“James? That perverted man, what is he doing here?” Sirena thought to herself.“Well, there he is. So, what do you think? Handsome, right?” Elda asked with excitement.Sirena felt her heartbeat quicken. The man who had just turned his gaze was none other than James—the irritating bed partner who always managed to get on her nerves.James was the last person Sirena expected to see in this place, especially looking so formal and respected.She struggled to suppress her shock, though it remained internal. “That perverted man,” she thought irritably.Elda, oblivious to Sirena’s surprise, became even more enthusiastic. “Well? Isn’t he handsome?” she asked again, nudging Sirena’s arm.Sirena forced herself to maintain a calm demeanor in front of Elda, masking her sudden annoyance.“Uh… yeah, I guess,” she replied curtly, trying to redirect her focus and resisting the urge to stare at James too long.“Then let’s head inside and join the seminar,” Elda said, pulling Sirena’s arm, despite her
Sirena stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had applied light makeup and styled her hair as beautifully as possible, wearing a mocha-colored dress that contrasted perfectly with her fair skin. Tonight, she would have dinner with James, as he had requested.She let out a soft sigh, trying to calm the nervous flutter in her chest that refused to subside. She knew it was just a dinner, but an unshakable sense of anxiety always crept in whenever she was around James. His piercing gaze had a way of seeing deeper into her than anyone else ever could.After adjusting a stray strand of hair near her temple, she picked up a small clutch and stepped out of her room. Tonight, she resolved to keep her emotions in check, even though deep in her heart, she knew there was something different about being with James.As she left her room, Brianna's voice called out, "Oh, Siren, there's a car waiting in front of the house. They said they're here to pick you up. Are you going somewhere?""Yes, Mo
A waiter arrived and poured the finest wine into their stemmed glasses."Let's toast," James said, raising his glass.Siren hesitated momentarily but followed James's lead, raising her glass. Their eyes met briefly, and Siren could feel the intensity in James's gaze, as though he wanted to close the distance between them."To your success and everything we’ll go through together," James said with conviction, his eyes never leaving Siren.Siren simply nodded and gave a faint smile before sipping the chilled, rich wine. As the atmosphere grew calmer, Siren found a small glimmer of hope to confront her doubts. Though her emotions were still mixed, the moment gave her a semblance of peace.James set his glass back on the table and smiled, satisfied with the softening atmosphere. "I’d like to do this more often with you," he said, hinting at his desire to deepen their connection."Alright," Siren replied.“Oh, I have something for you,” James said, pulling a small square box from his jacke
On her way to class, Sirena kept overhearing female students talking about James, who had visited the campus yesterday. James had suddenly become a campus celebrity with a swarm of admirers. She couldn’t imagine what would happen if they knew she had once been James’s bedmate.As Sirena approached her classroom, she caught snippets of a conversation between Claudya and her friends.“Are you serious? Your parents know Mr. James's family?” Ana asked.“Of course,” Claudya replied with a broad smile. “And apparently, James is single right now. Hmm... isn’t this the perfect opportunity for me?” she chuckled.“Wow, if you and James got together, you’d be the perfect match,” said Glade.“Totally! He’s handsome, and you’re gorgeous. You two would be a power couple,” Cherry added.“Absolutely,” Ana agreed.Sirena listened to their conversation about James and Claudya. Although she didn’t care, her heart felt strangely unsettled and irritated.She tried to maintain her composure despite their e
“Siren!” Elda ran towards Siren, who was sitting under her favorite tree on campus, wearing earphones and listening to calming music.“Siren!” Elda tapped her shoulder.Siren was momentarily startled when her shoulder was tapped. She quickly removed her earphones and turned, finding Elda crouching next to her, her face full of energy."Elda, what's up?" Siren asked with a faint smile. She was used to Elda's always cheerful energy."I have good news, Siren! You won't believe it!" Elda said, grinning, her eyes sparkling with excitement.Siren raised an eyebrow, curious. "What? Tell me!"Elda took a deep breath, ready to share the news that seemed so important to her.“Ronald, he’s back at campus after taking a year off.”Thud!Siren was utterly shocked to hear that. Yes, who doesn’t know? Everyone on campus knew that Ronald was Siren’s ex. They met when Siren first started college, and Ronald was her senior."Ah, so he’s back after such a long break?" Siren asked.Elda nodded enthusiast
“Siren!” Ronald called out as the class had ended and all the students were leaving the room one by one.Siren, still sitting in the classroom, turned toward Ronald with a cold gaze.“Do you have to look at me like that? This is our first meeting after everything that happened,” Ronald said, looking irritated.“What do you want? I don’t have much time,” Siren replied, still with a cold tone.“I’m sorry for what happened to your family, especially the death of your late father,” Ronald said.“Oh, yeah. Thanks,” Siren answered, standing up from her seat while grabbing her bag.“Excuse me, I’m leaving,” Siren said as Ronald blocked her way.“You’re being so cold to me. Do you really have to act like that?” Ronald asked.“Because I have no reason to be friendly with you,” Siren answered, walking away, leaving Ronald feeling frustrated.“Damn! She’s still so arrogant, even after losing everything!” Ronald grumbled.Siren stepped out of the classroom with mixed feelings. Every corner of the
"So, what do you want to watch?" James asked as he and Sirena arrived at the cinema. "Hm... I want to watch a horror movie," Sirena answered confidently. "Not scared? Oh, or is it so you can cling to me out of fear?" James teased. "Keep dreaming. That will never happen," Sirena replied with absolute certainty. "Alright, we'll see about that," James said with a smirk. "Wait here, I'll get the tickets." James smiled as he walked toward the ticket counter, occasionally glancing back at Sirena, who was enthusiastically scanning the movie listings. He could sense her excitement about this outing. "Does she really need to look that excited? Such a cute little tiger," James thought to himself with a small smile. While selecting the tickets, James couldn't help but imagine how funny it would be if Sirena ended up getting scared and clinging to him, despite her earlier confident denial. Meanwhile, Sirena stood casually, looking around the cinema area. She couldn't remember the last tim
Without letting go of her hand, James led Sirena out of the cinema area and started looking for a sushi restaurant in the mall. As they walked, Sirena felt a surprising sense of comfort with James's demeanor. They resembled an ordinary couple. She glanced at James briefly—always captivating and handsome. Her heart suddenly raced, prompting her to quickly avert her gaze from him.Eventually, they found a quiet restaurant and went inside. After sitting down, James picked up the menu and handed it to Sirena. “Order whatever you like,” he said with a smile. Sirena smiled faintly. “Alright then, I won’t hold back. Be prepared for a hefty bill,” she joked, making James chuckle. “Are you doubting my wealth?” James teased. Sirena shrugged nonchalantly. “Aren’t I the perfect match for you?” James continued with a playful grin. “I’ve got plenty of money, which I know you like. If you’re with me, you get the money and me. A buy-one-get-one deal.” James smirked proudly while Sirena chuckled
"Why are both of you here?" Sirena asked, frowning as she looked at them."We came as representatives of the late James Scout, one of the largest shareholders here," Harry said with a wide smile."It's been a while, Sirena Reverie," Harry greeted, now standing in front of Sirena, who had risen from her seat."Yes, Uncle," Sirena replied. "If you’re here as representatives of James Scout, please, have a seat.""Thank you," David smiled, though for some reason, his smile seemed to carry some meaning.Sirena's secretary walked over to David and Harry, handing them a tablet that displayed the documents for today’s meeting discussion.Sirena quietly glanced at Harry and David. She didn’t know why Uncle Harry and David had come, using James’ name. What was their real reason? Sirena thought Vaul might be the one to represent James’ side, but these two? Harry could probably be trusted by James because of their closeness, but David? James' cousin, who always had conflicts with him whenever the
Luke nodded firmly. "Yes. He wasn’t just a brilliant business partner, but also a sincere man. Even in our last discussion, he spoke about wanting to ensure the company’s future for you, Siren."Tears almost filled Siren’s eyes, but she held them back with great effort. "Why didn’t he ever tell me?"Luke smiled faintly. "Maybe because he wasn’t looking for recognition. He just wanted you to succeed without feeling burdened."Siren clenched her fists tightly. "Then I won’t waste everything he did. I’ll continue his fight and make sure this company remains strong," Siren said, staring at Luke with determined eyes.Luke nodded with pride. "That’s the answer I wanted to hear. We’ll face them together, Siren."Siren looked at the documents in her hands as if she could see the traces of James' hard work on every page. Her resolve grew firmer. This wasn’t just about her family anymore. It was also about preserving James' legacy.Siren closed the file decisively. "It’s time for me to show the
"Are you going to campus, Siren?" Brianna asked as she saw Siren coming down the stairs."No, Mom. I'm going to the office," Siren replied."To the office? Is everything okay? Ramon has been coming here for the last few days. He doesn't want to tell me anything, maybe because he's worried about your condition," Brianna said."Everything's fine, Mom. Ramon came on Uncle William's orders," Siren answered."Uncle William? What does he want from you, Siren? Don't trust them. When your dad was struggling, they turned their backs on us. Even all the issues with Daddy are related to Uncle William. The reason Daddy was scammed out of trillions of dollars is all because of your uncle," Brianna complained, making Siren furrow her brow in confusion."Wait, what do you mean, Mom?" Siren asked, not understanding.Brianna took a deep breath, as if trying to calm her rising emotions. "Before your dad's downfall, Siren, our company was very strong. Your dad worked with Uncle William on a big project.
Sirena gazed thoughtfully out of the hospital room window. The heavy rain poured down, drenching the glass pane.Her mind lingered on a dream she had about James. In that dream, James seemed to be asking her to stop thinking about him and start a new life. But how could she forget James when a small life was now growing inside her womb?Closing her eyes, Sirena recalled their last encounter. That time, she had forgotten to take her contraceptive pills, and James had been quite passionate. Who would have thought that day would lead to the creation of a life now growing within her—a child who might become a lasting memory of James.She let out a long sigh, her eyes remaining tightly shut as she tried to calm the turmoil in her heart. The sound of rain hitting the window seemed like a sorrowful melody that wrapped around her being. The memories of James were too vivid, etched into every corner of her thoughts.Slowly, her hand moved to touch her still-flat stomach. There was a small life
"Ugh!" Sirena abruptly stood up and ran to the bathroom. She vomited everything in her stomach into the toilet.Hearing the commotion, Elda quickly rushed to the bathroom and gently massaged Sirena's neck."Are you okay, Siren?" Elda asked, handing Sirena a small towel."Yeah, I think I'm fine," Sirena replied, getting up from her position.But just as she stepped out of the bathroom, Sirena let out a scream of pain, clutching her stomach."Siren, what's wrong?" Elda was genuinely shocked, immediately supporting Sirena as she nearly collapsed to the floor."My stomach... it hurts so much," she whimpered.Elda saw Sirena's pale, sweaty face and grew increasingly worried."Let's get you to the bed first," Elda said, helping Sirena to the bed before immediately calling Gavin to take Sirena to the hospital."Hang on, Siren," Elda tried to comfort her as Sirena curled up on the bed, holding her stomach in excruciating pain."Siren... Siren..." Elda called out as Sirena's face turned ghostl
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at Gavin’s car. Gavin carefully lowered Sirena and laid her in the back seat. Sirena mumbled something again, this time more clearly. “James... don’t go...” she whispered, before falling silent again.Elda held back her tears as she sat in the front seat. “She still can’t let go of James,” she said, her voice hoarse.Gavin sighed deeply. “It’s natural. Losing someone who means so much to you will never be easy. But I’m sure she’s strong. She just needs time.”The ride home was quiet. Only the sound of the car engine could be heard, accompanying the thoughts of each of them, drowning in sympathy for Sirena.“Should we drop Siren off at her place?” Gavin asked.“No. Take her to my apartment,” Elda replied.“Okay.”When they arrived at Elda’s apartment, Gavin lifted Sirena again, but just as they were about to enter the lobby, someone called out, and Sirena, who had slightly opened her eyes, saw a familiar figure in front of her.“Vaul?” Siren
“Hey, you guys finally made it,” Gavin greeted as Elda and Sirena arrived at one of the nightclubs.“Yeah, we didn’t want to miss your special moment,” Elda chuckled.“Come on in, Siren, Elda.”There were a few other students present at Gavin's birthday party, which was being celebrated in one of the private rooms of the nightclub.Sirena walked in with Elda, following Gavin to the private room that had been prepared. The music from the club echoed, but as they entered the special room, the booming bass softened slightly, replaced by a more intimate yet still lively atmosphere. The room was simply decorated but elegant, with a few balloons and colorful neon lights adorning the corners.“Wow, Gav, you really know how to throw a birthday party,” Elda said with a laugh, taking in the energetic atmosphere.“This is all for you guys too. Don’t be shy, enjoy the night,” Gavin replied with a wide smile. He looked very excited that night.Sirena smiled faintly, though there was still a heavin
On the third day after James’s departure, Sirena decided to return to college after several days of skipping classes.Upon arriving at campus, everything felt different. Her steps felt heavy as she walked toward the campus building, but there was a strong determination in her heart to face reality again, even though her heart still ached.At the entrance of the campus, Sirena could feel the stares directed at her. Some students looked at her with sympathy, while others seemed to take satisfaction, as if James’s departure was exactly what they had hoped for. The cynical glances cut deeper, making Sirena lower her head for a moment.Before long, hurried footsteps caught Sirena’s attention. It was Elda, running toward her with an expression full of concern. Without hesitation, Elda wrapped her arms around Sirena, surprising her."Sirena, you’re not alone," Elda said, her voice trembling as tears fell. "I know this is hard for you, but I’m here. I’m here for you."Sirena felt a tightness
Sirena stood in front of the apartment door, her hands trembling as she entered the password on the touchscreen. She swallowed hard, trying to calm herself, but each breath felt heavy. Every step toward the door felt increasingly burdensome, as if the weight she carried grew with every passing second.Slowly, she opened the door to the apartment—the place where she had met James, the place where they shared laughter, intimacy, and unspeakable happiness. This apartment had witnessed their relationship, which felt so intimate and full of love, even though once they stepped outside, everything was different. But now, it all felt like a fading memory.As the door opened, a familiar scent greeted her: the smell of coffee that once filled the morning air in this apartment, the aroma of James' cooking that always filled the kitchen. But now, everything felt empty. There was no laughter, no sound of James' footsteps, no playful banter that had always warmed the atmosphere. The room felt so qu