone, her eyes wide with alarm. Kingston looked from his hand to me, his eyes blazing with a terrifying mixture of fury and desperation. He looked like a cornered animal. ---- "You're making a mistake, Hope," he snarled. Then, before | could react, he turned and strode back to his car. He got in, slammed the door, and squealed away from the curb, leaving the scent of burning rubber hanging in the air. | stood on the sidewalk, my arm throbbing where he had grabbed me, my heart hammering against my ribs. Jaxon was tight. | was safe here. But | knew, with a chilling certainty, that this wasn't over. Kingston wasn't the kind of man who took no for an answer. He wouldn't rest until he had what he wanted. And what he wanted was me. In "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" by CrushReel, the storyline unfolds as renowned photographer Jane finds herself drawn to the charismatic rookie model, Hector. Little does she know that Hector harbors a secret—he is actually the heir to a powerful business empire. As their romance blossoms, Hector grapples with concealing his true identity to capture Jane's heart. However, their love story takes a tumultuous turn when jealousy rears its ugly head, threatening to unravel the delicate balance they've built. This modern romance novel delves into themes of hidden identities, unexpected love, and the complexities of maintaining a relationship shrouded in secrecy. With its blend of sweet romance and suspenseful twists, "A Relationship Kept in The Dark" stands out for its exploration of hidden feelings and the consequences of revealing long-held secrets. For readers seeking a captivating tale that combines elements of romance, intrigue, and emotional depth, this ongoing story is available to read at CrushReel. Immerse yourself in the world of Jane and Hector as their journey unfolds against the backdrop of hidden truths and heartfelt revelations.