Abby


    Surprisingly, despite the turmoil of the evening, | find myself falling asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.


    However, it''s short-lived. Or at least, that''s how it feels; it hardly feels as though I''ve been asleep for more than five minutes


    when I''m suddenly awoken by the sound of my phone ringing loudly on the bedside table.


    | groan, cracking my eyes open against the morning sunlight that''s shining through the window. The entire room is bathed in the


    warm amber glow of the sun, but | wish it wasn''t. | could have slept for longer.


    With a sigh, | fumble on the bedside table for my phone and slide to answer it without even looking at the caller ID.


    “Hello?”


    “Abby, it''s Officer Martinez,” a familiar voice says on the other end. “I''m sorry it''s early. | hope | didn’t wake you.”


    I sit up in bed, instantly alert. The events ofst night begin to flood back in: the arrangement with Karl, the bet, the


    announcement, but even more importantly, the information | gathered in the hallway... And the recording | sent to Officer


    Martinez.


    “Officer Martinez,” | say, my voice still rough from sleep, “I''m so d you called. | take it you got my—"


    “Yes,” she interrupts, her voice carrying a sense of urgency. “I''ve seen the recording you sent mest night. You did well by


    recording that conversation. We''re adding it to the case.”


    Relief washes over me at her words. “And the children?” | ask, my heart pounding. “Will they be safe?”


    Officer Martinez sighs. “I''m not entirely sure which children the couple was referring to,” she says. “But we''re doing our best.


    Unfortunately that’s all | can say right now.”


    Her words, while a slightfort, make my stomach sink a little. “Is there anything | can do to help?” | ask.


    “I wish there were,” Officer Martinez says. “But as it turns out, the Alpha who may have poisoned the Alpha partywyered up


    almost immediately, and so did his Beta, Alexander ck. This could be a long andplicated case.”


    | frown, my worry returning. My poor restaurant is still hanging in the bnce, at risk of closure due to the incident. But if it turns


    out that this Alpha did intentionally frame me and poison the food, then what about me? What about my restaurant?


    “My restaurant is still under investigation by the health department,” | press. “It could close down unless we do something. | hate


    to ask, but can you help me at all?”


    There''s a pause on the other end before Officer Martinez speaks again. “I''ve already spoken to the health department,” she


    says. “The investigation has been halted so that we can do our own investigation. Unfortunately, that''s all | can do. | hope that''s


    enough.”


    | let out a soft sigh of relief. “That''s more than enough, Officer,” | say quietly. “Thank you.”


    Officer Martinez pauses, but then her tone turns even more serious. “Abby,” she says, lowering her voice, “Il want you to be


    careful. Any public knowledge of your tips to the police could put you in danger, especially if those who framed you are already


    aware of your involvement.”


    I nod, even though | know Officer Martinez can’t see me. “I''ll be cautious,” | say. “I promise.”


    “You must be more than cautious, Abby,” she presses. “Do you have protection?”


    Her words give me pause, and it causes my heart to pound in my chest. | knew | had been framed, but | never expected it to go


    this far. Am | really in that much danger that | might actually need... protection?


    “I''m... I''m fine,” | say, looking around me at the sunlight streaming into my room. “I''m in a safe ce.”


    “Good,” Officer Martinez says, sounding a little relieved. “Take care, Abby. We''ll be in touch soon.”


    “Thank you again, Officer Martinez. Goodbye.”


    | hang up the phone and let out a breath | didn''t realize | was holding. It''s a bit of a relief to know that the police are taking action


    on this matter, but the feeling of danger still lingers in the back of my mind. Just like Officer Martinez said, | need to be cautious


    and vignt.


    But as | swing my legs over the edge of the bed and meet my own gaze in the full-length mirror, my thoughts from thest few


    days enter my mind. Being in a safe ce, surrounded by people who could protect me if the need arises, is one thing.


    But being able to protect myself is a whole other thing.


    After what happened in the blizzard, | know now that I''m not as strong as | used to be. | was never a good fighter, but | was


    always in shape. Maybe now, it''s not only time for me to get back into shape, but it''s also time to get some proper training in the


    realm of fighting.


    After all, | never know when | might need to defend myself, right?


    Standing, | steal another nce at myself in the mirror. One day of working out doesn’t make much of a difference, if any at all.


    No, this could take a while.


    But right now, it seems as though I''ve


    got all the time in the world. If w


    Officer Martin sqid@bs trie this


    dae Gould take a while. Maybe I''ll be


    stuck here in this mansion with Karl


    for longer than | anticipated. Please


    read the original content at


    NovelDrama.Org.


    And with everything going on, maybe | should use this time to my advantage.


    That''s why, with a newfound sense of determination, | decide to quickly brush my teeth and get ready to work out. | pull my hair


    back into a bun and pull on my exercise clothes, then slip my feet into my sneakers.


    All ready for a morning workout, | slip out of my room and begin making my way toward the gym; but as I''m passing by one of


    therge bay windows, my eye catches thendscape outside.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The sun has warmed the ground,


    causing a good amount of the snow


    to melt. The air is fresh and brigkf and


    A? birds@ra SiAGNY. HE ona


    ie to go for a jog outside to get


    started, and | slip out of the front


    door, taking a deep breath and


    inhaling the cold morning air before |


    put my earbuds in. Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    As | begin to run, a soft smilees


    across my face. It brings me bac


    the days whe sed five held in


    Hy RhsIon, when | used to meet up


    with my friends for morning jogs—or


    even when | used to jog alone and


    listen to music. Please read the


    original content at NovelDrama.Org.


    But as I''m running and listening to one of my favorite songs, | suddenly feel a tap on my shoulder.


    After what happenedst night, it''s no wonder that my instincts kick in. | pedal backwards with a gasp, my eyes wide...


    And | am met with Karl''s face staring back at me. He''s shirtless again, his muscles gleaming with sweat, and his breathing


    out in white puffs in the cold winter air.


    “Hey,” he says, waving slightly. “Wanna run together?”