(ง'̀-'́)ง
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.“I think I see her now,” she says nervously, glancing at Jenna’s determined approach. “And I hate to admit it, 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 heads nearby towards us. “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 call?” “Jenna—” “Fuck you, Rya
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
All eyes are on me as I approach the round table where my group of three friends sits with their prom dates and girlfriends. And then there’s Hazel, sitting next to an empty chair, staring at me with widened eyes that’s full of questionsAt least she keeps the questions to herself. My friends? Of course, they won’t. “How did it go with Jenna? Saw her leaving with you,” Dylan asks, his dark eyes glinting with mischief.“Obviously not good. Did you see that? She tried to throw her wine on his new pretty girlfriend,” Luis, the blonde one, enters, obviously wanting to increase the drama.He is my friend. I trust him, but there’s something off about the way he looks at hazel. He was also the only one that reached for a handshake. And why the fuck does he keep calling her pretty when his girlfriend is right next to him.“Where is she, though?” Dylan’s girlfriend asks. “She, uh—” “Ryan…” Luis’s girlfriend, Becky starts but she falters, glancing at Hazel before continuing. “What really
Trigger warning: Dub—con/Non—con. Blackmail. (If you easily get triggered yet still want to know what happens in the chapter, scroll down to the flowery chapter break and start reading from there ♥)“Come to my office,” Rafa says, his voice deep, unsettling, and psychotic.She whips around at the speed of lightning to face him. “But Master Rafa… I’m on kitchen duty tonight—”His piercing blue eyes darken. “I’m not going to ask you twice, so I’ll just drag you there.”His hand slips down her waist, and he grabs her by the wrist of the hand she’s using to hold the knife.Ruth’s body trembles. Rafa never takes no for an answer. So why would he now?“I’m sorry,” she yelps. “I’ll be there right now.”“Better,” he says, then releases her and walks off.Ruth drops the knife on the board and hastily runs after him.Inside his office, she finds him reclined casually on the sofa, legs spread. He barely glances at her before pointing at the space between his knees.She knows what he wants, and s
Now that Madam Adora is gone, a longtime maid gets assigned to be the new housekeeper.Sunday early morning, she steps into their room of four maids, and they all scramble to their feet, including Ruth.“For this week,” the housekeeper announces, “all of you will be sent to the villa. And four out of six girls over there will come in your place.”“Start packing your things,” she orders, then walks out of the room.Ruth’s chest tightens. Her temporary heaven has ended.When Madam Adora was still around, she’d stay for three weeks in the mansion and only one in the villa, while other girls spent only two or one week in the mansion. It was not fully Madam Adora’s doing. It was also Hazel’s, she had taken a liking to her, often requesting she stay close.But now, Madam Adora is dead. And Madam Hazel doesn’t trust anyone because of what happened.The privilege she once had—it’s all gone.She didn’t think she’d see the men in the villa spaces so soon.Ruth swallows hard as she folds clothes
~Present~Now he gets it.The one question Ryan’s always overlooked, seen as simple biology and blamed on the fact she was still a kid.Why does Melody look nothing like her father? She came out full blonde, bright blue eyes. Not even a trace of Lennox in her.His mother was blonde too, with light hazel eyes—but because of Lennox’s dominant genes, Ryan turned out brunette. Dark hazel eyes that often look brown.So, he’d just concluded that Selene must really have more dominant genes.But no. That’s not it.It all makes sense now.Melody doesn’t look like her father, because Lennox isn’t her father.She’s a full blonde because her real father, Rafaelle, also is. She has his eyes, his hair, now that he thinks of it, even his smile.Selene doesn’t have dominant genes—she and Rafa just have similar features.The hard reality is slowly starting to kick inAll this time… the little girl he thought was his sister? She’s not even related to him.And Rafa? Why he’s even helping Selene in the f
Selene confidently walked in.Inside were four men seated comfortably, and two men that looked like bodyguards standing by the wallTwo of the men by the right already had a girl draped over them. And by the left, there he was. Lennox.Dark hair, darker eyes. He didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead, his attention rested on the drink in his hand. Beside him was a man that looked much younger than all the men in the room. He was blonde, just like her.He even looked her age. It was scary, because of his piercing blue eyes and blonde hair—they almost looked like they were related.“I’m the one who called you,” the man by the far end said. She turned to the voice, very old, very wrinkly. They were the most horny. He already had a girl showering kisses all over him and massaging his crotch, yet he was looking for more.Typical. She’d come across so many of them in the underground brothel. Greedy. Never satisfied.“Oh,” Selene said sweetly, her eyes sliding to Lennox. Her voice, both cute
Another reason she reluctantly gave in to the men… was her father.She hoped—wherever they were taking her—he’d be there. Maybe she’d finally see him. For the last time.He was the only family she had left. She wanted to hug him one last time. Then scream at him. Maybe slap him—three, ten times, or more for shattering their perfect life into dust.But instead, they took her to the underground lounge of a strip club.The vibe and air there were very different from the one above. The air was thicker, quieter, heavier, sicker, way more intense. It was because down there the girls here were forced into it, drugged, broken, controlled, stripped of their rights, and given nothing in return.But above, the girls danced because they chose to. They wore bright makeup, owned their routines, laughed, earned, flirted. They had freedom—enough to walk in and out as they pleased, and most of all, they made their own money.Selene knew she somehow had to leave the underground and go to the higher gr
TRIGGER WARNING: Contains Offscreen Non-con, Murder.(Originally meant to be written in first pov)*~7 years ago~*The car screeched to a halt in front of 19-year-old Selene’s house.“Bye, babe,” she leaned in and kissed her boyfriend behind the steering wheel.It was 3 a.m., she had sneaked out of her house to go clubbing with her friends and boyfriend, and after that, went to her boyfriend's place to get even more freaky.“I wished you could’ve stayed over for the night. I’m already missing that kitty.”She giggled. “Some other time, baby. You know how my parents are. If they wake up and don’t see me, they’ll come with the police to your house.”In about four months she’d turn twenty, yet her parents still cherished her.Their lips met again in a slippery kiss before she pulled away, slipping out of the car and jogging toward the house.She was about to head towards the back door when she realized the front was slightly ajar.Fear and curiosity peaked in her as she walked to the fro
“You know I had BPD as a kid, right? I guess it’s resurfacing.”Selene’s skin crawls as she remembers the amount of times he tried to hurt Melody. The unease in her chest increases, and she’s about to reach out to take Melody from his arms, but he beats her to it, already letting her down.“It won’t happen again,” Ryan says, casting one last smile at Melody. She nods, and as he turns and leaves, a relieved sigh instantly escapes her.“Fucking weirdo,” she hisses under breath.But then she suddenly freezes. His words echoing in her mind. “One push down these stairs—just one push and you’d be dead.” She can still feel his intense grip tightening on her arm, his deadly stare still haunting her.“Uhhh.” She shivers.if Hazel hadn’t shown up? if she hadn’t called his name? What would have really happened after that.‘Would he have pushed me?’‘Would I be dead right now?’She inches forward, peeking around the corner, checking the hallway to see if he’s gone. Not even seeing his shadow, s
Content warning: Contains subtle narratives of sensitive topics; Non—con, Human trafficking.My chest tightens listening to Ruth, trying to process, and piece things up.“I don’t think you’ve ever seen Claudia…They surely made it that way. Made her a ghost” She continues.She’s always in the kitchen or in the room. Never in the corridor, never outside.Last week, I noticed that she suddenly finally vanished—not in the mansion, not in the Villa Personnel. Not anywhere.That means she succeeded. And as promised by Madam Selene and Mrs. Huxely, she was surely sent back home.I frown, shaking my head in disapproval. “That’s impossible.” “Neither Selene nor Mrs. Huxely have the right to hire maids and send them off however they like.” I argue, “They don’t even have the right to assign them here or to the Villa unless—”Realization strikes, as I lock eyes with Ruth. “Did she ever mention any of my father’s men? The best men?”Ruth shakes her head. “She hardly spoke to anyone. Always stay
“Kill her.”Hazel’s voice rings in my mind after I put her to rest. “Kill her.”It’s been non-stop, making me question my next move.“Kill her.”My eyes are glued to my phone screen. The live camera feed shows Selene in the backyard, playing with Melody.She’s laughing. Smiling. Tossing a ball back and forth with her daughter like she hasn’t shattered lives.As much as I want to fulfill Hazel’s request, one thing is holding me back—Melody. If Selene dies, in my hands or my father’s, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to handle the guilt of Melody growing up motherless, especially when I’ve experienced how horrible it is in this house.Despite the fact she is the daughter of a wench like Selene, she’s still my half-sister. I don’t want her to grow through the same thing I did.Selene steps away from Melody when someone offscreen calls her over. That’s my cue.I rise from the high stool at the bar—fast—and slide my phone into my pocket. I head toward the corridor that leads into the backy