TURNING 30

ll apartment, her pulse racing

t had followed her since her unsettling encounter with the cab driver. She cast a nervous glance o

herself, running her fingers through her messy ha

d dialed Daniel's number. She needed him.Her voice came out shaky whe

eathed, struggl

nds shaky," he replied, conce

e asked about my job at Prime and started spewing all this non

im anything," he urged, h

, feeling the weight of her

up for once!" His frustration was evident

over," he finally said, letting the conver

h escaped her as she stared at the screen, the reluctance bubbling up inside her. Since she had left home, they hadn't seen eye to eye and she'd

e said, her voic

of an emotion that Victoria couldn't quite decipher. "I won't dictate your life anymore. I

r more than she had anticipated. "Mom, I can visit, but I can't mov

st meet?" her

e, w

d noon? We can have a nic

eed. The next day, just as planned, they met in front of an ice cream shop.

bout your father," her

at her sideways b

er continued. She shared the painful memories of betrayal, of her father choosing a wealthy woman over their f

ssed. She felt the weight of her mother's expectations, heavy and suffoca

eted with unexpected news: a three-day trip to Paris, a place she had always dreamed of visiting. Her h

spot, her mind still racing with thoughts from her meeting with her mother and t

stalker, grinning in a way that sent ch

called out as

s," Daniel said, pulli

o that?" she his

unsettling air surrounded him. It felt somehow different, ch

iel continued, gesturing toward her stalker. Vict

ed her mind. "W

tone low and serious. "I'll explain more later, but we need yo

nt me to spy on my boss? Why should

"I promise you, we'll explain everything in due

e a chaotic whirlwind. "No! I can't-I won't!" she exclaimed, pulling away from the dark undertone

ting into something more persuasive but

anger rose within her. "You're asking me t

think..." His voice trailed off as the w

she made up her mind. "I'm out." With those final words,

She took a cool shower, yet clarity eluded her. Just as she was trying to organize

or, panic creeping back in. Clutching a p

p, it grabbed her by the waist, pulling her in with su

process the sudden turn of events. All she knew was that her life had take