Annika Remo, a beautiful and innocent young woman, hides a painful past while living with her unsympathetic uncle and aunt, relying on her fantasy novels to escape. Unbeknownst to her, her uncle has put her on a dangerous blacklist. Matteo King, the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Annika Remo:
I could feel my body relax as the warm water cascaded over me, washing away the dirt and grime of the past few days. As I stepped out of the shower, I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel and made my way back to the bedroom. Marco had left a small pile of clothes for me on the bed, and I couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness. I slipped into the sundress and admired myself in the mirror, feeling a sense of a little normalcy return.
Looking over at Ruby as she slept, I couldn't help but get angry at myself for putting my best friend through all this. She had been by my side through it all, supporting me and picking up the pieces when I felt like I was falling apart. I knew I needed to make it up to her somehow to show her how much I appreciated her.
I quickly wiped my eyes and stood up. The sun was slowly coming up. Making sure I didn't make a sound to wake anyone up, I left the farmhouse. Walking in the orchards. The morning dew felt cool against my skin as I strolled through the rows of apple trees.
I breathed in the fresh air and felt a sense of calm wash over me. For a moment, I forgot about the turmoil of the past few days and focused on the beauty around me. The trees were heavy with fruit, ready to be harvested.
My eye catches Marco heading towards the stables. And I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to so early in the morning. He was placing hay in the feeding troughs and checking on the horses. I made my way over to him, curious.
As I approached, he turned and smiled warmly at me. "Good morning," he greeted me. "I wanted to make sure the horses were taken care of before we started our day." His dedication to the animals was admirable, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for him.
"They are beautiful." I said, admiring the horses as they nuzzled against his hand. "Do you ride them often?"
"Yes, I do," he replied, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "In fact, I was thinking of taking one out for a ride. Would you like to join me?" I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was up for it. But the thought of exploring the countryside on horseback was too tempting to resist. "Sure," I said, smiling.
"This is Miller." I went to touch the brown horse but stopped short when Marco put a hand on Miller's neck. "Be careful," he warned. "Miller can be a bit skittish with strangers." I nodded, grateful for the warning, and stepped back.
Marco stroked Miller's mane, whispering to him in a low voice until the horse calmed down, "easy boy, she's a friend."
Then, with a quick motion, he swung himself onto Miller's back and held out a hand to help me up. I took it, feeling a thrill of excitement as I settled into the saddle. "Ready?" he asked, grinning at me.
I nodded eagerly, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and the cool breeze ruffling my hair. With a gentle nudge of his heels, Marco urged Miller forwards, and we began to ride. The world around us seemed to fade away as we galloped across the open fields, the only sounds being the pounding of hooves and the wind rushing past us. I felt free and alive, with a sense of pure joy coursing through me. As we rode, Marco pointed out various landmarks and told me stories about the history of the land.
