The house felt quieter these days, the spaces between words more noticeable. Gonzalo, who had once been distant and cold, had become something else entirely. Eliana wasn’t sure what to make of it. His gestures were softer now, almost too soft, and his eyes held a warmth she wasn’t accustomed to. He seemed... kind, but in a way that made her feel on edge.
She stood at the dining room table, absently wiping down the surface, watching him from the corner of her eye as he stood by the stove, stirring something in a pot. The rhythmic motion of his hand, the way his brow furrowed in concentration—it all felt so... intimate. It unnerved her.
The absence of the woman who had once been a fixture in this house hung heavily in the air. Eliana couldn’t shake the feeling that the shift wasn’t just in the walls of the house—it was in Gonza
The air in the house had changed again—subtly, but unmistakably. Eliana could feel it, like how the atmosphere shifts before a storm. Gonzalo hadn’t mentioned the incident. Not once. Not in passing, not funny. He’d continued as if nothing had happened. But his eyes carried something she couldn’t solve—a silent weight pressed against her ribs.Eliana’s footsteps echoed lightly as she moved through the hallway, her hands brushing against the smooth surface of the walls. The house seemed quieter than usual, the absence of guards making it feel unnervingly intimate. Gonzalo’s presence was harder to ignore without them around. He was everywhere. Or at least it felt that way.This time, he was waiting in the living room, lounging on the couch as though he belonged to the space in a way she never could. He held a book in his h
Eliana’s decision came swiftly, but it wasn’t an easy one. She couldn’t keep this delicate game going—the dance of questions that led nowhere and answers that only confused her further. Gonzalo’s behavior was too unsettling, his warmth too sudden, too pointed. She resolved to draw a line, to limit her world to the four corners of her maid duties. No more office runs, no more strained conversations where she felt his eyes linger too long. She would be just the maid—nothing more, nothing less.She brought it up one morning while clearing away breakfast. Gonzalo, seated at the dining table, flipped through papers with a kind of distracted focus. His pen tapped the edge of the table in a steady rhythm, but the moment she spoke, it stilled.“I’ve been thinking,” Eliana began, keeping her tone even though her hands trembled around the tray. “I’d like to stop working
Caleb stood by the large bay window in his office, the warm glow of the setting sun bathing the room in a soft amber hue. The golden light kissed the sharp angles of his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw and the flicker of something buried deep in his eyes. His thoughts swirled like a storm, fierce and unpredictable, torn between the weight of his duties and a gnawing feeling that he couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t just the responsibility of being an Alpha that pressed on him—it was something else, something that threatened to unravel him if he acknowledged it.As he spoke to his cousin, his lips lifted in a genuine smile, a rare moment of ease slipping through the cracks of his usually guarded manner. The conversation flowed effortlessly, a reminder of the good times he’d shared with Luna Lia. His voice softened as he spoke of her, the memories of their shared laughter and u
Caleb couldn’t shake the unease gnawed at him as he watched Gonzalo. Something about his movements was off. Gonzalo, usually composed and confident, seemed... jittery. His eyes darted around the room like a cornered animal, and he kept adjusting his tie, which was already perfectly straight. Caleb’s instincts screamed that something wasn’t right.Charles, standing beside Caleb, nudged him with a smirk. “Looks like someone’s hiding something,” he said in a low voice, his tone teasing.Caleb shot him a glare, but it wasn’t enough to stop the amusement dancing in Charles’s eyes. Caleb didn’t have time for his beta’s games. His focus remained on Gonzalo, who was making his way toward the door, his movements stiff and unnatural.“Gonzalo,” Caleb call
Staring at the vicinity of the Safe Haven Orphanage—primarily painted with red and blue walls, gives overwhelming rejoice. It is a school and a place to stay for orphans. I closed my eyes and averted my gaze. I grew accustomed to the people and environment after living here for 17 years but hearing the conversations inside the Headmistress’s office shattered my heart; I sighed and leaned on the wall. Another turned down to adopt me, but it hurt me even more because I could hear Headmistress Rosie pleading with the wealthy married couple inside.“What are you doing here, Eliana? Return to the classroom!” Miss Lalita suddenly appeared and yelled. I nodded and started walking. Since I was ten years old, I’ve used this cycle, which still breaks my heart.“How was it, Eliana? Are you going to start living in a villa now?” Risa inquired as she stood at the door, wiggling her curly hair. I entered the room with a half smile on my face. She is one of my cheerful friends.“Risa, don’t irritate
“Eliana!” I opened my eyes to hear Risa’s loud voice. Her face was pale, and she gave me a frown. “How come you slept on the floor?”“Huh?” As I stood up, I uttered. The girls in the room were all staring at me and shaking their heads. “What transpired?” I inquired. Risa and Mary assisted me in getting up on the floor and directing me to my bed.“We found you unconscious on the floor.”“Do you have a fever?”In the sudden gust of wind, I clutched my blanket and shivered. “Hey!” Mary exclaimed.“I’m cold,” I mumbled, adding, “Could you please close the window?”They exchanged glances as a line appeared on their forehead. “The windows were closed, Eliana.” When I looked out the window, memories flashed through my mind—blurred faces of a girl running and a boy chasing her. They were content to enjoy the beauty of the forest while watching the sunset. “Eliana!”The glimpses faded as I focused on my friends. They appeared concerned and handed me a cup of hot coffee. “Drink this; I’m going
A stream of cold water rushed into my body. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the bathroom.Things are gradually returning to my mind. Why do I keep catching a glimpse of that woman? I stood up and looked in the mirror. Our face is the same shape as hers, identical, but her hair is curly blonde. Who is she?“Eliana,” two knocks were on the door before the familiar voice yelled.“Yes, Mary, I am going out,” I said while drying myself on the towel.“Are you okay?” She asked, giving me my dress and undergarments. I smiled and assured her that everything was fine. “By the way, we’re going out tomorrow. Will you accompany us?” She voices out.“What are you going to do?” I asked, wearing my dress.“We’ll watch movies outside because it’s Saturday. We are fortunate that the headmistresses have agreed to this.” She responded, giggling, as she walked up to the door. They appeared to have forgotten my birthday, and I watched her leave with a sad smile on my face. I noticed the meal on th
I smiled at the two men thinking they had a good intention in approaching me, and I felt at ease, but my smile faded when the moonlight directed on their faces. It is not a mustache they have but fur, not the usual look of a man. My eyes flickered, and I continued walking. “Young woman, what are you doing here in the dark alley?” The tall man asked; he wore a brown polo shirt and a black cap while the other wore a black polo shirt and slacks. I came to a screeching halt and turned around. The sudden intense fear hit me. I gradually stepped back and glanced at the road.“Yeah, we can help you. Where are you going?” The short man inquired. They both look like a monster of the night. I pinched my arms, thinking I was dreaming, but they shook their heads when I opened my eyes.“You are not dreaming. Come with us. We can help you.” They grinned and held my hand.“Let me go!” I shouted, but they gripped firmly. They are stronger than me. “Help!” I screamed, but it seemed no one was walking
Caleb couldn’t shake the unease gnawed at him as he watched Gonzalo. Something about his movements was off. Gonzalo, usually composed and confident, seemed... jittery. His eyes darted around the room like a cornered animal, and he kept adjusting his tie, which was already perfectly straight. Caleb’s instincts screamed that something wasn’t right.Charles, standing beside Caleb, nudged him with a smirk. “Looks like someone’s hiding something,” he said in a low voice, his tone teasing.Caleb shot him a glare, but it wasn’t enough to stop the amusement dancing in Charles’s eyes. Caleb didn’t have time for his beta’s games. His focus remained on Gonzalo, who was making his way toward the door, his movements stiff and unnatural.“Gonzalo,” Caleb call
Caleb stood by the large bay window in his office, the warm glow of the setting sun bathing the room in a soft amber hue. The golden light kissed the sharp angles of his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw and the flicker of something buried deep in his eyes. His thoughts swirled like a storm, fierce and unpredictable, torn between the weight of his duties and a gnawing feeling that he couldn’t quite name. It wasn’t just the responsibility of being an Alpha that pressed on him—it was something else, something that threatened to unravel him if he acknowledged it.As he spoke to his cousin, his lips lifted in a genuine smile, a rare moment of ease slipping through the cracks of his usually guarded manner. The conversation flowed effortlessly, a reminder of the good times he’d shared with Luna Lia. His voice softened as he spoke of her, the memories of their shared laughter and u
Eliana’s decision came swiftly, but it wasn’t an easy one. She couldn’t keep this delicate game going—the dance of questions that led nowhere and answers that only confused her further. Gonzalo’s behavior was too unsettling, his warmth too sudden, too pointed. She resolved to draw a line, to limit her world to the four corners of her maid duties. No more office runs, no more strained conversations where she felt his eyes linger too long. She would be just the maid—nothing more, nothing less.She brought it up one morning while clearing away breakfast. Gonzalo, seated at the dining table, flipped through papers with a kind of distracted focus. His pen tapped the edge of the table in a steady rhythm, but the moment she spoke, it stilled.“I’ve been thinking,” Eliana began, keeping her tone even though her hands trembled around the tray. “I’d like to stop working
The air in the house had changed again—subtly, but unmistakably. Eliana could feel it, like how the atmosphere shifts before a storm. Gonzalo hadn’t mentioned the incident. Not once. Not in passing, not funny. He’d continued as if nothing had happened. But his eyes carried something she couldn’t solve—a silent weight pressed against her ribs.Eliana’s footsteps echoed lightly as she moved through the hallway, her hands brushing against the smooth surface of the walls. The house seemed quieter than usual, the absence of guards making it feel unnervingly intimate. Gonzalo’s presence was harder to ignore without them around. He was everywhere. Or at least it felt that way.This time, he was waiting in the living room, lounging on the couch as though he belonged to the space in a way she never could. He held a book in his h
The house felt quieter these days, the spaces between words more noticeable. Gonzalo, who had once been distant and cold, had become something else entirely. Eliana wasn’t sure what to make of it. His gestures were softer now, almost too soft, and his eyes held a warmth she wasn’t accustomed to. He seemed... kind, but in a way that made her feel on edge.She stood at the dining room table, absently wiping down the surface, watching him from the corner of her eye as he stood by the stove, stirring something in a pot. The rhythmic motion of his hand, the way his brow furrowed in concentration—it all felt so... intimate. It unnerved her.The absence of the woman who had once been a fixture in this house hung heavily in the air. Eliana couldn’t shake the feeling that the shift wasn’t just in the walls of the house—it was in Gonza
Eliana felt a pain in her back. She moved to the side and felt a hard object beside her. She slowly opened her eyes and was horrified to find herself in the middle of the forest with mud on her dress.“Where am I?” she whispered, trying to recall everything from last night. She shook her head, but her memory was a blank slate. No matter how much she tried to dig into her thoughts, a curtain had been drawn over them. Panic crept in as she tried to remember until a loud noise in the bushes startled her.She stood up quickly, but her legs wobbled, and she fell back into the grass. Her hands gripped the earth beneath her as she tried to steady herself. The sound in the bushes grew louder, and her heart raced. Was it an animal? Or worse?All of a sudden, someone shouted her name. “Eliana!”
The forest was dense, and the air scent of pine. The towering trees cast long shadows across the ground, creating a maze of darkness and light. Caleb and his warriors moved silently through the underbrush, their senses heightened, their every movement calculated. The tranquility of the woods was elusive, masking the threat that lurked ahead.Caleb could feel the tension in the air, the calm before the storm. His heart pounded in his chest, not from fear, but from the fight to come. He knew Damien Ferns, the Alpha of the Lycan Shadow Pack, was cunning and ruthless. Their pack had clashed with his before, but the stakes were higher. This was no longer about territory—it was about survival."Alpha," Charles whispered, signaling with a hand gesture. "We’re close."Caleb nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scann
"I miss you," she whispers, her voice as sweet as the melody of the wind through the trees.Caleb’s heart swells at the sound, a voice that belongs to the woman he loves. Around him, the air is filled with the fragrance of blue roses and red petals scattered across the grass. The soft, harmonious music seems to emanate from the trees, accompanied by the gentle hum of hummingbirds fluttering nearby. It’s a scene of serene beauty, almost ethereal in its perfection.He takes a step forward, each stride measured as he ambles through this paradise, drawn by the voice that has become his beacon of hope and love.Caleb finally reaches Lia, standing still as if afraid to break the fragile beauty of the moment. Her smile is like the sunrise, bright and warm, melting away the shadows in his heart. She rea
Eliana stood motionless, watching the woman as she turned to leave. The sense of unease had only deepened in her chest. Who was she? Her calm, impassive demeanor seemed to mask something far darker. Something that made Eliana’s skin crawl.The woman’s quiet footsteps echoed in the hallway as she vanished from view, and Eliana was left alone in the oppressive silence of Gonzalo's house. It felt like everything had shifted since the first day she’d arrived. The strange behavior of the woman, the abrupt disappearance of the previous security guard, and now Gonzalo’s refusal to explain anything. It was as if the house itself held a secret—one that Eliana wasn’t sure she was ready to uncover.Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to Gonzalo's office opened again. Eliana quickly straightened, expecting to see Gonzalo. But ins