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.

opened the passenger door

Don’t

was behind her using the rear- view mirror of a car

black baseball cap

frame to be

Who was he?

dwell on it as she knew the man had to be watching her

move.

away, she didn’t dare to quicken her

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

clatter, the man hurried toward the shoes. Seizing the moment, Maia

for her car.

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

Her plan had failed!

her lower lip, Maia saw the man charging over and

gun, she knew that it would not be safe to stay in her car

herself from view and scrambled backward

and carefully approached the open door. Aiming his sight at it,

“Fuck!”

cursed and started to search the parking lot. “You can’t hide forever,

security booth was lit, but as she hurried over, she realized there.

this coming, as the security guard would surely have come

a deep breath, she hid

• 15 RONUS

and noticed she had several missed calls. At that

came in.

It was Couric’s number.

to send him her

of hope as she finally saw that the

read, “Wait

dared not put her guard down. Overcome with panic and

echoed in

yourself up, Maia. Do you think you

as she recognized

wonder his frame

that Theo was trying to trick her into responding,

woman, Maia, and I couldn’t bear to hurt you too. But you left me with

to take money from Starlight and avoid paying you. You’re too smart, Maia, and