AUTHOR'S POV

Caden's apartment,
08:00 pm

Grace entered Caden's apartment with the support of Caden's shoulder. Her eyes meet with the completely unknown surrounding. She was confused looking around but not more than Caden as the apartment turned upside down.

Elijah turned the whole place into something else. In the morning it seems like some wild animals own this apartment as they live like one.

Pizza boxes, cold drink canes, alcohol bottles, carry bags used to be on the floor every time. Three of the couch potatoes were too lazy to clean anything.

Garbage collectors would have become millionaires after clearing that apartment that how they had dirtied that apartment.

" Take her to your shared bedroom. She needs rest". Elijah said making Caden nod.

Caden supported Grace taking her inside his bedroom. He sighed as his room was as it is. Their rooms were always clean it's their living room they treat like an adopted kid.

Grace sat on the bed. " It's crazy". She mumbled but Caden heard her. " Everything feels unfamiliar". She added looking around.

"Elly". Caden said taking a seat in front of her.

" Elly ". She repeated brushing her hair back using her fingers. " Even my name feels strange". She looked up at Caden who only stared at her. " It's not even a day. How am I supposed to live this way?". She questioned.

"Hey, you'll be alright soon". Caden assured taking her fragile palm in both of his big ones. " Doctors are doing their best". Caden said making her nod.

" I hope so". She said above a whisper.

" I'll be back with dinner in a few minutes". Caden said standing up from the bed. " Don't think much okay?". He asked softly gaining a small hmm in response.

He left the bedroom and straight went inside Elijah's room. He grabbed his collar and slammed his back against the wall. " Why the f*ck you want me to lie to her?". Caden asked furiously but in a low voice as Grace was in the next room.

" Don't forget you got agree back then". He released his collar from Caden's grip.

" I didn't know you were planning something like this. We simply used to steal things, Elijah. Why break someone's trust? That poor girl doesn't know a shit about herself. I can't go with your planning. I'm going to tell her the truth right now". Saying that Caden went towards the door and grabbed the knob.

" Caden trust me". Elijah said turning Caden around. " I'm not doing this for money". Caden's eyebrows crashed together listening to Elijah because he never think about anything besides money or girls. After what happened to Vi he changed completely.

Elijah slipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out the necklace. Caden didn't even realise when he stole it from him.

" My calculation was wrong. This necklace isn't a mere necklace Caden. I googled about it. It is handmade-".

" And you said you aren't doing this for money?". Caden poked his tongue in his inner cheek.

Elijah sighed. " Will you listen to me for a minute without interrupting?".

" Continue". Caden nodded.

" King". Elijah said clenching the necklace in his fist. " She's somewhat connected to King".

"Tell me something I don't know". The moment Caden saw the men in the hospital he concluded that those men belong to King.

" This girl can help us to reach Vi". Silence took place between them at the mention of Vi's name.

That night when Caden and Elijah came back to the orphan house winning a big trophy, they came to know about Vi's deal with King.

King had Vi as their captive but two young men dared to go against them. They were nothing in front of their power but still, they took their first step.

One night Caden and Elijah went to the orphan house office and stole all the money from there. They ran away and started living in a cheap apartment that they took on a rant.

They searched for Vi from nightclubs to whore houses but there wasn't any sign of her's as she was with Hunter.

They started feeling short of money. And to fulfill it they started stealing.

Stealing money, wallets, mobiles at first but they got caught by some cops and got sent to the cell. There they found a boy. An extremely posh boy with dark blue eyes and a mastermind.

They asked him what brought him there and came to know that he had hacked the biggest bank of the city by using a single mere computer.

That boy was no one other than Scott. Caden and Elijah found him useful and asked him to join their squad. He agreed and one day the three of them escaped from the jail.

Since that day cops are behind them but they haven't been caught them yet. As the bond between a mastermind Scott, an escape planner Elijah and a muscular fighter Caden was strong enough to dodge cops every time successfully.

They are still in search of Vi. They haven't lost their hope yet. They both still think she's somewhere and they'll find her out no matter what. Now this Grace has brought some hopes as they know she's their target's target.

" How can she be useful?". Caden asked. " She doesn't remember anything. How will she help us approach them?".

" She won't do anything". Elijah replied. " They'll come by themselves here in search of her's. She seemed someone important to them otherwise they wouldn't have come with that much security. And since when Kings started treating women as she has been treated. She must be living in between them knowing their location. They won't give up on her so easily. They are gonna find her anyways but we need to hide her from them because if they'll find her by themselves we won't get anything but just think Caden we can offer this girl to them and can ask about Vi's location in return. We need to gain this girl's trust until then to make her stay with us. This was the plan. I'm not doing all these for money. It's for our Vi this time ". He explained everything.

" What if she'll get her memories in between?". Caden asked.

" Just hope that would not happen". Elijah looked straight into Caden's eyes before throwing the necklace towards him. " Otherwise we won't be able to find Vi ". Saying that Elijah left the room before patting Caden's shoulder.

Caden gazed at the necklace in his palm. For Vi, I would. He thought to himself.

He went inside the kitchen and grabbed the food tray that Scott prepared for Grace.

Caden took and deep breath and wore a fake smile before heading inside his bedroom again. He placed the tray on the bed and went inside the wardrobe only to see Grace standing with his wallet in her hands.

His eyebrows crashed looking at her but suddenly his eyes caught a photograph in his wallet on which Grace was focused. Caden approach her and took his wallet from her.

She jumped on her place at his sudden act. " Dinner is here". Caden faked a smile at her.

" Who is she?". Grace asked pointing her finger towards Caden's wallet in his hands.

" Violet. My younger sister". Caden replied.

" Violet". Grace mumbled as that name seemed familiar to her. " Where's she-". Grace gasped as Caden suddenly picked her up in bridal. She wrapped her hands around his neck to be secured as he made their way inside the bedroom. He placed her on the bed in front of the food tray.

" Eat first". Caden said filling a glass with water. " You need to take medicines too". Caden added.

Nodding her head she started eating. " Aren't you hungry?". She asked chewing the food. Caden shook his head. He stared at her with a big crowd of thoughts in his mind. He needs to use her as a stair to find Vi.

His eyes landed on the side of her lips. He grabbed a tissue paper and bent closer to her face. She stopped chewing as he wiped the side of her lips. " Eat slowly". His words reminded her of someone.

Why does everything seems to have happened before, feels familiar but the person seemed stranger? Is it possible to lose feeling along with memories? There should have been some attachments left but nothing. Everything and everyone around seems new to her eyes.

• Take care of her, because life doesn't bless you with a good woman twice.

Chapter published on: 8 March 2022