Will You Marry Me, Again by Pear Heart

“Wait here.“‘

Baz would arrive soon with the bodyguards. Cedric knew he had to buy some time for Maia.

Shaking her head, she said earnestly, “No, it’s too dangerous. He has a gun!”

Cedric saw her gripping his palm with both hands and smiled. “I’ll be fine.”

He sounded casual and confident, but Maia knew how dangerous it was.

“Cedric-”

Before she could say anything further, the door was closed, and she was left alone in the cramped and dark room.

Peering out through a narrow gap, she watched Cedric move away.

Still feeling the warmth of his palm, she covered her mouth to stop herself from making any sound lest she would spoil his plan.

‘Pull yourself together, Maia! You must not cry or make any sound…‘

She kept telling herself.

However, she couldn’t hold back her tears. Suddenly, she heard a flurry of rapid footsteps.

Maia saw Theo chasing after Cedric.

As she was the one Theo wanted to kill, she knew she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Biting her lips, Maia glanced around through the narrow gap.

She took out her phone to see where her car was.

Making sure that Theo had run away, she pocketed her phone and hurried toward her car in quick steps while staying low to the ground.

Having a good sense of direction, Maia was relieved when she soon found her car.

She got into the car in the dark.

She knew full well what would happen if she were to start her car now–Theo would be drawn by its lights and sound, and she would become a live target.

Yet, she knew she had to do it. Shutting the car door, she started the engine and floored the

gas.

Driving around, she searched around for Cedric.

she saw him, she quickly opened the

79 Don’t

and glanced to see who was behind her

expected, a man wearing a black baseball cap

frame

Who was he?

as she knew the man had to be

move.

to give herself away, she didn’t dare

corner, she swiftly removed her high heels and threw them to the other side to make some noise before

the shoes.

for her car.

she unlocked her car with the key fob. However, when she was about to open the car door, a

Her plan had failed!

lower lip, Maia saw the man charging over and ducked behind her car so that he couldn’t

knew that it would not be safe

from view and scrambled backward before breaking into a run–she knew the security booth was

the gun, the man ran to her car and carefully approached the open door. Aiming his sight at it, he stepped closer and saw

“Fuck!”

the parking lot. “You

security booth was lit, but as she hurried over, she realized there. was blood all over the glass door and a

seen this coming, as the security guard would surely have come running as soon as he

breath, she

• 15 RONUS

took out her phone and noticed she had several missed calls. At that moment,

came in.

It was Couric’s number.

hung up and tried to send him

as she finally saw that the message had been

she received a text that read, “Wait for me”

guard down.

then echoed

yourself up, Maia. Do you think you can escape

was stunned as she

wonder his frame looked

Theo was trying to trick her

against the wall, she peered over at the man as he moved in her direction and said, “You’re a smart and pretty woman, Maia, and I couldn’t bear to hurt you too. But you left me with no choice by trying to make me

you. You’re too smart, Maia, and unless I eliminate you, you’ll always be a threat. Just like