A sack letter
Anthena's POV
Talon’s apology and confession had left me speechless. The Talon who’d ignored me for months was now saying he was attracted to me? It was hard to believe. But maybe…I wanted to believe it, because the truth was, I felt the same way. There was something about him I couldn’t resist, something that stirred emotions I’d buried long ago.
After all this time, I had begun to think I didn’t deserve happiness. Dating, friendships—those were things that might distract me from my goal of uncovering the truth about my parents’ death. But with Talon, it felt different. He even kissed me, and I was still reeling from the moment, replaying it in my mind. I didn’t want to fight these feelings. Maybe it was time I allowed myself to feel, to love and be loved.
But then…that accident. The way it happened seemed too precise, too intentional. Could it have been staged? But why? I didn’t know anyone here who might want me dead.
I tried to shake off the unease as I walked into the house after Talon dropped me off. It was quiet, almost unnervingly so. I called out for Mandy, and she answered that she was on the rooftop. After a quick change, I grabbed a drink and headed up to join her.
Mandy was sitting on a bench, gazing intently into the distant forest, lost in thought. I sat beside her quietly, not wanting to disturb whatever weighed on her mind.
“Hey,” I greeted softly.
She didn’t look at me, just kept her focus on the forest. “Hey, Anthena. Lately…I don’t know why, but I keep feeling like the forest is calling to me.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It’s like…I get this urge to go out there, to just run. Even back in London, it’s been happening for a few years now.” She sighed. “And it just keeps getting stronger.”
I touched her hand gently. “Maybe it’s just stress, Mandy. You’ve been through a lot. But please, don’t go into the forest alone.” My voice lowered as I remembered the werewolf I’d seen. “It’s dangerous. There could be…well, werewolves.”
Mandy pulled her hand away, irritation flashing across her face. “Does everything have to come back to your hatred for werewolves?”
“I’m only looking out for you, Mandy. You know what they’re capable of.”
Her gaze hardened. “Not all of them are like that, Anthena.” She fell silent, and I let it drop. She was clearly in no mood to argue. So I just drew her close, letting her lean on my shoulder. I wanted to tell her about Talon and the accident, but now wasn’t the right time.
I couldn’t shake the worry that Mandy was falling into a deep depression. She’d been through so much these past three months, and it seemed to weigh on her more heavily with each passing day. I knew I had to be here for her, to help her find her way back to herself. As silence settled over us, I reached out and gently patted her head, hoping she could feel my support through that small gesture.
We sat there in the quiet, the night air wrapping around us, and I silently vowed to stay by her side through whatever darkness she was facing.
The next morning, I was working at my desk when Lucian walked in, holding an envelope.
“Morning, Anthena,” he said, passing it to me. “The president asked me to give you this.”
I took it, feeling a flutter of excitement. Maybe it was my contract extension, proof that Talon really did mean what he’d said. But as I opened it, the words inside stopped me cold.
“A…sack letter?” I whispered, my voice barely a breath. I couldn’t believe it. After everything, after what he’d said last night—had it all been a lie?
A few minutes later, Talon walked in, face hard and closed off. Without looking at me, he strode into his office and shut the door. My heart twisted painfully, and before I could stop myself, I got up and followed him in.
“Why did you fire me?” My voice was low, hurt. “I thought we were okay now. You apologized…you said you were attracted to me.” I moved closer, eyes searching his face. “Was any of that true? Or was it just a game to you?”
He looked up, eyes dark and unreadable. “Forget everything I said yesterday. I must have been…out of my mind.”
I swallowed, barely able to get the words out. “But we kissed.”
He said nothing, just watched me with that same impenetrable gaze. I reached out, taking his hand. “Talon, if this is about trust, if you still think I’m a spy, I swear I’d never betray you. I’d never hurt you.”
For a fleeting moment, I saw something soften in his eyes, a glimpse of the man I thought I’d glimpsed last night. But just as quickly, it was gone. He pulled his hand away.
“Your replacement will be here soon,” he said coldly. “It’s time for you to go, Anthena.”
I could barely hold back the tears as I walked out. I’d been stupid to believe him, to think that someone like Talon could feel something for me. Hastily, I grabbed my belongings, stuffing them into my bag. I needed to get out of here, away from this building that now felt like it was closing in on me.
I stepped outside, taking one last glance up at the towering structure. My phone buzzed with a new message. It was from The Stars Entertainment, and as I opened it, hope sparked inside me:
“We are pleased to inform you, Miss Anthena, that we believe in your potential. You’ve been selected to join our team as a model and actress. Please report to our London office tomorrow to begin your journey to the spotlight.”
A triumphant smile spread across my face, washing away the bitterness from moments before. Talon firing me might have been a blessing. Now, I had a career to focus on—a real chance at happiness.
As I settled into a taxi, I muttered under my breath, “Yes, let’s go back to London…and forget that arrogant, lying asshole.”
But as the car rolled away, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number: “Leaving isn’t as simple as you think. Watch your back, Anthena.”
My blood ran cold. I glanced over my shoulder, peering into the shadows along the street. No one. Just the faint glow of the streetlights. But the unease lingered, clawing at me, making me wonder if Talon’s world had far darker secrets than I’d realized.