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CHAPTER EIGHT - ELENA
Last Updated:
2025-03-22 18:10:08
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CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER NINE - ELENA
The thrill of acing the Macbeth test still buzzed in my veins. The red “A+” on the paper practically glowed, as if mocking all my past failures. I had never—never—gotten a perfect score in literature before. Even Tiffany always scored higher than me.I cast a quick glance in her direction. Her tight-lipped expression, the way her nails dug into her desk—it didn’t take a genius to know she was pissed.And I loved it.Still, I couldn’t take all the credit. I knew exactly who was responsible for this miracle.“Seriously, Noah, thank you,” I said, turning to him. I hated how sincere I sounded, how raw the gratitude felt on my tongue. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”His lips curled into that maddeningly smug grin. “I never knew you actually listened during our sessions, Elena. I thought your only goal was to make my life miserable.”“Oh, please,” I scoffed, nudging him with my elbow. “Don’t gloat.”I turned away quickly, as if the heat creeping up my neck wasn’t real, as if the way
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“Mom, that’s enough,” I snapped, my voice shaking, my hands gripping the edge of the desk. “You’re being ridiculous.”Veronica arched a perfectly sculpted brow. “Ridiculous? Darling, I’m simply looking out for your best interests. You wouldn’t want to... dilute your potential by mixing with the less fortunate, would you?”I felt sick.A toxic, acidic sickness that burned through my chest, settled in my throat, and made my fingers curl into fists. I wanted to scream. To throw something. To do something.But I didn’t.And that was the worst part.Noah didn’t fight back. He didn’t argue. He didn’t give her the satisfaction of a reaction as usual. He just picked up his books, his expression unreadable.“Noah, wait,” I blurted, reaching out, desperate to stop this and fix it.He was already at the door.Veronica smiled. That smug, knowing, triumphant smile. “See? I’m sure Noah understands. Some people simply don’t belong in certain... circles.”I wanted to punch her.Instead, I stood there
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Noah consumed me. Every little detail about him had carved itself into my memory like an intricate painting—one I couldn't stop staring at, even when I knew I shouldn’t.The way he absently adjusted his glasses when they slipped down his nose. The subtle clench of his jaw when calculus frustrated him. The almost imperceptible drop in his voice when he was angry—or more often, trying not to be.It was maddening. A constant, low-humming awareness that pulsed beneath my skin, a pull so relentless it threatened to unravel me completely. I lingered by his locker more than I cared to admit, pretending to study the bulletin board just for a glimpse of him. And the worst part? I knew, deep down, he felt it too.I had confronted him earlier that week about the kiss—the kiss that had burned through me, leaving an imprint on my soul. It had been reckless, desperate, a moment of surrender to something we had both been fighting for far too long.For the briefest second, I had seen it—the vulnerabi
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The air crackled with unspoken tension as I stormed toward Cameron, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. My hands curled into fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms. He had no right. Noah had been nothing but kind to me, a rare source of steady comfort in the chaos of my life. And Cameron—vindictive, cruel Cameron—had deliberately targeted him just to remind me of my place.I spotted him near the bleachers, leaning against the wall like he had all the time in the world. That smug smirk stretched across his lips, as if he knew I’d come, as if he’d been expecting me. His usual entourage lounged around him, laughing at some meaningless joke, preening in his presence like peacocks eager for his approval.I didn’t even acknowledge them. My focus was locked on Cameron’s icy blue eyes."Cameron," I spat, barely able to control the fury in my voice. "What you did to Noah was disgusting. You had no right."His smirk widened into something darker, some
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I saw him before he saw me.Elena stood in the middle of the crowded quad, the late afternoon sun catching in her hair like fire. She was arguing with Cameron, her head bobbing like it was going to come off. And then Cameron leaned in. He knew I was watching.My stomach twisted, nausea hitting me like a sucker punch. I should have looked away; I should have spared myself the torment, but I couldn’t. I was frozen, watching as his lips met hers. It wasn’t some casual, meaningless kiss. It was deliberate, possessive—something meant to be seen, meant to stake a claim. The entire school bore witness.And so did I.Betrayal burned through me, hot and unexpected, leaving behind something sharp and ugly. But why? What right did I have to feel this way? Elena was never mine. I’d never had any claim to her, never belonged in her world.But damn it, she’d kissed me first.That night in her room had changed everything. It was supposed to be nothing—a mistake, a moment of weakness. But I had felt
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I yanked off my school clothes, letting them fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. The weight of the day pressed down on me, thick and suffocating. My body buzzed with frustration, my hands itching for a release, something to dull the gnawing ache in my chest.Pulling on a pair of worn jeans and a black T-shirt, I caught my reflection in the cracked mirror above the dresser. The face staring back at me looked different—hardened, weary. I was only eighteen, but I felt older, like life had taken a steel file to my edges, grinding me down until there was nothing soft left.Tonight, I had a fight. It was the one thing I could control, the one place where anger wasn’t a burden but a weapon. I had learned a long time ago that the world didn’t hand things out for free. You had to take them, bleed for them, fight for them.Kasi—Kaden’s girl—had introduced me to her father, the man who ran the ring. He saw something in me, a kind of hunger, and he gave me a shot.It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t
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I stared at my reflection, but the girl in the mirror felt like a stranger. Tonight was the night. Dinner with both families—mine and Cameron’s.My stomach twisted at the thought, a slow, creeping dread curling around my ribs like a vice. The October air seeped in through my half-open window, chilling my skin, but it wasn’t the cold that made me shiver.Fingers trembling, I adjusted the delicate lace collar of my dress, a nervous habit I hadn’t outgrown since childhood. The dress was soft lavender, a shade my mother adored. "Elegant," she had called it, smoothing down its flowing skirt with the kind of satisfaction only she could muster. "Appropriate."Appropriate. How I loathed that word.Nothing about this was appropriate. Not the dress, not the dinner, and certainly not the boy I was supposed to sit across from. But my feelings had never mattered. My father had made that perfectly clear."It’s only right," he had said earlier, his voice firm but patient, as if I were some skittish
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Soon, I would be Cameron's wife.The thought sent an icy shudder through me, a cold contrast to the fire that had been simmering beneath my skin for weeks. My stomach twisted, my fingers tightening against the marble sink. I needed control. I needed to breathe, to remind myself of who I was—who I was supposed to be.Before Cameron. Before this suffocating engagement.Before… Noah.I exhaled sharply, as if the very thought of his name had poisoned the air in my lungs. I had convinced myself I was over him.But the truth was far crueler.Noah wasn’t a memory. He was what I wanted my forever to be. He has feelings for me too, I can feel it.And then I saw him.Through the library window, bathed in the golden afternoon light, his head tilted toward Aria as he listened to whatever nonsense she was giggling about. She looked effortlessly perfect—long dark hair cascading down her back, eyes alight with something warm and inviting.My nails dug into my palm.Aria. The girl who had always been
Last Updated : 2025-03-25
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CRUEL OBSESSION EPILOGUE
Six months later...The wind in North Dakota had a bite to it, but the sky stretched wide and endless, like a soft blue promise.The air smelled fresh, a little wild—like new beginnings.I stood by the window of our small off-campus apartment, cradling a chipped mug of hot cocoa between my hands.The windows fogged slightly from the warmth, and outside, the trees shivered, shaking loose the last stubborn golden leaves.Behind me, I heard Noah moving around—the heavy thud of books hitting the floor, the low, sleepy curses as he dug through his bag.It made me smile.“Your Psych book’s on the table,” I called out without turning.There was a beat of silence.Then the familiar sound of his bare feet padding closer.The next thing I knew, his arms were sliding around my waist, pulling me back against him.“You’re magic, you know that?” he murmured into the curve of my neck, his voice low and rough from sleep.I laughed softly, leaning into him, feeling the solid weight of his chest agains
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 105 - ELENA
Cameron’s presence hit me like a slap.For one terrible second, I couldn’t breathe.The blood roared in my ears, drowning out everything else.Then I was on my feet before I even knew it, my chair screeching loudly across the marble floor.“What the hell, Mom?!” I shouted, my voice sharp and broken at the same time.The room went deathly still.Noah reached for me quickly, his hand brushing my wrist, his voice low and urgent.“Elena... don’t. Calm down.”But I couldn’t.I shook him off hard, blinking against the hot sting behind my eyes. My chest heaved as I looked at my mother.She just sat there, unbothered, like the commotion in front of her was nothing more than a breeze.I pointed a trembling finger at her, my anger spilling out faster than I could control.“You planned this,” I hissed, my voice breaking. “You had an agenda when you invited us. You set us up.”A sick, bitter laugh threatened to climb up my throat, but I swallowed it back.My mother didn’t flinch.Didn’t blink.Di
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 104 - ELENA
I paced the room while Noah tried on the last suit. My feet moved without meaning, a slow circle around the scattered ties and open boxes.He stood near the mirror, tugging gently at the dark jacket, adjusting the collar like it was choking him.He looked… perfect.Sharp suit. Fresh haircut. Clean lines. My heart ached just looking at him.But his eyes—those told a different story.Nervous. Stiff. Scared.“You okay?” I asked gently.He gave a short nod, jaw tight.I stepped closer, folding my arms. “It’s just dinner.”He looked at me in the mirror. “It’s dinner with your mother.”His voice was flat, but not cold. Just tired. Like he was already carrying too much and this was one more weight on his back.I didn’t blame him.“She’s not going to bite,” I offered, trying to lighten the mood.He raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”A laugh slipped from me before I could stop it. Then I moved behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his back.“She doesn’t
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 103 - ELENA
Noah froze the moment the words left my mouth.“My mother wants to meet you.” I said again.His mouth dropped open, his eyes wide like I’d just told him I was pregnant with triplets or something. He didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just stood there, blinking like someone had knocked the air out of him.I couldn’t help it—I nearly laughed. The look on his face was priceless.“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” I said, smiling gently.He blinked again, his brows pulling tight. “I just… why now?”His voice was quiet, like he wasn’t even talking to me, more like he was trying to solve a puzzle out loud.I could see it—the way his mind was spinning, trying to make sense of it. His fingers twitched at his sides like he wanted to run them through his hair. His lips moved like he was still calculating something he couldn’t quite figure out.I stepped closer, my bare feet soft against the floor, and cupped his face in my hands. His skin was warm. Familiar. Mine.“It’s just dinner,” I whispered.The
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 102 - ELENA
I woke up to the chill of an empty bed.Noah was gone.The pillow beside me was cold, like he’d been up for hours.My chest felt heavy. A slow ache started to bloom there, right behind my ribs. I stretched beneath the blanket, trying to shake it off. But it didn’t help. I knew exactly why I felt like this.I had to tell him.About my mother. About the invitation to dinner. The one that had been sitting in my phone like a bomb I was too afraid to open.But I didn’t know how to say it. It felt… wrong. Strange. Like pulling him into a world he’d finally escaped. And yet, it mattered. Maybe not to him, but to me. Because things were starting to feel real between us, and if we were going to survive this—us—then I had to be honest.I sighed and pushed the covers off me. The floor was cold beneath my feet, the silence in the room louder than it should’ve been.I pulled on one of Noah’s sweatshirts hanging on the chair. It still smelled like him—woodsy and clean, like pine after rain.I padde
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 101 - NOAH
I woke before the sun.The sky outside was still dark, painted in shades of grey and blue. The kind of quiet only early morning knew.Elena was curled up beside me, her hand resting lightly on my chest, her breath warm against my shoulder. Her face was soft in sleep. Peaceful. Safe.For a moment, I didn’t move. Just watched her. I let myself feel the weight of her trust—how far we’d come, how close I’d almost lost her.But something inside me twisted. A heavy knot I couldn’t shake.Like I’d left something undone. Something important.I needed to close that door before I could fully stand in the one she had opened for me.I moved slowly, careful not to wake her. I slid out from beneath the blanket, freshened up, and got ready to leave.On a piece of scrap paper, I scribbled:Be back soon. Needed to close a door.I folded it and left it by her phone.I stood there for a moment, staring down at her sleeping form. My heart tugged, wanting to stay. Wanting to forget the past and just live
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 100 - ELENA
Noah sat quietly beside me, one arm resting on the window, the other curled around the bag of cookies on his lap. He'd eaten three already. I teased him about it earlier, and he just smirked like he always did and said, “Fuel.”I laughed. Really laughed. The kind that shook the quiet from my chest.But it didn’t last.My phone buzzed on my lap, and the screen lit up with one word that made my stomach twist.Mom.My laughter faded.The car didn’t feel so warm anymore.I stared at the screen until it stopped ringing, the silence that followed pressing heavy against my chest. I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Just… froze.Noah didn’t say anything right away. He didn’t need to.He glanced at me—just once—and then kept his eyes on the road. Like he understood that whatever this was, it hurt.“I’m not ready to talk,” I said softly, the words barely making it past my lips.Noah reached over and placed his hand on mine.It was that kind of touch that didn’t demand anything. No questions. No pushin
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 99 - ELENA
The moment I stepped into the building, I knew I was in the right place.It smelled like fresh paint and old wood, like something new beginning inside something timeless. There was the faint scent of books too—paper and ink and glue—all of it weaving into the kind of comfort I didn’t expect to find.The walls were covered in past student projects. Sketches framed in gold, mood boards pinned with care, and models of rooms and houses displayed with pride. Like someone had once stood where I was standing and felt proud of what they made.For the first time in a long while, my chest didn’t feel tight. My fingers didn’t shake. My breath didn’t catch.I felt like I belonged here.I took another step forward.The registration desk sat just ahead, where a few students were already gathered. Their voices hummed low, full of curiosity and nerves. I walked up slowly, unsure, but trying not to look like it.A girl turned toward me. She had dark curls and soft eyes and offered a small, kind smile.
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 98 - ELENA
3 WEEKS LATERI woke slowly, the soft morning light slipping in through the curtains, painting the room with a gentle glow.For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to remember where I was. But then, I felt it—the warmth beside me. Noah’s body, solid and real, pressed close to mine. His arm was draped over me, and I could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back.The scent of cinnamon and fresh coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the warmth of his skin. It was peaceful here, in a way I wasn’t used to. I wasn’t used to waking up in a house that felt so... normal.Stretching slowly, I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. The events of the night before were still fresh in my mind.The way Noah’s touch had made me feel—safe, wanted, like I was finally starting to fit somewhere, even if just for this moment. I hadn’t felt like this in a long time. I hadn’t felt like I belonged.Noah stirred beside me, and I turned to find him already watching me, his
