Sandy stared out the window of the moving cab, her eyes trailing over the tall city buildings as she tried to silence the thoughts racing through her mind.
Though the call she had made with Selene earlier had left a smile on her face, she couldn't shake the feeling that her sister was hiding something.
First, there was the way Selene behaved yesterday after she had returned from work. And now, the half-packed suitcases in her room.
Sandy exhaled deeply as she struggled to make sense of it. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't come up with an explanation.
Before the incident five years ago, Selene had always been an open book, willing to share everything with her. But after that incident, everything changed.
She built a wall around herself,that no one not even Sandy could break through it.And to add icing on the cake, Ivy and Frank were getting married.
Sandy massaged her temple with her hands as she struggled to tame the whirlwind of emotions inside her.
Throughout her phone call with Selene, she had been trying to figure out how to break the news, but each time, she would swallow the words back, not knowing the appropriate way to say them.
She knew she couldn't keep the truth from Selene forever. But that discussion would have to wait till they meet face-to-face, and not over the phone. She needed to be there for Selene when she finally broke the news.
After what happened, Sandy had vowed to always be there for her sister.
God, it wasn't easy for Selene back then.
Their father had thrown her out in shame, forcing her to leave the country.
The memories of how sandy had cried and begged him to reconsider for months, but he never did, still haunted her.
To make matters worse, the media was hot on Selene's ass, calling her all sorts of names.
And even now, Sandy still didn't know the whole story. She refused to believe that Selene had just walked out on her wedding. She loved Frank and Everyone knew that.
That morning of the wedding, Sandy had seen the love in Selene's eyes. Frank must have done something terrible—to make her change her mind so suddenly.
Now, seeing how Frank and Ivy had been glued to the hip together since the incident, it was obvious that they had done something.
Pressing her thumb into her palm, she shook her head, trying to steady her mind for the task ahead.
She unlocked her phone as the bright screen flashed through her face. Her eyes steady as she read through the message she had received this morning from an unknown number
Hello, Sandy. I have your journal. Meet me at Royalty Plaza this afternoon.
She bit her lower lip,tucking them under her teeth, sucking on it hard as her stomach twisted with anxiety.
She had torn her entire room apart this morning, searching for that journal. Desperate, she even searched Selene's place, which was how she discovered the half-packed suitcases.
She had been moments away from breaking down when her phone beeped with that message.
The relief she had felt was overwhelming.
Still, an uneasy thought gnawed at her.
What if they read it?
Her stomach somersaulted at the thought of someone reading through her most intimate thoughts.
Her journal was a collection of her rawest thoughts and most vulnerable moments.
The idea of some stranger going through its pages made her lightheaded.
"We're here, ma'am," the driver said, hurling her out of her musings.
Sandy pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath and blowing it out through her nose. After paying the driver, she stepped out of the cab.
Standing in front of Royalty Plaza, her pulse thrummed in her veins. With shaky fingers, she dialed the number from the text message.
Hello," the deep voice of the stranger boomed through her phone speaker
Frowning her brows at the sound of the male voice, "I'm at the plaza's entrance, but
I don't see you," she said.
"Oh shit! My apologies; I had to sort out an issue. I'm coming there now," he apologized,his voice dripping with sincerity.
Sandy rolled her eyes, irritation seeping into her voice. "what are you wearing? So I can identify you when I see you," she hissed
Why ask me to come if you weren't even ready? She thought in frustration. Now, she had to stand out here, looking lost, under the blazing sun.
"I'm really sorry for my delay, though," he said, sensing the irritation in her voice. "I'm putting on a dark brown collar T-shirt and plain black trousers. Please exercise some patience; I'm just a few steps away from you."
Ending the call, Sandy took sharp breaths, trying to control the burst of annoyance that had just exploded in her chest.
She needed to get her journal. If that meant enduring the incompetence of a man and the sun frying her skin, so be it.
Lifting her head, she scanned the crowd, searching for the outfit he described.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her gaze came to an abrupt stop on the distant figure waving a hand at her.
Squinting her eyes as the blurred figure came into full view, her heart skipped an even bigger beat as Her eyes fell on the most handsome man she had ever seen, every muscle in her body sized.
He was… stunning.
Dressed in a dark Tom Ford collared shirt and tailored black pants that hugged his powerful legs, he exuded an effortless elegance; there in his hands was her worn-out beaten journal. It looked completely out of place.
Even from afar, his bright blue eyes glowed under the sun, framed by thick lashes and perfectly arched brows.
His nose was straight and flared slightly at the corners.
His full lips stretched into an apologetic smile, revealing a hint of dimples.
Holy hell.
Sandy's legs wobbled beneath her.
She drew in a sharp breath, searching her memory for any past interaction with this breathtaking man. But nothing came to mind.
Wait… how did he recognize me?
She didn't give him any description of her outfit, so how did he recognize her as the owner of the journal?
Her stomach knotted as his figure moved closer toward her.
"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting," he said, his voice rich and deep, sending an unexpected shiver down her spine.
Her heart slammed against her ribcage. Taking a step back, she tried to put distance between herself and the handsome stranger in front of her.scared that he might hear the loud drumming of her heart.
Did he hear that?
Sandy forced a polite smile. "Oh, it's nothing," she lied, though her pulse betrayed her.
He studied her for a moment before extending his hand towards her. "I'm Ricky."
Sandy felt her cheeks flooded with heat as she took his hand, shaking him. "I'm Sandy. Nice to meet you," she said, her palm tingling slightly as she withdrew from his hold.
Ricky raised a curious brow. "I was worried you wouldn't remember me. You left this behind last night… in a hurry," he said, stretching out her journal
Sandy's breath caught in her throat.
Realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
Her gaze flickered down to his hands, the same strong hands that had shielded her from Michael's attack.
No wonder he had recognized her. The journal must have fallen out of her bag last night.
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Oh… You're the guy from last night." She bit her lip, looking away. "My knight in shining armor."
Sandy gasped as her hand flew to her mouth.
Did she just say that out loud? Her cheeks heated with embarrassment.