Sweet Mischief’s Rollercoaster Romance

Maja, with her mask snugly in place and her hat pulled down low, stepped out of the airport. Two people were tailing her discreetly, keeping her under close watch. As she slid into a waiting car, she instructed, "Take me to where my sister works."

Annie was in her dorm room, phone clutched tightly in her hand, Conner's number glaring back at her from the screen. But her mind was elsewhere-lost in thoughts about her sister's whereabouts, her murky ties with the Dark Web, and Conner's concern...

Was this kidnapping somehow linked to her sister? If so, did that mean Henry and Mia's abductions were also connected? And since she was kidnapped too, maybe her sister didn't know anything about it?

Her colleagues, who were keeping an eye on her, exchanged worried looks. Annie seemed rattled by the whole ordeal. "Annie, we're in law enforcement; danger is part of the job. You've got to find the courage to step out of this shadow."

Annie snapped back to reality. "What?"

The forensic analyst chimed in, "Trauma can lead to stress disorders for anyone."

"I'm okay, really. Don't worry about me."

Just then, her phone rang, jolting Annie with a surge of energy. The caller ID flashed: Sister.

It wasn't Conner. It was... her sister!noveldrama

Annie bit her lip, and with shaky hands, she picked up the call. "Who is this?"

From inside the car, Maja looked out at the building and said, "I'm outside your office."

Tears sprang to Annie's eyes as she clutched her phone, bolting out the door.

There, by the curb, was a black sedan. The door opened, and out stepped her sister, alive and standing before Annie after being missing for over a year.

Maja's throat tightened as she gazed at her sister, trying to muster a smile that felt foreign and awkward even to herself.

Tears streamed down Annie's face, blurring her vision as she slowly approached her sister. "I knew you weren't gone."

Maja looked older, the light that

once surrounded her dimmed since Emmery's passing. The swan

everyone once admired seemed weary now, always with a black rose in tow.

As Annie drew closer, Maja stepped forward too. Seeing her sister's tear-streaked face, Maja asked "Have you been hurt? Why couldn't you protect yourself when I Wasn't there?"

Through her tears, Annie blurted, "Are you working with the Dark Web?"

Maja lifted her hand, cool to the touch, gently wiping away Annie's tears. "Where are you hurt? Let me see."

"Just answer me," Annie pressed.

Maja swallowed, then nodded. "Yes."

Annie reached for the handcuffs behind her, but the pain in her injured arm made

her wince. Maja immediately grasped her shoulder. "Did Kon hurt you?"

"Sis, you're dealing with the devil," Annie said, her voice firm. She knew

her sister must have something

the

Dark Web wanted. "This will come back to haunt you."

Maja had long accepted this, admitting, "I never expected a happy ending; I didn't want to keep living in misery." She was driven by vengeance for her loved one.

"But Emmery is gone, and you're still here. You have so much life ahead of you."

"Without him, every moment is excruciating," Maja confessed, tears now spilling

over.

Desperate, Annie grabbed her sister's hands. "Can't you stop this madness? You still have me and Mom and Dad. Don't you care about us anymore?"

Maja suddenly laughed through her tears. "Little sis, you know, even the fiercest love can eventually mellow into something more like family."