Aki Salamanca stood in the small living room of her apartment, her heart racing as she faced Larry. The late afternoon light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the mess of scattered books and unwashed dishes. She couldn’t believe they had come to this point, but the betrayal was too fresh, too raw.
“Five years, Larry! Five years, and this is how you repay me?” Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “I sacrificed everything for you—my time, my money. I thought we were building something together.” Larry leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression a mix of irritation and indifference. “Aki, you’re making this sound dramatic. I’m just having fun. I’m still a teenager.” “Fun?” Aki echoed, disbelief flooding her tone. “Is that what you call it? Cheating on me with someone else? What kind of fun is that? Did it ever occur to you that your actions have consequences?” He shrugged, a dismissive gesture that felt like a slap to her face. “You’re too serious, Aki. Life’s too short to be weighed down by all this.” “Too serious?” Aki laughed bitterly, incredulity washing over her. “ I worked just to make sure you had what you needed. And this is how you repay me?” Larry sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you. But maybe you need to understand that I’m not ready to settle down. I want to explore, see what’s out there. It’s not about you.” “Not about me?” Aki’s voice cracked, her chest tightening with anger and hurt. “What’s wrong with me, Larry? Am I not enough? What does she have that I don’t?” He hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting to the floor. “It’s not about you being enough or not. I just want to enjoy my youth without the pressure of a relationship.” Aki took a step closer, desperation clawing at her insides. “But you’re throwing away everything we’ve built! We were supposed to be partners! You don’t just get to walk away because you want a thrill.” Larry straightened up, irritation creeping back into his demeanor. “If you can’t accept me for who I am, then maybe you’re right. I don’t deserve you.” Her heart dropped. The finality in his words hit her like a punch. “You don’t mean that,” she whispered, hoping to pierce through the wall he had built around himself. He met her gaze, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “I do mean it. I need to go.” He turned toward the door, a finality in his movements that left Aki feeling hollow. “Larry!” she cried out, desperation lacing her voice, but he didn’t turn back. He yanked the door open, its hinges creaking in protest, and slammed it behind him with a resounding thud that echoed through the empty apartment. Aki sank onto the couch, her hands trembling as she fought back tears. The silence felt oppressive, and the realization that the love she had fought so hard for had disintegrated into betrayal left a bitter taste in her mouth. She stared at the door, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been torn away, and wondered how she would ever move on from this. Aki Salamanca sat on the edge of her bed, the lavishly designed room contrasting sharply with the turmoil in her heart. The walls were adorned with sketches of her latest designs, vibrant fabrics hanging from a rack in the corner. Yet, none of that beauty could pierce through the fog of frustration and betrayal that enveloped her. She had been crying for what felt like hours, her makeup smudged across her cheeks, the remnants of her latest collection forgotten on the desk. Larry’s betrayal echoed in her mind, each memory of their five years together now tainted with the knowledge of his infidelity. The way he had looked at her just before storming out, that cold, dismissive look, made her stomach churn. What had she done wrong? Why wasn’t she enough? Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, a jarring interruption to her spiraling thoughts. She picked it up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and saw Katty’s name flashing on the screen. She hesitated but answered, hoping for a moment of distraction. “Aki, Kaye will be here to see the gown. She’s really excited about it,” Katty said, her voice bright and cheerful. Aki forced a smile, though it felt foreign on her lips. “Great. I’ll be right there.” She hung up and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. Kaye was one of her most important clients, someone whose opinions could make or break a collection. With a little effort, she could push her personal problems aside—at least for a few hours. Aki quickly changed into a fitted black dress and slipped on her heels, trying to ignore the red rim of her eyes as she walked out the door. She climbed into her car, the familiar interior doing little to soothe her frayed nerves. The drive to the boutique should have been calming, but instead, it felt like an uphill battle against her racing thoughts. As she merged onto the main road, the world outside blurred by in a rush of colors and shapes. The urban landscape was vibrant, the city alive with people and energy, but Aki felt utterly disconnected. The anger and sadness she had bottled up turned into a reckless urge to escape, to forget everything. She pressed down on the accelerator, feeling the car surge forward. The wind whipped through her hair as she drove faster, the engine roaring in protest as she pushed it to its limits. She didn’t care about the speed limit or the cautious drivers around her. All that mattered was the asphalt stretching ahead, a brief illusion of freedom. Aki’s mind swirled with images of Larry with someone else, laughter they shared now poisoned by betrayal. Suddenly, a car swerved into her lane, and she barely had time to react. Panic surged through her as she jerked the wheel, but it was too late. The sickening crunch of metal colliding echoed in her ears as everything went dark. When Aki came to, the world was a haze of light and sound. The blaring sirens pierced through her foggy consciousness, and for a moment, she didn’t understand where she was. Panic surged again as the memories of the crash flooded back. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus, and caught a glimpse of her crumpled car through a shattered window.Aki’s eyes fluttered open, her mind heavy and foggy as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings. The room was dim, lit only by a small window high on the wall, its panes crisscrossed with iron grills. She blinked a few times, trying to remember how she got here, but her thoughts slipped away like water through her fingers.She sat up slowly, her gaze drifting across the room, and despite the eerie silence that pressed in on her, she found herself mesmerized by the sheer elegance of the space. The walls were draped in rich, velvety fabrics—deep reds and purples that shimmered faintly in the soft light. Golden threads were intricately woven into the patterns, forming elegant shapes that wound their way up toward the ceiling, which was vaulted and adorned with delicate carvings.Aki’s breath caught in her throat. The design was unlike anything she had ever seen before, a perfect blend of opulence and artistry. Even the furniture, though sparse, was made from the finest materials—d
Dylan Forteros stood in the dim hallway outside the small, cold room where Aki was being held, his breath coming in ragged, uneven bursts. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into the flesh of his palms. His whole body trembled, a violent storm of emotions threatening to explode. The thought of Kaye, his fiancée, lying in the hospital bed, tubes connected to her fragile form, made him sick with rage.It had only been a week since the accident, but to Dylan, it felt like a lifetime. His life had been torn apart in an instant. One moment, he was standing at the altar with Kaye, her smile lighting up the room as they planned their future together. And then came the accident. A single, senseless moment. A mistake. One he couldn’t forgive.And it was all because of Aki.The weight of it pressed down on him, suffocating him. He wanted to scream. He wanted to break something. Most of all, he wanted to make Aki pay for the devastation she had caused. He wanted her to suffer. But he
Aki’s fingers trembled as she touched the door that Knight had slammed shut just moments ago. The sound of the heavy lock turning echoed in her ears, reverberating in the suffocating silence of the room. She was alone now, trapped in the cold, dimly lit space, the truth crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.Her mind spiraled, replaying the moment over and over—the accident. The screech of tires, the jarring impact, the sickening crunch of metal against metal. She had caused it. She had been careless, distracted, and now someone was lying in a hospital bed because of her. But not just anyone—Kaye. Kaye, Knight’s fiancée. The realization hit Aki like a punch to the gut, and a wave of nausea swept through her.“No…” she whispered, shaking her head violently, as if denying the truth could make it go away. “No, no, no…”But it didn’t go away. The reality only grew sharper, more terrifying. She had hit Kaye, th
Katty paced nervously back and forth in the small, cluttered office of the Magic Fashion Boutique. The warm afternoon sun filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows across the room. The soft ticking of the wall clock seemed louder than usual in the stillness. A neat desk was placed against the far wall, with papers, fabric swatches, and a few scattered sketches spread across its surface. Katty's eyes kept darting toward the phone on the desk, hoping it would finally ring with some sign of life from her boss, Aki.It was unusual, this silence. Aki was always on top of things. If anything, she was the type of person who would call several times just to check in, especially with such an important appointment lined up today. Katty’s stomach churned with anxiety. Kaye, one of their most prominent clients, was supposed to visit today to review the final design for her wedding gown. And Kaye had specifically requested to meet with Aki.But Aki wasn’t here.More alarmingly, Aki wasn’t
Katty stood in Aki’s office, staring at the door Nate had just exited through. She could still feel the tension in the air, thick and stifling, as if something invisible but real had been left behind after the conversation. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It gnawed at her, tugging at the edges of her mind.Her thoughts wandered back to Aki, her boss and mentor, the talented and graceful woman who had taught her almost everything she knew about the fashion industry. Lately, Aki had seemed distant, like she was hiding behind a polished veneer of calm. Aki had always been private, but now she was unreachable, and too far to reach on. Katty couldn’t help but feel that it had something to do with Larry. That arrogant son of the city mayor had been dating Aki for years, and even though Katty had always found him insufferable, she kept her opinions to herself out of respect for Aki. But the last few months had been different. Larry had been showing up more often, ma
I've already taken care of the accident, Dylan,” Mr. Belgeorence began, his voice smooth yet laced with an undertone of danger. “It was free from the knowledge of the media and the police, and I've silenced the necessary parties.”Dylan, seated at the opposite end, gave a slow nod, his fingers tracing the edge of a whiskey glass without taking a sip. He wasn’t entirely surprised by Belgeorence’s words. The man was known to have a reach far beyond legal confines, though it wasn’t something spoken about openly. It was the unspoken truth that made Belgeorence both powerful and dangerous.“I offered them enough money to shut their mouths up,” Belgeorence continued, pacing slowly across the room. “All witnesses have been handled. I deleted footage from every source. The traffic cams, the nearby buildings—anything that could possibly identify the accident is gone.”He stopped in front of Dylan, leaning down slightly as if to make his point clearer. “It’s as though it never happened.”Dylan
Dylan sat in the grand living room of his mansion, the warmth of the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the hardwood floors. Despite the elegance and comfort of his surroundings, he felt a tightness in his chest, a gnawing sense of unease that refused to leave him. His thoughts were tangled, consumed by the words of his lawyer, Mr. Belgeorence, who had just left the mansion.Dylan could still hear the lawyer’s words ringing in his ears, heavy with legal jargon and the weight of unfortunate reality. It wasn’t that the news itself was unexpected; it was that it came at a time when he was least capable of handling it. His fiancée, Kaye, had been hospitalized for over a days now, recovering from a car accident that had shaken him to his core. The accident had happened so suddenly, so unpredictably, that Dylan hadn’t yet been able to fully grasp its impact. Seeing Kaye lying motionless in the hospital bed, wires and tubes surrounding her, had made him feel utterly powerless. And now
Dylan Forteros adjusted his cufflinks, the smooth fabric of his black tuxedo gleaming faintly under the morning sun as he slid behind the wheel of his black sports car. The sleek, low-slung vehicle growled to life, and he effortlessly guided it out of his lavish driveway. It was early, yet the day was already filled with the energy of the city that never slept. The rhythmic pulse of the streets, the hum of traffic, and the distant clamor of people beginning their routines set the stage for what promised to be a busy day.As he sped down the main boulevard, the city skyline rising ahead of him, Dylan’s mind was already on his company. F. Newspapers and Magazines was one of the largest media empires in the country, and he was its driving force. His reputation as a sharp, strategic thinker had earned him respect in an industry that had no patience for hesitation or failure. Today was particularly important, and though his outward appearance was as calm and collected as ever, his thoughts