Chapter 11 ALINA'S POV . rson you think Wait … what ?! " " Listen , I couldn't care less what kind of a person . She stared at me , wide - eyed , as her mind struggled to comprehend what I'd just uttered . " I said I was wrong . I repeated , staring at her with sad , remorseful eyes . " What exactly is going on ? " Talia's eyes held suspicion as she regarded me . " You were right , Tally . Adrian isn't good for me , and Seraphina doesn't care about me at all . " I told her , using her nickname . Her eyes softened at the name - only for a few seconds before they hardened again . " Is this some sort of prank ? " Talia asked , looking around . " Where are the cameras ? " " I mean it Talia " I told her , sounding frustrated by her sarcasmi . " Well , pardon me if I don't believe you , because a few weeks ago , these two people you're talking about in this manner could do no wrong in your eyes , I was the bad one , trying to ruin your relationship with your sister and boyfriend , remember ? " She raised her perfectly groomed brows " I know what I said in the past , Tally . But I know better now . I should've listened to you and Lucian , but I didn't , and you got hurt . And got hurt . And I lost everybody that truly cared about me … " I began to ramble at this point as the waterworks started again . " What are you talking about ? " Talia looked so confused at my words , and it was to be expected . She wasn't hurt , not yet , and neither was Lucian . But what she didn't know was that she was in my last life - and she would be again if I did nothing about it . " I can't lose you , Talia . Not again " I continued to break dowEL " Hey , hey , I'm right here . You're not going to lose me ." She rushed over to the sofa I was on and pulled me into her arms . " There , there . " She caressed my back softly , continuing to assure me that I was going to be fine . After a while , I calmed down and gently pulled away from her . " I'm so sorry , Talia , " I apologized as I searched her eyes . " I'm sorry for how I treated you , for not trusting you when all you were trying to do was protect me . I know better now , and I'll listen to you from now on ," Talia was fierce , but she was the m most softhearted and sweetest person ever . And one thing I was sure of was that she loved me with every fiber of her being . She stared at me , unsure , trying to figure out what was going on with me . " Why the sudden change of heart , though ? " She finally asked after a few seconds of holding my gaze . " I really don't understand . I mean , I heard you ran away from your engagement with Adrian , and now , just a day later , you're showing up at my apartment as a changed woman ? Make it make sense . Or did your body get possessed by someone else ? " Close " You wouldn't believe me if I told you . " My tone was serious as I stared into her forest - green eyes . Who would believe me if I woke up one day and started saying I'd lived life before , and I knew what would happen ? They'd peg me as a crazy person and probably book a room in the mental hospital for me . Talia searched my face , something she had been doing from the moment I stepped into her apartment . I didn't blame her . I was a completely different person from the last time we spoke . " You know what ? " she spoke after a while . " I don't care to know ." She continued , making me hold my breath for the final verdict . " Bur whatever it is , I'm glad it happened . I'm glad to see you back to your senses , and most of all , I'm glad to have my best friend back . And then she shot me a smile I had been waiting to see since I arrived . " Oh . Talia ." I pulled her into a tight hug before peppering her face with kisses . " I- " kiss " miss- " kiss " you " another kiss , " so much " 1/3 Chapter 11 " All right , all right . " She laughed , pushing my head away from her face . " You are gorgeous , but I'm straight as a stripper pole . Besides , I don't think Mr. Blackwood would appreciate you kissing me . " She joked , but there was a slight fear in her eyes . Lucian was the only person I knew that Talia was afraid of . She was normally a bold and fearless person , except when it came to Lucian . And in the past , she was the only person Lucian would tolerate around me . He hated everyone else . They were both similar in that regard . " Oh , relax . He'll be fine ." I laughed at the look on her face . " Speaking of Mr. Blackwood … he does know that you're here , right ? " Her tone was casual . " Ally " She called in a more serious tone when I avoided her gaze . " Kinda " My response was brief , still not meeting her eyes . " What do you mean by kinda ? " She rose a brow crossing her arm . " What the fuck , Ally ! Please don't tell me you snuck out . " Her tone wa hopeful. All right , then - 1 won't tell you . I shrugged casually . Her face turned to one of dread as she stared at me in disbelief " Would you relax ? Lucian won't be mad once he finds out I'm with you , he likes you . " I tried to assure her in a matter of fact tone , but she wasn't having it . She was already on her feet , pacing . " Like me ! " A scoff of disbelief left her perfect , pouty lips . " Mr. Blackwood doesn't like anybody except you ," She deadpanned . " Now you're going to make him feel like I'm hiding you . You need to go back home , Ally . " " Firstly , stop calling him Mr. Blackwood , it's kinda weird ." She shot me a glare but I continued . " Secondly , you need to calm down . before you give yourself a panic attack ." I stood up and approached her . " Calm down ? How can I calm down ? Haven't you heard what your fiancé does to people who cross him ? My parents may be powerful , but we all know who really runs the country , Ally . He can make me disappear and nobody would do anything about it . " Talia wasn't being dramatic - she was damn serious , and full - on panicking . Talia's father was a politician , and her mother was one of the biggest judges in the city , but Talia didn't get her money from them . She was the baddest hacker I knew . She was known as Hacker Zero in the black market , anonymous but popular . During the day though , she worked as a freelancer , fixing bugs and building new computer defenses for large companies . Seeing her like this was shocking . I knew she was terrified of Lucian , but this was different . " You need to calm down , Lia . You know those are just rumors . Lucian isn't really in the Mafia , and he doesn't kill people in his spare time " I rolled my eyes , my tone amused . I wasn't new to those rumors , but they weren't true . In the past life , up until the end , I didn't see anything suspicious about him . Yes , he was powerful and feared by all , but being in the Mafia ? Come on , be realistic guys . " I know what I'm talking about , Alina . " She glared at me sharply . " Okay , okay . " I raised my hands in surrender . " Let's say you're right - do you honestly believe Lucian will hurt someone I care about ? He would never do anything to hurt me . So why don't you sit down and we can get down to business ! " I tried to pacify her . She thought about my words for a minute before speaking . " I need a drink ." She announced , walking over to her bar . I chuckled , sitting back down and getting comfortable on the couch . " Want anything ? " She yelled . " Nah , I'm good . " I yelled back . I needed a clear head to have this conversation . I pulled out my phone from my purse only to see it had a flat battery . " Where's your charger ? My phone's dead ." I called out to Talia . 2/3 Chapter 11 " In my room , by the bedside socket " She replied , approaching with a drink in her hand . "Tll be right back . " I stood up and rushed to her room to plug in my phone . In the middle of her bed was Fluffy , her white Shih Tzu , the dog I had gotten as a moving - in present . I remembered telling her she needed a companion since she didn't want to get herself a man , and she'd glared at me , telling me she didn't want it . But now , they are inseparable . " Hey , girl ." I cooed sofily , picking her up after plugging in my phone . Fluffy's ears perked up , and then her eyes opened . The moment she saw me , recognition flickered in her big brown eyes before she began excitedly licking my face , wiggling her little body in my arms " I missed you too , girl . " I told her , walking back to the living room . " Look who I found ! " Fannounced , tickling Fluffy's belly . Talia watched us with a smile on her face . " She missed you , you know , " 1 turned my attention to her , seeing the unspoken words in her eyes . Fluffy wasn't the only one that missed me- Talia did too . " I missed her too . Jissed you too . " I told her . She stared at me for a few more seconds before returning her gaze to her glass of whiskey " Enough of this mushy shit . Let's get down to business ." AD