"I pushed him away forcefully," I recalled, my heart still pounding from the adrenaline rush. I had managed to break free from his grasp, my body trembling with a mixture of anger and fear. I hurried to the cabinet, my hand reaching for the robe, a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control."I brought you some dresses. I hope they fit you. Just check them. I'll wait for you outside," I heard him say, his voice a low murmur. I let out a sigh of relief as the door closed, the sound a confirmation that he had left.I leaned against the cabinet door, my head throbbing."This is all your fault, Lara. You let him get close to you again," I muttered, my voice filled with self-recrimination. I smacked myself, the sting of the blow a physical reminder of my stupidity.After a while, I turned to the clothes on the bed. He had left two sets of clothes, a maxi dress, and some underwear. I bit my lip, my gaze lingering on the underwear, a symbol of the vulnerability I had experie
The salty air stung my eyes as I watched Terry and Alex disappear beneath the surface, their laughter echoing through the air. "Whew!" I exclaimed, my voice a mixture of exasperation and fear. I wanted to scold them for their reckless antics, but I was rooted in place, my hand clutching a jagged rock for dear life. The ground beneath me was uneven, a treacherous landscape of submerged rocks and shifting sand. With every wave, the water rose and fell, threatening to pull me under."Lara, are you okay?" Terry's voice, laced with a mischievous undertone, reached my ears."Do I look okay?!" I retorted, my voice sharp with irritation. They both laughed, their amusement a stark contrast to my growing anxiety."You're not going to drown, will I put you in danger?" Terry asked, her laughter echoing through the air. I splashed the water towards them, a futile attempt to express my annoyance. They just laughed harder, their carefree spirit a stark contrast to my growing fear."Haha! Hila
The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. "Let's talk!" He said, his voice a mixture of desperation and demand. I closed my eyes, trying to shut out the intensity of his gaze, the weight of his presence."Please, Lara," he pleaded, his voice laced with frustration, a hint of desperation creeping into his tone."What are we going to talk about?" I asked, my voice a mere whisper, my head bowed, my eyes avoiding his."About what happened between us," he said, his hand reaching out to grasp mine, his touch a mixture of strength and tenderness.I remained silent, my body a statue of defiance, my mind a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions."Please, talk to me, Belle," he urged, his voice softer now, a plea for understanding. He moved closer, his gaze intense, his eyes a captivating blue."Look, I'm sorry... I never intended to do that—but," he began, his words a clumsy attempt at explanation.I didn't let him finish. My hand shot out, my palm connecting with his cheek i
The throbbing in my head was a constant reminder of the previous night's events. My throat felt like sandpaper, a testament to the excessive amount of alcohol I had consumed. I stumbled out of bed, my body still heavy with the remnants of the night's debauchery, and headed towards what I thought was my bathroom."Agh!" I yelped, my head colliding with the wall. I was still in the cabin. My heart pounded in my chest, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. I banged my forehead against the wall a few more times, the pain a welcome distraction from the turmoil within me."Stupid," I whispered, my voice a mix of self-reproach and self-pity."Good morning!" The voice startled me, sending a jolt of adrenaline through my system. I turned to see Rexon standing in the doorway, a tray of breakfast in his hands."Here's your breakfast. The yacht has docked. Eat before you go down," he said, his voice a gentle reminder of the day that was dawning.I couldn't immediately process his wor
I arrived early the next day, as we didn't have classes yet, so I hung out at JunsPark inside the campus."Good morning."I wondered who spoke. I smiled at him slightly."Good morning." I took out my notes for our first subject."How are you?" he asked, also taking out his notebook."I'm okay, Rex." I replied."Hmm." I heard his response. So I glanced at him again. I couldn't help but be amazed by how similar he looked to his sibling in some ways, even though he was fairer than Dawzon.I shrugged and returned my focus to reviewing."Are you free later?" he casually asked."Yup." I replied without looking at him."I was thinking of inviting you to one of our gigs." He adjusted his seating position and glanced at my notes.I looked up at him and quickly looked away to avoid his close proximity. My face flushed as our eyes met his red lips."I'm sorry." He quickly moved away and cleared his throat. I also looked away to avoid the awkwardness between us."So, I'll pick you up, okay? Eight
"I took a deep breath as they approached our table. The smiles on their faces as they chatted were evident. My heart clenched, but I shouldn't show it, right? Because I shouldn't. Dawzon's gaze shifted to me before turning to Isabelle, who continued talking beside him."Hello, guys!" Isabelle greeted their group, including Rexon, as they got closer.She even greeted each of them with a kiss on the cheek before facing us."Wow, Isabelle Altamirano!" Jeff exclaimed in disbelief."Is that your full name?" He laughed in front of her before taking a seat. Dawzon returned to my side, while Isabelle sat beside him."When did you get back from Madrid?" Jeff asked again."Just last week, it's hard to contact Zon," she glanced at Dawzon, who just chuckled.Zon? That word felt like a stab in my heart. Why not, since they have a history together."You look even more beautiful and sexy." Skye, who was handed a glass of alcohol, said.But Dawzon snatched it, took a straight shot, and handed it back
"I parked my car in front of the Del'torre Corp building. I looked up at the building, towering at least fifty floors high.I swallowed nervously as I got out of the car. Even if I wanted to back out, I couldn't because I had already agreed to Mommy. Besides, this was crucial for our company. So, with closed eyes, I reluctantly agreed to her request.I didn't think I would be in the meeting for long. He would just sign a few papers and that would be it. So, there was no reason to be nervous.With my head held high, I entered the building and faced the woman at the front desk."Good morning, I have a meeting with Mr. Dawzon del'Torre.." I said with a lump in my throat to the receptionist.She looked at me from head to toe, then smiled and nodded."Your name, ma'am?" She asked, facing her laptop."Larabelle Montellano, I'm the daughter of Mike Montellano, but he couldn't make it today, so I'll be the one to talk to him."She glanced at the screen for a moment. "It seems too early," I hea
I entered the next day as if everything was natural to me. Even though it felt heavy, I still tried to keep myself happy.Dawzon's letter, crumpled and damp with tears, was a constant reminder of my own hasty judgment. His words, raw and vulnerable, had pierced through my defenses, revealing a side of him I'd never seen before.I found myself trying to maintain a facade of strength, smiling at my friends. "I'm sorry to hear about Tito Mike. We'll accompany you when you go home, we'll visit Tito." Terry's hand on my shoulder as we hung out at Junspark."Yeah, thank you." I avoided looking at them. I chose not to open up about what happened. I chose to be strong and not show that I was struggling in the situation."Lara, don't keep it all in, we're your friends." Terry continued to say.But I chose to be strong. I smiled vigorously, then drank a can of coke."That's the Lara we know. Strong and sturdy." Japs spoke, which made me chuckle as I drank."Thank you, I'm okay." I said lightly.