Since that day, training with Ryan has become a routine, especially in the basics of self-defense. It’s a breath of fresh air, being out of the mansion.But today, I don’t follow Ryan. Today, I have something more important to do. I'm running out of time—Zephyr will soon be back. If I keep putting this off, I might never leave this place.I didn’t tell Ryan about my plan; I didn’t want him talking me out of it. Instead I just told him I felt a bit sick, and he let me stay back.I want nothing to change my mind today. I must get what I want!Thanks to Ryan, Aldo only watches me for little to no time, but he’s always ready the moment I step out of the main mansion building to the backyard, or even the front porch.And that’s a huge problem because my destination is beyond the mansion.But that doesn’t stop me, I’ve timed myself. When Aldo goes for a quick lunch break, when he will not be able to hold me back, I’ll quietly slip away and do what I have to do.As for Rafa, he’s not been aro
I’m back early from training today because Hazel didn’t come with me.The first day was . . . surely unexpected for both of us— especially me, who said I’d control myself. But the next two days, nothing happened—she made sure of that.This morning she told me she felt a bit sick, and it didn’t trouble me much, cause she said it’s not serious, but as I trained, I started to feel more and more worried. I just had to come early to check in on her; Maybe I pushed her too hard, and that’s why she’s sick.Or am I coming back early because I miss her?Training felt so boring and empty without her—a little scaredy-cat who’s both determined and terrified.We’ve only trained together for three days, yet it feels like I can’t train properly without her next to me. it just doesn’t feel right.As soon as I enter the mansion, noise blasts in my ears. Not just any noise, but screams—screams and shouts from Hazel… and… Rafa?Adrenaline kicks in my blood as I sprint toward the sound. My eyes flare w
“Wh—what?” I stutter, my eyes blinking repeatedly in disbelief. My brows narrow in anger. “Am I stupid, Ryan?” I repeat pointing at myself, anger, and confusion clear in my voice.“You’re asking me if I’m stupid because I’m worried about my brother’s safety?” I question, clearly getting annoyed and angry.He shifts his eyes back to me, “Why would you go there Haze?!” He demands, yelling again, his eyes filled with fury.“Why wouldn’t I Ryan?” I snap back, my anger rising to meet his. “I just told you, I went to look for my brother.”He clenches his jaw as he looks away and my shirt tightens. I thought he would understand me, but he doesn’t. I’m so… so very disappointed.“Shit!” he curses as he turns sharply, and walks away from me, bursting toward his room.“What?” I mutter under my breath, my eyes following his retreating form. “Ryan,” I call out, walking after him. “You can’t just yell at me and walk off!”He halts abruptly just in front of his door, spins around and suddenly reac
In my bathroom, I take a long, hot bath to relax, letting the scalding water wash over me, easing the tension in my muscles and mind.Anger, disappointment, sadness, regret, and so many other emotions are coursing through my veins at the moment.I need to cool down, to clear my head, so I can think properly and process everything the right way.When I finally step out of the bath, I change into a simple, loose gown that stops just above my knees, then sink into the sofa with a loud sigh. Thoughts swirl through my mind like intense waves in the ocean, crashing against rocks. “Did I overreact?” I murmur to myself, starting to see things in a new light. But that doesn’t change the betrayal I still feel in my heart.Ryan… The more I think about it, the more I understand him.He didn’t tell me the truth because he knew that if I had known, I wouldn’t hesitate to escape or even allow Zephyr to have sex with me. I would’ve fought back until he got angry and did something terrible.I get it
“Y-you should come with me.” The instant the words leave my mouth, I know I’m dead. “Huh?” she blurts, as confused and surprised as I am. Then I think, ‘This is your chance, Ryan. Tell her you’re just kidding.’“I mean,” I clear my throat, “Hazel… will you be my prom date?” Oh, fuck! I can’t help it—I want her to come with me and experience it. The sadness in her voice makes it seem like she truly regrets missing it prom.I never took much interest in prom. it’s almost like a waste of time—getting all dressed up, doing that cringe dance, eating food, which we can do anywhere. But then, if I have prom with the right person… maybe I can enjoy it. And that right person is Hazel. She shakes her head frantically. “No, Ryan, what do you mean? Y—you already have a girlfriend that you should take her—” “Hazel—” “—besides, I’m a third-year college student, not a high school senior. I’m not 18, Ryan... It’ll be weird.” She argues.“Girlfriend?” I murmur to myself, my gaze drifti
I walk down the stairs leading to the mansion’s yard, Aldo’s hand steadying mineI should be annoyed by his presence, but my focus is entirely on Ryan.He’s waiting for me at the foot of the stairs, his gaze fixed on me as if I’m the only thing that exists in his world. I look down at my dress for a brief second. It’s like I’m the main character of a princess fairytale.The soft pink dress flows like a dream, shimmering , as if sprinkled with stardust. The bodice hugs my torso snugly, clinging to my waist and bust. Thin straps rest on my shoulders, and the ethereal off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves fall over my arms, fluttering gently against my skin. The full skirt cascades gracefully to the floor, its layers endless, light, and airy—it almost feels like I’m floating in the sky. The whole dress is perfection, but when I think I’ve experienced perfection, the moment I finally get off the stairs and reach Ryan is when I see what real perfection is. “You look very beautiful,” he whis
Sooner than i expect, Jenna starts to strut toward us. Each stride, confident and full of power.When she is about eight feet away from us, Hazel clings closer to me, her head lifting up as she clutches my arm, and I turn to her, locking gazes.“I think I see her now,” she says nervously, glancing at Jenna’s determined approach. “And I hate to admit, but she looks stunning,” she adds in a hushed whisper, but I catch it. “Not as stunning as you,” I assure her. There’s no need to feel insecure now, Hazel. You’re the one I want, not Jenna. “Well, if it isn’t the motherfucking lying cheater,” she sneers, as she struts and stops sharply in front of me, her glare burning into me, her voice loud enough to turn a few nearby heads making me glance around. “Why do you look so surprised?” She questions, enlarging her eyes. “You thought I’d be at home crying into a box of tissues all weekend? Because you broke up with me over a text, two days before prom, and blocked me when I tried to cal
Jenna’s face twists with confusion, but before she can say anything, I pull her toward me, wrap my arm tightly around her torso, and cover her mouth with my hand.“Mmh mmh mmh!!” She struggles but I walk forward with her and when I reach the door, the hand I use to cover her mouth moves down to open it.“What the hell are you doing, Ryan!” she yells, using the opportunity.I ignore her pushing the door open then lunge in immediately, closing it behind me.Still holding her against me, my eyes adjust to the dark room—it’s almost like a storage room cluttered with worn-out designs and furniture.‘No one will be coming in here anytime soon.’“Ryan!&rdq
Jenna’s face twists with confusion, but before she can say anything, I pull her toward me, wrap my arm tightly around her torso, and cover her mouth with my hand.“Mmh mmh mmh!!” She struggles but I walk forward with her and when I reach the door, the hand I use to cover her mouth moves down to open it.“What the hell are you doing, Ryan!” she yells, using the opportunity.I ignore her pushing the door open then lunge in immediately, closing it behind me.Still holding her against me, my eyes adjust to the dark room—it’s almost like a storage room cluttered with worn-out designs and furniture.‘No one will be coming in here anytime soon.’“Ryan!&rdq
Sooner than i expect, Jenna starts to strut toward us. Each stride, confident and full of power.When she is about eight feet away from us, Hazel clings closer to me, her head lifting up as she clutches my arm, and I turn to her, locking gazes.“I think I see her now,” she says nervously, glancing at Jenna’s determined approach. “And I hate to admit, but she looks stunning,” she adds in a hushed whisper, but I catch it. “Not as stunning as you,” I assure her. There’s no need to feel insecure now, Hazel. You’re the one I want, not Jenna. “Well, if it isn’t the motherfucking lying cheater,” she sneers, as she struts and stops sharply in front of me, her glare burning into me, her voice loud enough to turn a few nearby heads making me glance around. “Why do you look so surprised?” She questions, enlarging her eyes. “You thought I’d be at home crying into a box of tissues all weekend? Because you broke up with me over a text, two days before prom, and blocked me when I tried to cal
I walk down the stairs leading to the mansion’s yard, Aldo’s hand steadying mineI should be annoyed by his presence, but my focus is entirely on Ryan.He’s waiting for me at the foot of the stairs, his gaze fixed on me as if I’m the only thing that exists in his world. I look down at my dress for a brief second. It’s like I’m the main character of a princess fairytale.The soft pink dress flows like a dream, shimmering , as if sprinkled with stardust. The bodice hugs my torso snugly, clinging to my waist and bust. Thin straps rest on my shoulders, and the ethereal off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves fall over my arms, fluttering gently against my skin. The full skirt cascades gracefully to the floor, its layers endless, light, and airy—it almost feels like I’m floating in the sky. The whole dress is perfection, but when I think I’ve experienced perfection, the moment I finally get off the stairs and reach Ryan is when I see what real perfection is. “You look very beautiful,” he whis
“Y-you should come with me.” The instant the words leave my mouth, I know I’m dead. “Huh?” she blurts, as confused and surprised as I am. Then I think, ‘This is your chance, Ryan. Tell her you’re just kidding.’“I mean,” I clear my throat, “Hazel… will you be my prom date?” Oh, fuck! I can’t help it—I want her to come with me and experience it. The sadness in her voice makes it seem like she truly regrets missing it prom.I never took much interest in prom. it’s almost like a waste of time—getting all dressed up, doing that cringe dance, eating food, which we can do anywhere. But then, if I have prom with the right person… maybe I can enjoy it. And that right person is Hazel. She shakes her head frantically. “No, Ryan, what do you mean? Y—you already have a girlfriend that you should take her—” “Hazel—” “—besides, I’m a third-year college student, not a high school senior. I’m not 18, Ryan... It’ll be weird.” She argues.“Girlfriend?” I murmur to myself, my gaze drifti
In my bathroom, I take a long, hot bath to relax, letting the scalding water wash over me, easing the tension in my muscles and mind.Anger, disappointment, sadness, regret, and so many other emotions are coursing through my veins at the moment.I need to cool down, to clear my head, so I can think properly and process everything the right way.When I finally step out of the bath, I change into a simple, loose gown that stops just above my knees, then sink into the sofa with a loud sigh. Thoughts swirl through my mind like intense waves in the ocean, crashing against rocks. “Did I overreact?” I murmur to myself, starting to see things in a new light. But that doesn’t change the betrayal I still feel in my heart.Ryan… The more I think about it, the more I understand him.He didn’t tell me the truth because he knew that if I had known, I wouldn’t hesitate to escape or even allow Zephyr to have sex with me. I would’ve fought back until he got angry and did something terrible.I get it
“Wh—what?” I stutter, my eyes blinking repeatedly in disbelief. My brows narrow in anger. “Am I stupid, Ryan?” I repeat pointing at myself, anger, and confusion clear in my voice.“You’re asking me if I’m stupid because I’m worried about my brother’s safety?” I question, clearly getting annoyed and angry.He shifts his eyes back to me, “Why would you go there Haze?!” He demands, yelling again, his eyes filled with fury.“Why wouldn’t I Ryan?” I snap back, my anger rising to meet his. “I just told you, I went to look for my brother.”He clenches his jaw as he looks away and my shirt tightens. I thought he would understand me, but he doesn’t. I’m so… so very disappointed.“Shit!” he curses as he turns sharply, and walks away from me, bursting toward his room.“What?” I mutter under my breath, my eyes following his retreating form. “Ryan,” I call out, walking after him. “You can’t just yell at me and walk off!”He halts abruptly just in front of his door, spins around and suddenly reac
I’m back early from training today because Hazel didn’t come with me.The first day was . . . surely unexpected for both of us— especially me, who said I’d control myself. But the next two days, nothing happened—she made sure of that.This morning she told me she felt a bit sick, and it didn’t trouble me much, cause she said it’s not serious, but as I trained, I started to feel more and more worried. I just had to come early to check in on her; Maybe I pushed her too hard, and that’s why she’s sick.Or am I coming back early because I miss her?Training felt so boring and empty without her—a little scaredy-cat who’s both determined and terrified.We’ve only trained together for three days, yet it feels like I can’t train properly without her next to me. it just doesn’t feel right.As soon as I enter the mansion, noise blasts in my ears. Not just any noise, but screams—screams and shouts from Hazel… and… Rafa?Adrenaline kicks in my blood as I sprint toward the sound. My eyes flare w
Since that day, training with Ryan has become a routine, especially in the basics of self-defense. It’s a breath of fresh air, being out of the mansion.But today, I don’t follow Ryan. Today, I have something more important to do. I'm running out of time—Zephyr will soon be back. If I keep putting this off, I might never leave this place.I didn’t tell Ryan about my plan; I didn’t want him talking me out of it. Instead I just told him I felt a bit sick, and he let me stay back.I want nothing to change my mind today. I must get what I want!Thanks to Ryan, Aldo only watches me for little to no time, but he’s always ready the moment I step out of the main mansion building to the backyard, or even the front porch.And that’s a huge problem because my destination is beyond the mansion.But that doesn’t stop me, I’ve timed myself. When Aldo goes for a quick lunch break, when he will not be able to hold me back, I’ll quietly slip away and do what I have to do.As for Rafa, he’s not been aro
Ryan… he’s too close, way too close. I get that he’s just trying to teach me, but God! He’s just too close. I can barely focus on anything, but him.He leads me and the gun fires, the recoil is too strong, too impactful, too much for me to handle,it jolts through my hands and up my arms and If not for Ryan, who is close behind me, holding me firmly, I would have flown to the ground.Yet, it still pushes me backward, making me press my body against him. I feel a shift in tension between us.“Good.” He husks in my ears, his voice voicing rough, sending a shiver down my spine.Oh no! That tone… I can hear it, I can feel it—he’s aroused.“Ahn,” a moan forces its way out of my lips, as he sinks his teeth into the soft, sensitive skin of my neck. My body reacts instinctively, arching slightly into him, and I know it’s only adding fuel to the fire.“Do you remember that night?” he whispers, his hot breath brushing in trail to my ear. My mind spins. ‘Night? What night— it can’t be that nigh