Emery stood before the old building, her eyes welling up with tears. She forced them back, but the memories came flooding in. This was their childhood hideout, a place where she and Darren would spend hours playing and laughing together. Emery had found this place and Darren found her. If she was to explain her love story to the world, she had to start from this place. Darren's hands wrapped around her waist, startling her. Emery spun around, frowning at him. "Why did you bring me here?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and annoyance. Of all places, why here? This was a lingering question she wanted answers to. Darren shrugged, his hands slipping into his pockets as he walked towards the old house. Emery's gaze followed him, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings. Memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes - she saw herself running around the trees, laughing and carefree. A faint smile crossed her lips as she remembered the joy and freedom of
What baffled him was that he had run away from home to this place. He couldn't help but wonder what a young girl like Emery was doing in such a place. "You're a girl; you shouldn't be found in such a place," he advised. Emery rolled her eyes, annoyed by his audacity. "You're nothing but a big bully. I don't need your advice. And you have no idea who I am; this is my territory." She rebuked him, her voice firm and assertive. He raised his eyelids, seemingly unconcerned by her explanation. "Girls should stay within their homes," he added, his tone lecturing. Young Emery grew tired of his sermon. He had arrived uninvited, ruined her fun, and now acted as if he were her older brother. She picked up the spilled ink and continued painting, with a smile on her face. She had decided to ignore the stranger completely. Young Darren, however, watched her with fascination, wondering why she persisted in painting despite her lack of skill. These memories, now nostalgic and bittersweet, brought
Soft, golden light danced across the room, cast by the numerous candles that flickered like fireflies, infusing the air with a warm, honey-like glow.Emery was overwhelmed with a giddy feeling of happiness but this was well hidden from Darren's eyes. Darren focused more on her face hoping to capture all her reactions, he got disappointed when he didn't see any. Emery paid attention to every detail. Darren had carefully planned this out—she felt so special. Rose petals, delicate as silk, were scattered across the floor, releasing their heady, sweet fragrance into the air. The scent was intoxicating, captivating Emery's senses and transporting her to a world of romance and enchantment. Emery loves Roses; Darren knew this. The room seemed to whisper promises of a magical night, one that would be etched in her memory forever. Time seemed to stay on a stand-still. With the graciousness of a true gentleman, Darren escorted Emery to the table, pulling out a chair for her to sit. He th
Emery heard a loud ring in her head, she couldn't believe what she just heard. “What!?” Emery's jaw dropped, she stared at Darren like she was looking at an alien. It seems her ears had failed her, Darren brows crease into a tight frown. “You heard me clearly, move in with me!” He repeated. Was he insane? Emery wondered. Why the hell would he make such an incredulous demand?Emery felt that Darren was bent on ruining her reputation; he wants her to become the media's prey. And if that does happen; she wouldn't survive a day!Emery placed those thoughts about the media aside, “What about Camila?” Emery asked, it seems he hasn't thought things through before making such a request. A part of Emery felt she needed Darren's relationship clarity. Darren's eyes narrowed, Camila was never part of his future plan, he was only using her to get to Emery. But the fact that Emery was undisturbed about the whole thing set his heart in chaos. He couldn't tell her that could he?He feigned annoy
“You can't wear this!” He said. This was the worst dress to wear to an event. Emery would be selling herself out.Emery sighed in frustration, it seems Darren didn't want to tag her along with him. “Where would I get that outfit?”Darren smirk, he was right before her and she was still asking such a question?He pulled her out of the apartment, locking the door behind them. He drove her to one of the biggest malls in the City. Darren held her hands pulling her towards a particular section, Emery was finding it difficult to keep up with his fast pace, “Darren, you seem to forget who you are. You shouldn't be seen with me in the public.” Emery hinted, Right now onlookers were staring at them. Darren ignored her words, he didn't care about anyone. He had already warned all the press and media, anyone who dared him, would lose everything they've worked hard for. Arriving at the section Darren had in mind, they were both greeted by a mall attendant. Darren brought out his phone showing
Darren made his way into the Auction house and Emery followed closely behind him. Security men stood at the entrance, using their machinery to do a proper search. Emery couldn't help but wonder why the place was heavily guarded. After the search, Darren and Emery gained access into the gigantic hall. Emery had no idea of what the guards had given to Darren, but she wouldn't let her curiosity get the best of her. Darren could have a change of mind if she pestered him with ceaseless questions; so it was best to keep her lips sealed. Emery's eyes widened in shock as they walked into the main hall of the event, there were about a hundred seats in the venue and it seemed they were all occupied. Emery couldn't help but wonder where they would sit— It seems there were no empty seats. She wondered where Darren was headed, he kept moving forward heading towards a particular direction. They had come late, weren't they supposed to sit at the back? She wondered. Left with no choice, she foll
Nick and Margaret were spending lavishly while Emery had to earn to survive. The whole hall echoed with a round of applause from everyone. "I would charge us with open prayers, this would be followed by the singing of the national anthem." Charlie continued. They stood to their feet in respect to the US national anthem. "Now let's proceed with our program properly. Before that, Cystine, would you do the honor of giving us a glimpse of what would be happening in this afternoon's event?" Charlie said, looking at Cystine. His words stirred in everyone's curiosity. Cystine's face brightened with a smile, "Of course, we would have a Real estate auction, Rare items auction and lastly–Human auction,” she explained, "Human auction?” Emery muttered, she wondered if she had misheard. She turned to Darren for clarity but his icy gaze made her swallow her words.“Through the collaboration of several high personalities and achievers who are all either part or invited by the brains behind th
An idea flashed before his eyes and he smiled, he took out his phone and sent out a text message. Darren sat in front, so Victor Blackwood had no knowledge of his action. “Thirteen million dollars.” Darren raised his bidder card above his head. Victor smiled, he rested his back on the seat. “Fifteen million dollars,” just as expected he raised the stakes. “Fifteen million, Five hundred dollars.” Someone shouted. Darren and Victor turned towards the man's direction. Victor could be heard laughing out loud, he found this fun. The auctioneer stared at the man who had just placed his bid, his gaze skeptical.Emery felt so anxious at this moment, she didn't know how to react to all that was happening. She understood one important detail— If Darren placed his bid, the bidding process would never cease, that's because she could sense that both men are so proud, arrogant and very stubborn. The auctioneer stared at Victor Blackwood and Darren waiting for them to counter the bid, these two
Under Emery's fingers, the metal handle pulsed, sending a constant, throbbing beat up her arm. It seemed warm, almost alive, as if it were anticipating something. For her. The man in the mask spoke in a quiet voice that was slightly tinged with dread. "Are you certain that you are prepared for this?" Emery remained silent. as she wasn't certain. However, the noble was. His golden eyes flickered with delight as he leaned against the splintering frame with his arms folded. His lips curled into a lazy smirk as he whispered, "Go ahead." Don't claim I didn't warn you, though. She gripped the handle with her fingers. She turned it after that. The world disappeared. She was pulled forward by a gust of wind that ripped through her. Everything was sucked up by the weightless, limitless darkness. She was falling for a short, horrifying minute, her heart pounding in her ears, her air stuck in her lungs, and then— She landed. The air was heavy with laughter and music, and the aro
Before she even considered saying it, Emery's mouth came up with the name. It was waiting there, so sure, so familiar. Pain burned through her skull like a blade slicing right through it the instant it emerged in her consciousness. She shook from the sudden pain and gasped, sinking her fingers into the man's arms. The name escaped, barely within grasp. When she touched him, the man tensed. He strengthened his hold on her, as though preparing for the next move. His face was still expressionless, but there was something more in his keen, dark eyes. "Don't think about me." There was something almost regretful in his quiet voice. Emery's breath caught in his throat. "So why do I?" He didn't respond. There was a shudder in the room. The floor beneath them, the lamp, and the walls all wavered and warped like a water-shattered mirror. The tiny light from the carved symbols pulsed in time with the pounding in her head. It was falling apart here. Or perhaps—reforming. Another
Pain.. Emery was startled awake as it burned through her body like lightning. She inhaled sharply, taking in a breath that was too heavy and thick. There was something metallic and harsh in the air, along with the smell of damp stone and earth. Not in the ballroom. Not the manor. She didn't know of any place. With shaky hands on the uneven ground, she forced herself up. stone. The stone is cold, fractured, and wet. She looked up and realized that everything was wrong. She was surrounded by a ruinous courtyard that was engulfed by growing vines. Above, looming stone walls that had been partially defaced by time. The sky was a deep indigo, eternal twilight that swirled like a living creature and was neither night nor day. It shouldn't be here. The mist coiling at her feet dampened her clothing as she trembled and wrapped her arms around herself. Next came— Footsteps. Go slowly. Measured. approaching from behind. Her heart skipped a beat. anticipating the noble, anti
Before her, the door looms, its surface glistening like liquid silver and pulsing with an almost... living pulse. Between it and the two guys observing her, Emery remains still. The man in the mask remains silent, his fingers moving at his sides as though he is fighting the impulse to grab her. But the noble— A slow applause. Deliberate and slow, the sound cuts through the tension like a razor. She spins around. He is present. His golden eyes shine with laughter as he emerges from the shadows at the ballroom's edge. He appears as majestic and untouchable as ever, dressed in deep crimson, but a sly smile is visible on his lips. "You always believe you have options." Not because of what he says, but because she has heard it before, his voice makes her shiver. The world flickers before she can say anything. similar like a dwindling candle's flame. As if reality itself were unraveling. She glimpses something, someone, for a split second. Here she was again, standing
The air changes as soon as Emery enters the room. Her stomach lurches with a sudden, nauseating lurch. Under her feet, the solid floor vanishes. She dives into the shadows. The wind whips past her ears, engulfing her in a limitless emptiness. Nothing remains of the world she was familiar with, including the ballroom, the nobility, and the man in the mask. But the voices are still there. whispers. Sound waves. She feels as though pieces of a life she doesn't recall are etched into her very being. "You promised me." "You betrayed me." "You were supposed to remember." The words encircle her, drawing and tugging. accusing. Then... Impact. Her air is taken from her lungs by the power of the impact as she hits solid ground. The cold stone under her stands in sharp contrast to the oppressive emptiness she just left, and her vision swirls as she breathes. She remains still for a moment. Then she lifts herself up as the world settles. and gets frozen. This location... It
The air trembles. Ripples rippled through the ballroom like a stone breaking the surface of placid water. Without wind, the chandeliers wobble, the candlelight extending oddly before snapping back into position.Emery stumbles when he steps. The planet itself seems to be opposing her choice. An unseen, relentless force tugs at her, attempting to pull her back. She doesn't stop, though. She won't. Her fingers move in the direction of the man in the mask—in the direction of the unfathomable familiarity in his gaze. She is wrenched backward by a sudden jerk. The noble's icy fingers lock her in place as his grip tightens around her wrist. "You are not his property." He has a soothing, dangerously low voice. She detects something deeper, though, beneath that flawless exterior. Something breaking. The man in the mask only tilts his head and smirks, as though the noble's rage were merely a funny sight. "That's where you're incorrect." His calm, unflinching voice pierced the dis
The music swelled around her, the haunting melody stretching and distorting as if the very air was suffocating under its weight. Emery barely heard it over the ragged gasps of the masked man in her arms. His blood—warm, slick—painted her hands in vivid red.“No,” she whispered, shaking him. “No, no, stay with me—”His masked face tilted toward her, but the eyes behind it—those familiar, aching eyes—were already losing their light. His fingers curled weakly around her wrist, gripping as if he had one final thing to tell her.But before he could speak, the world shattered.The ballroom cracked like glass. The chandeliers flickered violently, their golden glow twisting into something cold and unnatural. The guests—laughing, drinking, dancing—froze in place, their bodies flickering like mirages. Reality itself was coming apart at the seams.A sickening déjà vu coiled in Emery’s stomach. She had done this before. She had watched him die before.And every time, the noble had been standing t
Between them, Emery remained still. One man gazed upon her with pride, his assurance unflinching, as though she had always been his. Something deeper—longing, anger, something unsaid but indisputable—was there in the other's eyes as he regarded her. She was unsure if which frightened her more. With effortless ease, the noble reached for her hand and lifted it. His lips lightly but possessively brushed over her knuckles. He whispered, "I'll remind you why you're mine." She couldn't tell if the chill that went through her body was from fear or familiarity. She was yanked away by a powerful pull before she could react. The man in the mask. His hold was dominant but protective, powerful but not harsh. With a stiff stance and a presence that begged to be recognized, he moved between her and the nobility. He replied in a low, sour voice, "She doesn't belong in this time." "And you don't either." The noble's smirk wavered for the first time. Emery's heart was racing. She ough
When he raised her chin and made her look into his eyes, Emery's breath caught. Around them, the ballroom dimmed into a haze of flickering shadows and candlelight.His dark, unending eyes scanned hers, eager, almost desperate."Prove it if you are really mine," he said, lightly brushing his fingertip across her jawline.In her ears, her pulse thundered.She wasn't his.Aurelia wasn't her.Nevertheless, she felt a shudder that was all too familiar due to the weight of his touch and the way his breath slipped over her lips. Too well-known.Reason struggled with her heart.She ought to push him away. Demand responses. Run.However, another factor took over.A pull, stronger than reason, stronger than terror. It felt like it should have been hers, yet it was a whisper from the past.Her lips touched his before she had a chance to think.A gentle, inquisitive squeeze of warmth.Then there was a surge.Like a tsunami, it crashed into her. As though they had always been buried in the marrow