He ran a towel through his damp blonde hair, water still clinging to his skin in slow trails. The early light filtered through the curtains, casting long lines across the room. Ashley moved through his morning routine without thinking — brushing his teeth, splashing water on his face, fixing the collar of his hoodie with practiced ease.
🎶" And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones...."🎶
The soft echo of a song played in the background.
He stepped outside into the cool embrace of dawn. The sleepy city was beginning to stir. He jogged slowly down the sidewalk, his breath misting in the morning air.
"Still wearing that old hoodie, Ash?" Mr. Franco, the grumpy old man from next door, called out from his porch.
Ashley shot him a wink. "She's vintage, Franco. You wouldn't get it."
The old man grunted, sipping his tea. "You're lucky you're pretty."
A block down, he spotted Mrs. Helen struggling with her cane at the edge of the road.
"Let me help you, ma'am," Ashley said, offering his arm with a cheeky smile.
"Oh, such a sweetheart," she cooed. "If I were thirty years younger—"
"I'd still be out of your league, ma'am," he teased, earning a cackle from her as he guided her across.
Just as he turned the corner, a boy no older than ten waved at him while munching on a croissant.
"Hey, Ash! Wanna race?"
Ashley slowed down dramatically. "Nah, I don't wanna lose. Gotta protect my pride, little man."
The boy burst out laughing, nearly dropping his bread.Ashley gave him a lazy salute as he started jogging again.
"See you next time kiddo" he called over his shoulder.
The boy grinned wide waving with both hands" Bye, Ash!"
Jogging again, he passed the park and slowed. A small family played near the swings — a mother chasing her child, laughter bouncing through the air like wind chimes.
🎶"Most of our feeling,they are are dead and they are gone..."🎶
The laughter, the warmth, the way the mother looked at her child. It tugged at something. A flicker. A memory. A smile -hers
" I miss you,mom" he murmured,just loud enough for the wind to carry it away.
And then , like always he kept jogging.
(Background song: " youth" by Daughter )
**********
In a part of the city where sunlight dared not touch....
The air was heavy with smoke and the stench of iron. Chains clinked softly against bloodstained tiles.
Suddenly—
A scream tore through the silence.
Raw. Desperate.
"PLEASE! I–I'll do anything! I BEG YOU—!"
The man's voice cracked as a hot rod was pressed against his skin. He convulsed, arms restrained, body trembling. His face was a mess of sweat, blood, and terror. Several masked men surrounded him, silent as statues, their gloves slick and red.
Another scream.
Another brutal strike.
"YOU WANT TO TALK NOW?" one of the torturers growled, shoving a blade just a little too slowly beneath a fingernail.
"AARGH!! I—I'll make an exchange!--"
But before he could speak further, a series of footsteps echoed from the corridor beyond the iron gates. Each step felt like a drumbeat of judgment. Louder. Closer.
The torturers froze. Even the man's cries choked off in his throat.
Then—the massive doors creaked open.
From the shadows emerged two figures. Their matching strides oozed power, but it was their eyes—one glinting cold, the other burning with restrained glee—that made the air shift.
Both wore tailored black suits, drenched in sin and silence. Their presence alone commanded the room.
The tortured man looked up... and froze.
The two shadows stood above him like gods in hell.
One smirked. The other simply watched.
"Oh, he wants to make a deal now?" said the smirking twin, voice smooth and cruel.
"How charming."
All around them, the masked enforcers bowed deeply, not daring to meet the twins' eyes.
The tortured man whimpered.
He didn't know which was worse: the pain in his body—or the knowledge of who had just walked in.
***************
We're already at Chapter 3 of The Promise Between Us 😮💨!
We hope you all enjoyed it 😊.
Oh, and for the songs mentioned in the novel — we highly recommend giving them a listen! 🎶 They play a very important role in each scene where they're featured.
We're still waiting for your comments 🥺 and votes ☺️. The next chapter will be uploaded tomorrow 😙.
Love you all! 💖
xoxo Quillqueens