Zachary’s voice felt like a ray of light, piercing through the darkness of my despair. I clung tightly to the saddle, leaning my body forward to reduce the resistance.Zachary, riding his tall white horse, flew past me like the wind. He grabbed hold of my horse’s reins, trying to bring the wild animal under control.“Damn it, stop!” Zachary shouted, yanking hard on the reins. The horse, “Red Hare,” let out a pained whinny, rearing up on its hind legs. The sudden movement startled me, and I lost my balance. I could feel myself slipping from the saddle, about to fall...“Stop!” Zachary’s voice trembled slightly with urgency, and I could see the veins bulging on his hands as he pulled on the reins with all his strength. The horse, in response to the sharp tug, reared even higher, nearly throwing me off as I screamed in fear.At the same time, Zachary leaned back, lowering his body as far as possible, and I could almost hear the harsh scrape of his back against the ground. Under his
I carried the fondant cake I had made for Ada, pushing through the revolving doors of a luxury shopping mall. Classical music played softly in the background, the surroundings opulent and gleaming. I had thought Ada, this big celebrity, and I had become close, almost like friends. But now, her agent wasn’t answering calls, and she hadn’t replied to my messages. I’d been searching everywhere for her. Finally, I spotted her at the entrance of an upscale jewelry store.“Ada! I finally found you.” I squeezed past a group of girls who were screaming excitedly into their phones, making my way toward Ada. She was wearing sunglasses, casually browsing through the jewelry.“What are you doing here?” Ada took off her sunglasses, frowning slightly, clearly annoyed.I raised the cake I had brought. "Ada, I made your favorite fondant cake. The wedding situation was a misunderstanding, but we’ve got a solution ready."She didn’t even reach for it. Her eyes skimmed over the cake with disdain,
Hugh’s car came to a smooth stop in front of my building. I unfastened my seatbelt, my tone cold as I said, “Thanks, you can leave now.”But he grabbed my hand, his deep eyes filled with worry. “Shelia, I know you're still angry. I’ll take care of the issue with Carol…”“Hugh, what’s between Carol and me is just regular business competition. I don’t need your help. And we shouldn’t be involved anymore. I don’t want others to misunderstand.”My voice was distant and indifferent, like a bucket of cold water extinguishing any care he had in his eyes.“Shelia, do you really have to talk to me like this?” His voice was raspy, wounded, like the low growl of an injured animal.“Hugh, stop bothering me.” I looked at him coldly. “You got what you wanted—you used dirty tricks to secure the deal. We’re done. Please respect that.”With that, I opened the car door and stepped out without looking back.He followed me out, calling my name. “Shelia!”I ignored him, shutting the door to my apar
The rain poured down harder, and a gust of wind ripped the umbrella right out of my hand. Hugh was drenched, clinging tightly to me, and I could feel his body trembling from the cold. If this went on, he was definitely going to get sick. Despite his strong physique, he was prone to catching colds. Driving in this kind of storm would be dangerous too. Damn it, that stupid sympathy of mine was flaring up again!“You’re soaked. Come inside,” I said, pulling him toward my apartment, mentally cursing myself for being so soft-hearted.He followed me in without hesitation, using the handkerchief I gave him to dry his hair while glancing curiously around my place. “I had no idea you lived in such a big house. Even though we’re divorced, I feel like I barely know you.”It was true—my house was large, six floors with a basement wine cellar. This was Hugh’s first time inside.“My brother is still home, so let’s go to my bedroom,” I said as we quietly made our way upstairs.Seeing that I
“I didn’t even realize it myself, but my possessiveness over you runs so deep. I can’t stand any man getting close to you,” Hugh whispered as he tightened his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. His breath was warm against my ear, his voice unusually gentle, “Just the thought of you being with someone else drives me crazy…”I wanted to roll my eyes. Hugh, you weren’t always like this! The man I used to know was cold, aloof, and as emotionally distant as a machine—definitely not this overgrown puppy trying to act sweet and vulnerable.“Let go! I don’t love you anymore!” I had to reject him firmly, without hesitation. I couldn’t let myself fall for him again.I tried to get up from the bathtub, but his strong hand pulled me back, and my body collapsed into his arms, unable to support itself. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes as he spoke slowly and deliberately, “Shelia, can you honestly say you don’t feel anything for me? Look into my eyes and say it again.”
Just as I was about to lose myself in his tender advances, a sudden knock on the bathroom door jolted me back to reality. The sound was so clear, it pulled me right out of my daze.“Shelia, are you okay in there? Why are you taking so long?” It was my brother's voice! It was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me, snapping me awake. Damn it! How could I forget that my brother was still waiting for me outside?Panicking, I quickly pushed Hugh away, breaking free from our entanglement as I tried to steady my racing heart and disheveled emotions.“I... I’m fine. I just wanted to soak a bit longer. I’ll come down in a bit, don’t worry,” I called out, doing my best to sound calm.“Alright then, I’m heading out for a while. There are some desserts on the table for you,” my brother replied, his voice filled with the usual warmth and affection, which only made me feel even more awkward.“Thanks, brother,” I responded quickly, eager to get him to leave. When I turned back arou
I quickly grabbed the towel to cover myself, suddenly realizing that Hugh was still standing there, shirtless, reaching out to hold me."Don't rush, Shelia," he said in a calm, gentle tone, but there was no way I could stay in his arms right now."I need to find Zia immediately. She needs me right now." I rushed out of the overly intimate bathtub, frantically pulling clothes from the wardrobe and throwing them on. Hugh, still half-naked, blocked my way as he too wrapped a towel around himself.“Shelia, what about us…” he started to say.Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of his perfect abs. As much as I felt the pull of desire, my brain screamed for me to stop! Zia was being bullied by Carol because of me, and here I was fooling around with Hugh! What was I thinking?"You need to think about how you're going to handle your dear sister, Carol!" I snapped, grabbing my bag and rushing out.“I’ll drive you,” he said quickly, throwing on clothes and following after me.T
I’ve always been a playboy, treating every woman like a fleeting distraction—until I met her, Zia. She was the one who brought a different kind of light into my life.It was a sunny afternoon when I first saw her in the corner of the library, flipping through a book. She was like a gentle stream, quietly flowing into my restless heart. She was nothing like the other women I’d been with—calm, refined, with an air of intellect. I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her. After all, the women I’d been involved with before? If I wanted to, I could have them right then and there, even in a classroom.But with Zia, it was different. I went all out, showering her with romance and surprises, hoping she’d look at me a little longer, stay by my side just a moment more. I didn’t know what true love was, but I knew I wanted to change for her.She began to warm up to me too, always replying to my messages. But now, she’d been silent for hours. Where had she gone? Why wasn’t she responding? Frustrat