Max POV "Fuck! My couch... I'll never be able to look at it without feeling disgusted," I muttered to myself, still staring at the piece of furniture with repulsion. The night was somewhat rainy, and the sound of drops hitting the window seemed like a warning from fate. Gideon and Lindsay had just
Lindsay POV I woke up with a tumult of emotions, a weight on my chest that made me think of Wyatt even before I opened my eyes. The clock read 5 a.m., and there was Gideon, sleeping as if nothing had happened. But for me, everything had changed at that moment of weakness. "What the hell did I do
Gideon's POV I woke up with my hand outstretched, expecting to feel Lindsay's warmth beside me. A silly, almost childish smile appeared on my face as I remembered last night, the way Lindsay gave herself to me in such a unique way that it seemed new, as if I was getting involved with a woman I had
Gideon POV I returned to my room with a slam of the door that echoed through the house, a reflection of the storm brewing inside me. The situation with Lindsay felt like a knot tightening in my chest. I needed a moment to compose myself, so I headed straight to the bathroom, where the sound of the
Max POV When I returned to my room, I found Zoey there; after all, she had asked me to go talk to Gideon. "So, what did he say?" She immediately asked when I entered the room. I sighed, throwing myself onto my bed. "He's not going to apologize to you, Zoey. I'm sorry," I answered, turning on my vi
I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "If you want to get out of poverty without working, you'd have to marry someone rich, and I'm not available, honey." "Why not? Am I not great in bed?" She also laughed. "You are, but I'm not a guy who dreams about marriage, you know," I replied with a shrug.
Gideon POV The morning was gray, as if the sky itself reflected the confusion taking over my heart. Upon entering the company building, the familiar environment should have brought me some comfort, but all I feel is a growing unrest. I headed to the reception desk, where Marcus, with his usual smil
Lindsay POV When I closed the door behind me, I had to lean against it and let out a long sigh with my hand on my heart. Resisting Gideon's charms and touches had been a Herculean struggle, but I knew that if I continued to yield as I had the night before, my life would turn upside down. I had to p
Anne POV I was there, trying to at least pretend I was enjoying the party with Summer, letting the loud music and spinning lights distract me from the weight pressing on my chest. Summer danced beside me, throwing her arms up with that endless energy of hers, and I tried to keep up, forcing a smile
“She’s an idiot,” Summer said, crossing her arms as she looked at me with concern. “You okay?” “Yeah,” I lied, grabbing a cup of punch just to have something to do with my hands. “I just… I just want this to stop, you know? For people to leave me alone.” Before Summer could reply, I felt him befor
Anne POV It was the day of the freshman ball, and I stood in front of the mirror in my dorm room, the blue dress Summer had insisted I buy staring back at me. The fabric draped lightly over my body, the delicate sleeves and simple cut highlighting my shoulders and collarbone in a way I knew was bea
“Why do you keep hanging out with them, Abby?” he asked, and now there was a note of concern that annoyed me even more. “You know Madison’s not good for you. She uses you, and you let her.” “It’s none of your business,” I shot back, my voice sharp. “I do what I want, Caleb. Bye.” I hung up before h
Abby POV It was a lazy Sunday, and I was at the mall’s food court, waiting at the counter to pick up snacks for myself and the “new friends” I’d managed to latch onto. The smell of grease and cheap coffee filled the air, and the hum of conversations mixed with the muffled pop music from the speaker
Caleb, Abby, Madison, Nadia—they all spun through my head like a broken carousel. I wanted to tell my parents everything, collapse and ask for help, but the thought of seeing disappointment in their eyes—or worse, them trying to intervene at Oxwell to “save” me—made me swallow the words. I had to fi
Annie POV It was the weekend, and I was at home, trying to take deep breaths and pretend everything was okay. The Oxwell campus was a few hours away, giving me temporary relief from the chaos my life had become. Here, with my parents and the twins, I could at least try to be the old Annie—the exc
Max POV Walking beside someone who’d once meant so much to me felt strange. I couldn’t stop thinking that our breakup had been a waste, couldn’t stop remembering how happy I’d been with this guy, only to ruin it all because of my ego, because of a toxic fixation I had on Albert. Conrad Adams walke
Max POV was stunned when Albert told me that, my mouth even went dry because I wasn’t expecting to hear it. Conrad Adams was back. He was my boyfriend in my early twenties. I met him through Albert, who was close friends with him during the dark days of his family’s company. Conrad was a good guy