The Past Creeps In
318 Words
At the height of her career, Samantha—now Bella Star to the world—was living the life she had dreamed of. She was celebrated for her skill, praised for her tenacity, and admired for her unapologetic spirit. Yet, beneath the public accolades and the cheers of roaring crowds, her private life remained an intricate balancing act. She stayed constantly on the move, rarely staying in one place for long. Trusting others was nearly impossible. Deep down, Samantha feared that if her father ever discovered her, he’d pull her back into his web—or worse.
She had grown adept at spotting trouble before it reached her. Subtle things—an unfamiliar face in the crowd, a car that lingered too long outside her gym—set off alarms in her mind. Most of the time, they were harmless coincidences. But not always. There were whispers of people asking about her in cities she hadn’t been to in years. A few “gifts” left for her at venues where she fought: red roses, a cigarette lighter engraved with the De Luca crest. These messages were clear. Her father’s reach extended further than she had thought. He hadn’t forgotten her.
Samantha’s past wasn’t just catching up—it was hunting her.
She tried to brush off the fear, focusing on her training and her next match. But the signs became harder to ignore. There was the man who followed her after a press event, the one she lost only after ducking into a crowded subway station. Then came the cryptic text messages from an unknown number: Family is forever, Samantha. She changed her number and hired a private security firm to protect her, but the tension in her life grew unbearable. For the first time in years, she began to wonder if she could keep running or if she’d need to confront what she had left behind.
- Writer
