Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63289 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
She slowly nodded. “I'm. . . sorry, Maya.”
“No worries.” I hugged her.
She jumped a little in my embrace, probably shocked as hell.
Then, she relaxed.
I steadied myself. “Thank you for being here, Shi. I needed you.”
“Um. . .no problem.”
I hugged her tighter, glanced over her shoulder, and spotted the half open purse. Slowly, I let her go.
Round three.
In a flash, I snatched the purse from her side.
She widened her eyes in alarm and sprang into action. With no hesitation, she tried to deliver that powerful right hook of hers.
I expected it and jumped back, narrowly avoiding her fist.
She launched another attack.
Ducking, I stumbled back and dove my hand into the purse.
She charged at me.
I grabbed the gun and yanked it out.
The purse dropped from my hands.
“Stop!” I pointed the gun at her.
She froze.
Where's the safety switch?
My hands shook. I found it near the trigger and flicked it off.
She widened her eyes in horror. “Ma'am?”
“Hold on, guys!” Horace yelled. “Maya has a gun!”
“Shut the fuck up before I shoot all of you!” I trembled and kept a steady aim at Estelle.
Everyone went silent.
I glared at her. “Estelle.”
She gasped.
“Get back in your seat.”
Her hands shivered at her sides. Slowly, she inched back and then lowered in the seat.
I glanced down at the floor. Some of the purse's contents lay next to it—a knife, rope, handcuffs, another magazine of bullets, a tiny bottle of antifreeze, and one black envelope with Ethan's name written in red nail polish.
She really was prepared to kill me.
My heart raced as I tightened my grip on the gun.
I put my view back on Estelle. “Take off the mask.”
Still shaking, she raised her hand to her head and pulled it off.
“I know how serious you were about planning to kill me.”
She opened her mouth in shock.
“You were going to grab the waiter's costume, search me out, and poison or shoot me. If that didn't work. . .I assume you would choke me with that rope or whatever.”
Horror filled her eyes.
“What I don't get is, when were you going to give Ethan this letter? After you killed me?”
Her bottom lip quivered. “A-after he found both of us dead. I was going to shoot myself and lay next to you.”
Someone shrieked near me. It could have been Claire or Bernard.
The limo pulled up to the Ravenswood Manor.
Thank God.
I gazed out of the window.
Ethan stood with over forty guards, gripping their guns at their sides.
Estelle shrieked. “H-he knew.”
I frowned. “He sure did.”
“B-but how? I-I don't understand.”
“You'll have time to figure that out in jail.”
Tears spilled down her eyes. “No. I must die. You must die. He can't have anything.”
“Fuck you.” I aimed at her chest. “Ethan and I are going to live happily ever after.”
The limo stopped.
Still looking pissed, Ethan rushed to the limo and opened the door.
Jackson got to his side, ducked his head in, and pointed his gun at Estelle. “Come on.”
Slowly, she scooted his way and stared at me. “B-but how?”
I flicked the safety back on and lowered the gun to my side. “Magic.”
Chapter 20
Over
As the guards took Estelle away, I climbed out of the limo.
Ethan glared at me. “The time loop restarted twice.”
“It did.”
“You died twice?”
“I did.”
He spoke through clenched teeth. “I thought the plan was to let her come here and—”
“I had to get her myself—”
“You put yourself in harms—”
“And I survived—”
“What if you didn't survive and for some reason the moment didn’t repeat?”
“Guess what?”
“What?”
“I love you.” I raised my hands to his shoulders and got on my toes.
He opened his mouth to speak, but I silenced him with a kiss. I could feel the tension easing out of his body as he wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me closer.
I melted into his embrace and ran my hands through his hair.
Claire’s shrill voice pierced through the moment. “When did. . .this happen?! They don't even know each other! What is happening tonight?”
I ignored her. I was too entangled in the kiss and our unbreakable bond of passion.
Kissing with desperate hungry desire, we clung to each other, our breathing coming out in ragged gasps.
When he finally pulled away, no one was around us.
We stood alone under the moonlight.
His gaze met mine. “I love you too.”
I blushed.
“Do you think we ended the curse?”
“I hope so.” I grinned. “Estelle has a mean right hook.”
He frowned. “Please don't put yourself in anymore harm.”
“I won't.”
“You're my future wife.”
I blinked.
“I can say that because we've been through so much. Nothing else matters, but having you in my life. We've seen things that many have never seen.”
I shivered in fear. “But. . .”
“Yes?”
“Would we be rushing to talk about marriage? We just—”
“Met each other?” A dark chuckle left him. “What we have experienced. . .it has aged our relationship by years.”
I parted my lips.
“And I don't want to waste any more time.”