A/N: Hello readers! How are we? Damn, can you believe it, it's March already? It seems only yesterday we rang in the new years!

So folks, here is my weekly dose of MaNan love all ready for your eyes! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Reading!

***

"Nandini.." was the only word that rolled out of Manik's mouth in relief, after he reached her that night, and needless to say, she ran into his arms and engulfed him into a hug. Manik could feel her entire frame trembling from the shock she bore all day & Manik could only gulp the guilt down, & do nothing more. He hated himself for feeling so weak & helpless; he had never felt more powerless than this. Love does that to you, it gives you the kind of strength that keeps you standing strong even when a tornado hits you; but it also makes you as fragile as a tuft of cotton floating in the wind, with no self control and direction, being led by the whim of the wind. Today Manik felt both empowered and helpless.

"Manik, is..is everything taken care of? Is the report sent to the press? Will Abhimanyu's name be cleared by tomorrow morning?" she asked in one go, while snuggling further into his chest.

Manik was silent.

"Manik?" Nandini began again, when she didn't receive any response in the first go. She broke the hug briefly to look into his eyes. Manik's eyes were hooded and expression blank.

"Manik, say something..please?" Nandini coaxed again. There was a slight edge to her voice and that caught Manik's attention.

"Nandini, not now. This place is not safe anymore. Please go get your stuff, we need to leave immediately." Manik replied in a gruff voice, looking away.

"..but Navya?" she mumbled, confused.

"It's not safe for you, she's okay here. Plus she is busy working, she won't return tonight." Manik replied, crisply.

"..Manik is everyth.." Nandini began again, something didn't seem right. Manik looked distracted. Of course he was distracted, considering the mess they were in, but even then. However, Manik didn't let her complete her statement this time.

"Nandini, please hurry up, we have managed to get the cops to cordon off this bylane for just thirty minutes. We need to drive out undetected by then, else the press will come harassing us again, and it's just us right now. There's no security with us." Manik replied quickly.

No wonder he looked distracted, Nandini realised, as she nodded and scrammed to the guest room to pack whatever minimal things she had taken out for the night. She was back with her luggage in ten minutes and soon they were on their way out.

***

The first thing Nandini noticed, when they started driving was, unlike always, Manik didn't have a chauffeur and he wasn't driving one of his fancy cars. They were in what looked like Cabir's car, a plain silver Honda City. She supposed it was a clever camouflage to mislead the press. She kept quiet, both from the emotional exhaustion she faced all day and also hoping Manik would proactively throw some light on what was going on. When they drove silently for the first thirty minutes, and she saw they left the city and got on the highway, she decided to break the silence.

"Umm..Manik, where are we going?" she voiced her thoughts.

"My farmhouse" he replied, nonchalantly.

"We're going to Panvel, now?!" she exclaimed. Panvel was almost halfway to Pune, and judging by the time they started, she calculated they'd not reach there until the wee hours of the morning!

"Hmm" he replied.

Nandini knew about Manik's Panvel farmhouse of course. This was one of his well guarded properties that the press didn't know about. She even remembered signing an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) during their brief marriage & divorce stint, to stay mum about this property, during trials. This was where Manik liked to escape when he needed privacy. Basically this is where he'd bring all his partners of indiscretion, when they were married, and he didn't want the press to know about his erroneous ways. This was also the place where he'd hide to close himself from the world, when he needed solitude to prepare for critical roles. Nandini had known all about it, but never visited it. Afterall she wasn't ever Manik's partner in that sense to make it here, and nor was she a part of Manik's solitude to accompany him here. Today however was different. Today he was getting her here to stop her character annihilation before the press till proof was submitted; till the truth was out. As in whatever version of the story that needed to act like the truth to let her and Abhimanyu's news off the hook. Nandini almost chortled in dismay. How smoothly she was referring to the paternity report as the truth, when in reality, that was also a lie to cover up another lie. Nandini wondered what had her life come to, they were trying to use a smaller lie to clear out a larger lie and to keep the sanctity of an older lie intact. Was there any honesty left in her life?

"Manik, don't you think it will be difficult for us to commute between Panvel & Mumbai daily, since we need to be around to handle press meets, after the report is floated to the press?" Nandini asked again.

Manik sighed hearing her innocent question and painfully ignored the lump in his throat, as he tried answering her with indifference. "Nandini, let's discuss everything tomorrow? It has been a really long day, and I am hanging by the thread. I just want to drive you to safety & crash for the night."

Nandini frowned hearing his tone, but she could give him the benefit of doubt. She was at least sitting at home and dealing with the mess in privacy. He had to be out there all day dealing with it head on. Was it so unreasonable to feel tired and irritable, especially now when he had another few hundred kms to drive?

"Manik, did you get a chance to eat something?" she asked, once more, unable to mask her concern. Manik glanced at her once and could see the tender care in her eyes. No, he had to be strong, he chided himself.

"Yes, I had it at Jannat. You?" he lied.

"Me too." She lied. Nandini wondered why Manik was at Jannat amidst all this, but she knew there was no point questioning tonight, he wasn't in a frame of mind to answer. All the questions had to wait till tomorrow.

***

Manik killed the engine after entering the premises of his farm house. It was in the wee hours before dawn. The sky outside was inky black with not a star in sight. The dense clouds promised rain, and an occasional thunder was heard in the depth of the sky. He was thankful to have reached before it started pouring down. He turned to look at Nandini who was sleeping soundly with her head slumped onto the glass window by her side. Her hair was a bit messy from the constant friction with the glass and her tiny mouth was slightly open and she softly snored in exhaustion.

Manik's heart clenched deep inside him, seeing this innocent vulnerable woman, who deserved none of this shit she was going through and much less the ones that were about to come her way hereon. In one moment a defiance against the almighty was born in his heart, in protest to the twisted fate He wrote for this naive, innocent, gentle, soft woman. She deserved love, gentleness, affection and warmth. Instead what she got was the arrogant brat of a prince with a weak head, balancing a very heavy crown. The prince was designed to fuck up and mess everything around him, that was his destiny, but why did He have to make them cross paths? Manik didn't pity his life because with all the burden came glorious fame, power, money & success and he was more than happy with the trade off, but what did Nandini gain in this? Shame? Blame? Heart break? And now character assassination? How did she deserve any of this?

Manik looked at her tired, dark hollow under eye patches & decided not to wake her. She needed all the rest she could get, before the next battle began. So he swiftly got out of the car and carefully opened her door, ensuring she didn't wake up, and slowly picked her up in his arms and walked into the farmhouse, and laid her in the master bedroom. After putting the blanket over her & setting the correct room temperature, he walked to the couch at the foot of the bed and sat down. He was tired no doubt, and he really needed some sleep, but he wanted to stay awake and look at his sleeping angel for as long as he could. Who knew, if he'd ever get the chance again?

It was only when the sun rose and he knew he was at risk of being caught, he walked out of the room and settled in the guest room. He called for his butler Shyam and gave him instructions of taking care of Nandini and ordered for a glass of scotch. He needed it to perk up for the action of the day. He couldn't do what had to be done, being sober.

***

Nandini woke up from the constant ringing of her phone. She scrunched her eyes, opening them irritably as she clutched her phone to see Aryamann calling her. She frowned, why was he calling her again? For one crazy moment she thought maybe Manik's paternity report had finally flashed in the news and he was calling her to tell her that? Umm..that seemed a too far stretched possibility because she remembered Manik avoiding the report topic, whenever she asked, even last night when they were driving down. Maybe Aryamann was calling to send help in controlling the damage, like he suggested in his texts?

"Hello.." Nandini decided to talk to him; putting aside his great treachery before the media, he had apologised enough and it did seem like he was genuinely sorry for his actions.

"Nandini, where are you? I managed to get my hands on your friend Navya's number, but she has no clue about your whereabouts!"

"Aryamann, I am with Manik, we are fine. That's all we can say for now." Nandini replied, softly, trying to pacify him.

"Nandini, I know you're going to hate me for this, but you're not getting this, please don't trust Manik Malhotra. He had enough time to clear your name but he chose not to! Instead of trying to figure this out, do you know what he was doing all day, yesterday? He was busy investigating Abhimanyu's murder mystery and sending cops & private investigators to my place to harass me. He is trying to frame me for Abhimanyu's murder! And guess what, he is doing the same with Soha Khurana too. Nandini, I know Soha can be a mean ass bitch if she wants to be, but she won't commit murder. I have worked with her previously, we have briefly dated too. So, are you getting it Nandini, Manik Malhotra is using Abhimanyu's death to eradicate all those who have been a hindrance to him." Aryamann sounded furious & absolutely convinced and Nandini was too confused to react.

Manik was busy exploring Abhimanyu's murder all of yesterday and not helping in making that fake paternity report? Why? Wasn't this a bigger priority? Then why was he lying to her that they were working on the report? Also, hadn't she explained that Aryamann was nowhere close to killing Abhimanyu, then why was he making life difficult for him right now?

"Aryamann, I know you are not responsible for Abhimanyu's death and I had told the ICO (Investigative Case Officer) and Manik the same; your interrogation I suppose is a normal proceeding, don't worry, they won't find anything on you anyway, but I do apologise for the trouble. However, I can't say the same for Soha, we have reasons to believe that she may be responsible, and Manik, well he might be thinking that, if we find Abhimanyu's killer, we will know his intent & maybe he is the one spreading these rumours about us too? Manik is on my side, Aryamann, I trust him." Nandini concluded, with conviction. She had seen Manik's raw vulnerability, hadn't she? She knew it was not a lie. Manik Malhotra cannot be this big a liar, he just can't.

Aryamann sighed, hearing her conviction. This girl was naive, innocent, stupid, vulnerable all rolled into one. Why did Manik Malhotra have access to such a pure soul?

"Nandini, I spoke to Soha, they haven't found anything related to Abhimanyu on her either, but in the process of digging, the cops found out she was blackmailing someone, who is somehow related to you. Nandini, do you know anyone by the name of Smaran Hebbar?" he asked with a voice of uncertainty. Nandini froze. Smaran? Why was Soha blackmailing Smaran, how'd any of this make sense?!

"Smaran?! Why would Soha blackmail Smaran?" she asked aghast.

"So you do know him. Nandini that's just it, can't you see Manik's ploy here? He just used Abhimanyu's death as an excuse to launch a probe on his adversaries, so that if not related to the murder, the cops pick up anything that can be used against us. For Soha, the charges are blackmail, God knows that he has planned for me. But Nandini, his most brutal target is you. He isn't going to save you & now he's taken you away from the press so you can't voice out your innocence either. Don't you see it? In every way, Manik Malhotra is winning, you fool! And we all are scattered, confused, fragmented and in some way or the other, doing his bidding!"  he snapped at Nandini this time.

Nandini's voice hardened, hearing Aryamann's baseless accusation.

"Aryamann, from where I see it, if you have no skeletons in your closet, you needn't worry & as for Soha, if she was indeed blackmailing my friend Smaran, I'd like to know why, so it is a great thing that the cops got this on her, thanks to Manik and now I believe my friend is safe too. Aryamann, I also feel this call you made to me is less about your concern for me & more about your worry for yourself. You are worried, Manik will get you caught, if you have been up to any funny business. I can't help you, Aryamann, if you're innocent you'll be safe, I suppose." with that she didn't let him speak more, she hung up the call.

Nandini heaved a heavy sigh, as she tossed the phone on the bed in agitation. What a way to start the day, she wondered.

"Umm, you're welcome..?" Manik's sheepish voice broke her trance, as she quickly looked up towards the bedroom door, to see him standing there, resting on the door frame.

" Did you..?" Nandini mumbled, in surprise.

"Just the part where you thanked me for saving your friend, that Hebbar boy" he replied, with a small smirk. Nandini looked at him, and a part of her heart wanted to play along with him and live this light moment, but she knew today was destined to be different. The life they had been leading together, until losing Abhimanyu has drastically changed in these ten odd days, and now they needed to sit down to pave the way for the new order of things, the new rules, the new lies..

"Manik, we need to talk.." Nandini began, as she slowly got off her bed. Manik sighed seeing the determination in her eyes. He wished they could delay this further, just to buy a few more memories with her, but he knew it was time.

"Very well then, why don't you freshen up and come down for breakfast, we can talk at length after that" he replied, with his head bent, hand in his track pockets, as he walked out of the room.

***

After breakfast, Manik sat on the couch of their lounge area, as a jittery Nandini joined him on the opposite one. Manik closed his eyes, to focus, he was far too calm to do what needed to be done, he needed to be aggressive to make it look real, but everytime his eyes fell on Nandini, his heart naturally calmed down. No, Manik thought to himself, he was an actor, and this was a crucial place in his life, where only phenomenal standards of acting could save them. He will have his heart broken to shreds today, but he was to look smug, even cruel while surviving the heartbreak. Why, one may ask? For Nandini, for the woman he loved. A love that ran so deep, that each day he discovered a new depth to it and each day he felt more astounded, knowing he was capable of loving her to this bit.

"Manik, I know something is not right, we can talk about it, right?" Nandini's soft, loving voice broke his reveries, and as he opened his eyes, in his head he heard, roll camera, light, sound aaaand action..

"Yes, Nandini, indeed we can, and we will. Right now." He replied, with a deadpan face.

"Okay, so is the report.." Nandini barely began, when Manik cut through her sentence midway.

"Oh we will get there Nandini, but let's start from the start. Do you remember, when we began this MaNan PR drive, there was a premise of understanding we began with? In hindsight, seeing your carelessness, I do believe we should have put it under contract, but since I was foolish enough to take your word for it, now we are suffering because of your lack of commitment and not to mention discretion!" Manik said with zero emotions on his face. For the first few seconds, as Manik's heartbeats threatened to break out of his calm exterior, Nandini just looked at him in a confused way. She really had no clue about what Manik was saying. Lack of commitment, indiscretion?

"Manik what are you saying, I have no idea.." Nandini replied, after a while, while rummaging her mind to make sense of what she heard.

Manik looked at her gravely as he spoke, "Nandini, what had we decided about romantic relationships? That we were to keep our hormones in check and not get into romantic liaisons, remember?"

Nandini was still clueless, "Yes, we did, and who broke it? You are not really with Alia, I know that, and you know Smaran and I were never together to begin with, it was a confusion, right?" she asked, frowning, still not getting a hint of what Manik was saying.

"Wait, you mean, Aryamann? Manik, you still don't trust me with Aryamann, I thought you knew.." her voice choked. She noticed, nowadays Manik affected her more and nowadays she was also incapable of hiding her true emotions from him. She felt tears clog her eyes, but she ignored it. Manik was going through a lot, he was not thinking straight.

Manik looked at her naive yet flawlessly beautiful face and gulped mildly. How could he blame such an innocent soul for such a shitty thing, when she still had no clue what he was hinting at. A shudder was about to escape his lips, but he stopped it at the last moment. He hardened his gaze and glared at her, she looked upset, and Manik didn't feel like holding onto his expression, but he coaxed himself, he was doing it for Nandini.

"Nandini Murthy, you are such a cunning woman, and on that you have that innocent face. Damn it. You could fool everyone, but darling I have been in showbiz for far too long to fall for this damsel in distress drama! I have to say, right after the miscarriage PR, you almost had me, but not for long darling! I can read through your disgustingly cunning schemes like I'm reading a book, now and.." this time Nandini stopped him.

"Manik, just shut up, okay? What are you saying? How have I fooled you?" she asked in anger & desperation. Manik looked at her closely, yes, she was reacting just how he needed her to, he had to do it now.

"Nandini Murthy, all you had to do was wait till the miscarriage PR to wrap before letting Abhimanyu Thakkar get inside your pants!" Manik snapped at her violently, and for one moment, Nandini felt the earth beneath her feet slip. No. He didn't just say that!

"Manik" she said hoarsely in a warning voice after a few moments, as her eyes went red and round in anxiety and she jumped up from the couch; she was breathing hard, she felt like someone had turned the lights out inside her. Manik panicked for a moment seeing her suddenly going red & seething like that, he immediately ran towards her in reflex and grabbed her shoulder. Almost instantly, he berated himself for falling weak, and improvised in his charade.

"See this? This innocent, devastated face. You are an impeccable actor yourself, darling! Look at you, pretending to be dainty & disgusted, when you let your mere security guy grind you night after night in my absence, in my fucking house" he sneered, looking right into her eyes.

Thwack.

Manik reflexively held his jaw, at the sudden hit. Did she again just..? Again, Manik Malhotra was stumped, realising so much had changed between her last punch to him, to this one. Last time when she punched him, he knew if she wasn't this important for his plan, he'd probably strangle her to death with his one arm, but today her defiance made him proud. He had absolutely done everything to break Nandini down this time; he knowingly hit her where it hurt her the most, yet, instead of falling apart, she was giving him back. In his head he encouraged her to land a hundred more punches on him for saying something so damn vile, but in his heart he knew he had to. This was the only loophole.

"How fucking dare you Manik Malhotra" her agonised scream pulled him back to the present.

Thwack. Another one on the other side of the jaw.

Thwack. The next one came on his chest.

And another Thwack.

Yet another Thwack. Manik could see how she was coming undone with every punch she landed on him.

Her face was distorted revealing the extreme emotional anguish she was going through and the red eyes jerked tears like she was being physically tortured. Manik Malhotra died a hundred times in the moment seeing what he was doing to Nandini, and nothing in this world could keep him going on with the act, if not for Nandini's life threat.

"Nandini, control yourself!" he commanded and had Nandini not been so busy howling in shock, she'd hear his voice shaking in pain.

"How dare you, Manik!" she screamed, trying to hit him on the chest again, but Manik caught hold of her hand and held them behind her, as he pulled her close in response.

Nandini jerked forward, and her head rested on his chest. If not with words, Manik tried to pacify her by physical proximity. He couldn't say it, she couldn't hear it, but in all his romantic movies, they said, a heart to heart conversation didn't need a voice. So, could he pacify Nandini this way?

Strangely, in this odd position, Nandini seemed to get some control over her initial reaction. "You of all people know everything Manik. Abhimanyu & me? Chee! You believed me yesterday, right? You were getting the report made, would you do it, if you didn't trust me? What changed, Manik?" She asked in a laboured voice, and Manik knew their moment of respite was over.

"I almost believed you Nandini, as I said, you almost fooled me, till I saw the pictures they flashed on the national television." Manik replied coldly, pushing back his tears & then harshly pushing Nandini away from his body.

"What the fuck Manik, those are lies! You know it. In most of the photos, you have been cropped out! Don't you get it?" Nandini screamed in frustration now.

"And the one by your bedroom window? Where, you both looked like you're about to lock lips?" he asked dispassionately. Nandini stared at him astounded. None of this made sense.

"Manik, aren't you the least concerned that someone breached our privacy there to take that snap? And you think we were about to kiss there, Manik? You disgust me." Nandini spat in disgust & abhorrence.

"I don't know, should I be? In fact I should thank the papp for showing us your real face!" sneered Manik & just like that, an epiphany hit Nandini. Manik was making all this up. He didn't need to believe or disbelieve her, that didn't matter, it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of her! Was Aryamann right all along? All this while Nandini had been wondering why Manik would believe in this nonsense, and how weak his proofs were, no photo in the press could prove anything, but Manik was falling for them. Truth is, Manik was not falling for them, Manik wanted to fall for them, it was an easy escape from everything, without a scratch on his brand name or image! It was all for the world, and she was foolish enough to believe otherwise.

"Of course, you should thank him. Did you pay him all his dues? Or do you work with the 50% advance, 50% after work module?" Nandini asked, in a frosty voice this time.

Something inside Manik scorched very badly, as Nandini finally reacted the way Manik needed her too. Yes, she was believing his supposed foul play now. He knew, if he had said, all they shared in the last few weeks was fake, Nandini wouldn't believe it. He had seen it in her eyes, she loved him and even though he didn't confess, she could easily read the naked love he had for her, in his eyes. This was the only way to make her doubt him. He felt like someone was trying to push a stone down his chest as he heard Nandini mumble, "Of course, it was never about trust, it was all a charade, I fell for it, not him.."

"I'm proud of you, darling, you've become smarter now. I thought you'd at least take a month to understand I was playing, love. I was hoping for some entertaining acts of professing love & stuff, but here you are, my smart woman, joining the dots so fast..tch tch.." Manik added more salt to her injury.

Nandini stared at the sneering snakelike face of the man she had loved so deeply until now. His vacant expression, his hollow eyes, his condescending tone and his inner devil danced by his sides as he spoke. His eyes were so red & dry that any fool would believe he is dying inside second by second, but that was not the truth. The truth was, Nandini had truly underestimated the evil in Manik Malhotra and overestimated the power of true love. Manik was truly the greatest showman on earth. He deserved the accolades, the awards, the fame & the success, because that was all there was to this miserable excuse of a man.

"Thank you, Manik." Nandini said quietly. Manik was stumped at her sudden calm reaction. Her face was ashened, eyes looked like she walked through hell, yet she was oddly calm in the lap of the hellish inferno he had orchestrated for her.

"You know Manik, from all the time I've known you, I've been in love with you for the most part of it. I have seen absolutely loathsome acts of yours & I have seen your vulnerabilities too & despite seeing the bad, the crazy, the ugly, I still loved you. You know why? It was because in the heart of it all, you had honesty. You didn't lie to me, you didn't manipulate me. Today that has changed, and now I find myself incapable of loving you. All my well wishers told me to stay away from you, but I found myself incapable, maybe because this honesty held me back? Today you have done what everyone else, including me, couldn't do; you made me stop loving you. Thank you, for freeing me from your dirty clutches forever. Thank you for returning me back, whatever is left of my wounded heart. There was an invisible chord I always felt, that tied us together, I liked to believe, destiny was holding that chord; thank you for cutting that today. Thank you for finally setting me free." she whispered, as two fat drops of tear rolled down her eyes. There was a tone of finality in her voice, and it was as if instantly, Manik could feel a sort of warmth leave his heart. He felt hollow, he felt cold, he felt..unloved. It staggered him to think, this wholesomeness he always had in him, this inner confidence, this winning streak, he always thought these were his key features, but was it Nandini's love that made him feel safe and strong enough to pursue all his dreams all this while? Right from the time they were married? He remembered feeling this hollow and incomplete the last time when Innaya had cheated on him, but ever since Nandini had entered his life, he didn't ever realise her love was protecting him. Today he was abandoned again. Today he could feel the cold winds again..and only one word stuck in his mind 'loved'.

"Nandini.." escaped his mouth before he could control it.

"There is one more thing we didn't discuss while drafting the MaNan PR contract Manik, even though I think it should have been put down on paper. My fees." she said in a hard tone that certified Manik, the Nandini he knew was gone now forever. She was dead too, just like her brother, Abhimanyu & his fiction-daughter. He was left alone in this dark world to survive & to fend for himself.

"It will be transferred before tonight" he replied curtly, trying hard to not let that deep ghastly anguish escape him, while he was speaking & when he realised he cannot hold any longer, he turned to leave. As he was walking out, he turned back once more. He knew she wouldn't but a part of him wanted her to look towards him and look like she needed him, but she was standing there with her back turned towards him.

"One more thing, I will submit no fake paternity report. So I suggest you stay here for another week or two, as I release a statement that you and I have called it off; then you go back to Mangalore & pretend like nothing ever happened. Oh, just so we are clear, I don't believe in favours, so they bill for your two week stay & press anonymity here will be adjusted against your PR fee." He had to say that, didn't he? How else would he hold Nandini in his farmhouse, and ensure the media is under control before they find her? A drop of tear escaped Manik's eyes finally, as Nandini stood there firm, showing her back to him, like she didn't care. Suddenly he couldn't breathe the same air as her anymore. He felt claustrophobic & convoluted. He briskly walked to the door & whispered to the butler to take care of her, as he walked out of the farmhouse, and in no time drove off.

The sound of his car whooshing by drew her back, and Nandini landed on the floor on her knees with a soft thud.

"Ma'am, do you want some water?" the butler hurried to her.

"Yes, and can you please get me some medicine from the nearby chemist?"

"Sure, ma'am"

"Wait, I will write it down for you" Nandini replied, as she slowly got up to go to her bedroom.

So, this was how they were destined to end, thought Nandini.

This was the real end.

***

Word Count: 5,331

A/N: So fellas? Howdy? ;)

Readers, firstly, if you liked what you read, can I please have a vote? I was hoping to see 300 votes this chapter..don't worry it is not a target, but feels good nah? Silent readers, can I get some show of love? :)

As always, in-line comments are love! I always want to know what you all are thinking while reading, so please do continue that and of course this space is specially reserved for after thoughts!

I don't have too many questions today, because essentially it was one long scene. So,

1. What do you feel about Manik and his perils in this chapter?

2. MaNan confrontation, did it remind you of good old KYY S1, their first breakup? What are your thoughts/ takes on this one?

3. So Nandini finally stopped loving Manik. That moment of realisation. How did it feel? What are your thoughts?

4. Anything in specific that you'd like to call out about this story, chapter? The good, the bad, the ugly?

Okay readers, I am going to be back same time next week, with the next chapter!

Next update will be on 12th March (Sunday)

Until then,

Stay safe,

Much love,

Your writer,

A.