Stella’s P.O.V.Two Weeks LaterAfter the last lecture of the day, I leave for the mall. Tomorrow is my birthday, but all I can think about is surprising Alex. For the past two weeks, I’ve been holding back from telling him how I really feel, resisting the urge to confess my love. I want this moment to be perfect, something unforgettable—for both of us.I’ve waited for his arm to heal properly, and now that he’s almost back to full strength, it feels like the perfect time to show him how much he means to me.Thankfully, he has gone to another college for a basketball match today, giving me the entire day to arrange everything for my surprise.I’m going to buy a dress for myself, but it’ll be a sexy one—just for Alex. He makes me feel confident about my body, and I know that now when I wear it, I’ll truly love how I look. That asshole used to make me feel horrible about myself every chance he got, but Alex is completely different. There’s no comparison between them. My Alex is perfect—
Alex’s P.O.V.I end the call and grip my phone tightly. All I wanted was to surprise Stella for her birthday. But now, I’ve hurt her when I meant to make her feel special.I hurry toward the parking lot, my heart pounding with worry.Shit! I shouldn’t have lied to her. The betrayal of her ex-boyfriend has left deep scars on her which take time to heal. She is trying so hard to move on and give a second chance to love. And now, because of my lie, she’s reliving that pain.I’m such an idiot.As I reach the parking lot, I spot her near her car. She’s standing there, her arms wrapped around herself, her eyes moist. She looks small and vulnerable. My heart aches at the sight.I just rush towards her and embrace her tightly into my arms. “I’m so fucking sorry, Flower. Trust me, I had no intention of hurting you.” I apologise, pulling her closer to me.“I trust you, Alex. In fact, I’m sorry for doubting you in the first place.”A smile flashes across my face at her words, and I pull her back
Alex’s P.O.V.“Anyway, what were you doing in the mall?” I question, glancing at Stella, who is sitting in the passenger seat beside me as I drive us back home.“Actually, I’ve also planned something for my birthday.”My eyes widen in surprise at her words. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because it was a surprise for you, Alex.” She pouts at me.I shake my head in disbelief. “You’re planning something for me on your birthday? Unbelievable.”“You deserve it.” She locks her eyes filled with profound love on me. “You’ve done so much for me, Alex. I want this birthday to be about us.”I glance over, feeling like I’m falling for her all over again. “You know, you’re amazing.”She reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Then just wait. Tomorrow will be unforgettable—for both of us. And you won’t stop praising me.”“I’m quite excited now. But what about the surprise I’ve planned for you?” I raise my brows at her.“Your surprise?” She taps her finger on her chin thoughtfully, which brings a smi
Stella’s P.O.V. "Can we have the same sandwich we had last time, please?" I ask as he opens my door and I step out. “No.” He denies it, shutting the door close. I look at him in shock. “Why?” He lets out a laugh, tapping my nose. "I was just kidding, Stella. Of course, we can have that sandwich. Today, whatever you want, we'll do. It's your day, my love." “Who could’ve thought that the Mr Grumpy would get so sweet one day.” I pull his cheeks, causing him to chuckle. “Now I’m yours Mr NMG.” He leans in and pecks on my cheek, making me grin. Then we head inside and eat sandwiches from the stall. My birthday is already going so amazingly. First, I woke up to my room decorated with so many gifts—it felt like a dream. And now, these delicious sandwiches! Wow! As we finish our sandwiches, Alex takes my hand and guides me towards the ice rink. When we enter, I notice something unusual—the entire rink is completely empty. My face falls as I glance around, thinking that the rink m
Alex’s P.O.V.As I sit in my car, waiting for Stella to return, my watch suddenly begins beeping.Damn it!Something is wrong with Stella.Without a second thought, I jump out of the car and rush inside, my mind spinning with worry. I keep praying in my mind that she’s alright.I head straight to her room, but she’s not there. I check everywhere—the bathroom, the balcony—but she’s nowhere in sight. The constant beeping from my watch only makes my heartbeat race with anxiety.What happened to her? She looked so happy when she walked into the house. How could things go wrong in just a few minutes?“Stella…” Desperately, I call her name as I step out of her room, but there’s no response.When I reach the door of her mother’s room, I stop, noticing Stella’s bag lying on the floor just outside.I wonder what her bag is doing here.Then I push the door open and step inside. My eyes widen in shock as I take in the scene. Stella is sitting, hugging her mother tightly, and both of them are cry
Stella’s P.O.V.I sit with Alex in the waiting room as the doctor treats our parents. Alex has been completely silent since I told him the truth about his father. That truth has shaken him deeply.On one hand, my heart aches for him, and on the other, for my mother, who has been suffering for who knows how long. Why did God make her endure the same pain she had in the past? Why didn’t she tell me?Alex’s hands are clenched tightly in his lap, and his jaw is tense, as though he’s fighting an internal battle. I can’t blame him. He would have never imagined his father would be a monster.This entire ordeal has taken so much out of both of us. But for Alex, I know it’s different. His world has been turned upside down in a way I can’t even begin to imagine.I glance at him, his face pale and his eyes distant, as if he’s locked away somewhere I can’t reach. The person sitting next to me looks so lost, like a stranger who endured a painful truth he never expected to face. This is a side of A
Alex’s P.O.V.I feel so lost. Completely lost.When the doctor informed us about the condition of Stella’s mother, I felt like killing my father. How could he torture someone to this extent? Why couldn’t I ever see his true face?Before Stella’s mother, did he torture other women? Did he also hurt my mother?My chest tightens with immense pain as I sit outside Stella’s mother’s hospital room, lost in thought. How can I face Olivia, knowing that I carry the blood of the man who hurt her? How am I supposed to promise her I’ll keep Stella safe when my father inflicted so much pain on her? Will she ever be able to trust me?I stare at the floor, fists clenched, and try to steady my breathing. Thoughts revolve endlessly around my mind: Did I somehow miss the signs? Have I been blind to my father’s true nature all my life?The truth is, I don’t know who he is anymore. I don’t know who I am anymore. And worse, I don’t know how I’ll prove to Olivia that I’m not like my father—that I would rat
Alex’s P.O.V.The next morning, I’m still seated in the waiting room of the hospital. Stella and I spent the entire night here, though sleep was a stranger. The load of everything that’s happened is suffocating me. I’m still trying to digest that my father was a monster who caused suffering to Stella’s mother. It’s like a nightmare to me.“I can completely understand what you’re going through, Alex.” Sky breaks the silence. He sits beside me. Stella is with Zoe and Selena inside her mother’s room.I know he can feel my pain because, a few months ago, he also discovered the evil deeds of his father. Since then, he’s been working tirelessly day and night to become stronger than him so that he can put his father behind bars.I glance at him with sorrowful eyes. “How did you do it, Sky? I mean, how did you even begin to understand the fact that your own father was… like this? I don’t know how to move forward from here. You know I feel like I’m stuck, drowning in shame.”Sky leans forward,
James’s P.O.V.As soon as the call ends, I start the car, gripping the wheel tightly. Denver slides into the passenger seat with fear etched in every line of his face. Just as I pull onto the road, his phone rings again.My heart almost stops beating.Is it Max?Did he send the video he told about?I pull over to the side of the road. I really feel like I can’t breathe. Denver’s hands tremble as he opens the message. His face turns white and his lips part in horror. Every muscle in my body tenses as I lean over, eyes locked on the screen.The video begins to play.Selena is tied to a chair, her wrists bound behind her, ankles strapped to the chair’s legs. Her head hangs low, dark hair falling over her face, tangled and messy.But the sight that shatters me is the crimson streak running from the corner of her lips—a trail of blood smudged against her delicate skin. Her cheek is swollen and a dark bruise forms just below her eye.I grip the steering wheel tightly in a fury. Her pain m
James’s P.O.V.Liar.She is a fucking liar.It has been eight days since she left my life and one week since that kiss.When I first saw her kissing another man right in front of me, I believed it—I believed she had moved on in just one night. I was hurt, broken, angry, and frustrated. But then I realised something. That’s exactly what she wanted. She wanted me to hate her, to walk away from her, to move on.But I won’t.I know she was acting that day because I saw the love in her eyes when she was with me. I have felt it. The same love I have for her.She is running away from me because of her father. She wants me to forget her. But that’s never going to happen. I can’t forget about her. No one can make me forget her because I saw my future with her, and I will do anything to make that future a reality.I won’t give up on us so easily, Selena. I know you want me as much as I want you. From the moment your lips touched mine, you became mine. And we are meant to be together—forever.I
Selena’s P.O.V.Pain.My heart is heavy with unbearable pain. Today, I pushed James away from me forever, and it hurts more than I ever imagined.I kissed someone else when all I wanted was to run to him, to hold him so tightly that nothing and no one could separate us. He is the one who makes me feel special, the one who gives me the attention I have craved my entire life. The way he takes care of me stole my heart completely.When I saw James standing at the entrance of my college, I knew I had to do something to make him stop following me and move on with his life. That's why I kissed that guy in front of him.But the moment our lips met, my heart shattered into pieces. Letting another man feel my lips, when the only man I ever wanted was James, felt like a betrayal.But now… now James will hate me to the core.That’s what I wanted, right?This is what’s best for me.I can’t disappoint my father by going back to James.I grab the glass kept in front of me and gulp down the alcohol
James’s P.O.V.It’s been two days since Selena left my life, and last night she left my house too—she’s vanished from my life completely. For the past two days, she has completely ignored me, as if we never had anything between us. It hurts like someone is stabbing a knife into my heart again and again.I was yearning to hold her, kiss her, touch her—just once in the last two days. But I couldn’t. She’s running away from me, and I can’t force her to stay.For the first time in my entire life, I felt like spending the rest of my life with a woman, and now she’s running away from me.Why, God? Why?I miss her so damn much that my body aches for her touch, for her warmth. My eyes long to see her face, her smile—the smile that melts my heart every time I see it. Without her, I feel like I’m losing myself. I try to numb the pain by locking myself in my room and drinking, but nothing helps.I get up from the stool, grab my keys from the table, and make up my mind—I need to see her, even if
James’s P.O.V. Unbearable pain. I feel unbearable pain in my chest for letting Selena go, even after knowing that she needs me like I need her. Because I don’t want to make things difficult for her, I don’t want to force her to choose me instead of her parents. I never want to push her for anything. Now she's gone from my room, from my life, and I feel completely incomplete without her. I get up from the bed and sit on the mini bar stool in my room before starting to drink directly from the bottle. I feel a type of emptiness that I've never felt before.The bitter liquid burns down my throat, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I take another sip, hoping it will numb the hollow feeling inside me, but nothing happens. Her voice, her touch, the way she looked at me with those eyes full of unspoken words—I can still feel it all. And yet, she’s gone. I let her go. Tears stream down my face as I slam the bottle onto the counter before gripping the edge as I struggle t
Selena’s P.O.V.But I can’t tell him that I love him. I’m too scared.What if I tell him, and everything gets ruined? What if my parents hate me?No. No. I can’t bear to see the disappointment in their eyes. This can never happen. No matter what, I’ll never let my parents hate me. If I have to destroy my own happiness, I’ll do it for them—because my only goal is to please them and finally receive their love. I can’t let anyone come between me and that goal, not even James.I take a deep breath and say, controlling my emotions. “ I don’t care what you feel. Let me go, James. I told you from the beginning—we have no future. I never gave you false hope.”My voice sounds foreign to me.His grip loosens.Now is my chance to leave. He won’t stop me after hearing my ruthless lie—that I don’t care about what he feels.But the truth is, I do.I feel his pain as if it were my own. And I know—I’m breaking his heart.I’m breaking mine too.And God… I will never forgive myself for hurting him.Bu
Selena’s P.O.V.The next night, I lie in bed with James in his room, lost in thoughts about us. We’ve grown so close recently that my heart aches at the mere thought of leaving his mansion and returning to my parents’ home. I know it’s going to be the hardest goodbye of my life.But right now, with the few days I have left with him, I want to live them to the fullest.I’m wearing James’s shirt, and his face is buried in my chest, his muscular arm wrapped securely around my waist. I’ve never felt so safe in anyone’s arms before. Why can’t I keep this man forever?I play with his hair as he lies silently on my chest—his “softies,” as he calls them. I feel his warm breath on my skin, seeping through the open buttons of the shirt. It comforts me so much that I could live my entire life like this… and even die like this. But I can’t. And the pain of that truth is unbearable.He lifts his head and notices the sadness in my eyes. “Hey, where are you lost when you’re right here with me?”“Now
Selena’s P.O.V.The weekend trip ends as quickly as it begins. It’s like a dream I never want to wake up from. When I’m with James, time seems to fly.James takes me everywhere. We explore the charming streets of Paris hand in hand. He insists on buying me everything I admire—scarves, perfumes, even a silver bracelet I can’t stop looking at.He’s spoiling me like nobody else before. God! I’m going crazy.We visit museums, but I’m too distracted by the way he watches me instead of the art. We sip wine at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. He feeds me strawberries dipped in chocolate, calling me his queen.We ride a boat along the Seine, the city lights reflecting in the water, and he holds me as if I belong to him—because I do. Maybe not forever, but in these precious moments, I am entirely his.Every moment with James is magical. We share laughter and make sweet memories whenever we visit. At night, we fuck each other like there’s no tomorrow. Life with James feels like heaven
James’s P.O.V.“I want to take you out for the weekend, Selena.”“What?”“Yeah. Can you give me two days?”“Where do you want to take me?”“That’s a surprise,” I say, looking at her. “I just want to spend time with you—freely.”“But…”Before she can say anything else, I place my finger on her lips. “Please, Selena. I want this. Don’t say no.”I have never begged in front of anyone, and I never thought I would go this crazy for someone. But for Selena, I’m willing to do anything—things I’ve never done before.She nods with a smile on her face. “Okay. My two days are all yours.”A grin spreads across my face at her words. Without a thought, I grab her waist and press my lips against hers once again.***“Oh my God, Paris! I’ve always wanted to visit this city,” Selena exclaims in joy and her eyes sparkle as we land in Paris at night.“You’ve never been here before?” I ask in surprise, watching her excitement. Seeing her this happy makes me feel like I made the perfect choice. I always w