The moment I stepped inside the studio, I was plunged onto a stage. Blinding lights, cameras standing like a thousand beady eyes waiting to pounce, and people milling about in a blur of frenetic motion. They weren't here for me. No, they were here for the story, the one that had been so carefully orchestrated and was about to be broadcast for the world to see. A sham engagement. A love story spun for public consumption.I could feel the weight of the situation pressing on my chest. The air was thick with expectation, and the smile I was forcing onto my face felt so tight, so unnatural.Jaxon moved with ease, however, through the chaos. Smooth, composed, already deep in conversation with one of the producers, he seemed to have done this a hundred times before. His smile was effortless, his posture confident. The man looked like he was born to be in front of a camera."Isabel, you ready?" Jaxon asked, turning toward me with that look in his face, the one which made me doubt everything.
I hadn't expected to feel anything. I really hadn't. But there I was, sitting across the room, watching Jaxon laugh with the woman his mother had practically dragged him over to. She was an heiress, tall and impeccably dressed in a designer dress that probably cost more than my rent for a year. Her golden locks fell down her back, like an ad for some shampoo, as she stared into Jaxon as if he held the answer to every one of her prayers.It wasn't like I had any reason to feel jealous. I mean, this was a setup, right? It was all part of the deal. A show for the public. I was here to play my part, just like Jaxon was. But damn, watching him talk to her like that-like they had history-it twisted something inside me. Something sharp and unfamiliar.She was laughing at something he said. Jaxon's hand lay casually on the back of her chair, like they were in some cozy little café, not at his mother's ridiculous "welcome tea" where everything was just for show. His mother had insisted on invi
I hadn't expected her to show up—at least, not today. The door into Jaxon's office burst open without so much as a knock, and there she was. Lauren. As if nothing had changed.My heart fell the moment I saw her, standing there in the doorway, like she owned the place, that smug grin pasted on her face. And before I could grasp it all, she was going right toward Jaxon's desk, the manila envelope held triumphantly in her hand."Hey, stranger," she said in that sugary sweet voice I used to hear so often. The one that made you feel like you were the only person in the room, but you never really were.Jaxon didn't look up from his paperwork, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "What's this?" he asked, his voice a little tighter than usual.Lauren didn't say another word. Her eyes stayed on mine, moving slow and sultry, like she'd been savouring my reaction. Lauren knew damn well what she was doing, and I despised her for it.Without looking away, she let the envelope fall with a soft thu
I could feel the weight of the envelope in my hands, its contents pressing against my skin like a promise of something I wasn't sure I wanted to know. The picture that had been taped to the front, the one that sent a chill down my spine, still lay in front of me, but now there was more. More than what I wasn't sure I could trust.Jaxon stood opposite me, his arms crossed over his chest, his face unreadable. He'd told me it was a lie, but the knot in my stomach didn't loosen. I wanted to believe him. God, I did. But every second that passed, my mind seemed to unravel a little more."Isabel." Jaxon's voice was low, the calmness in it a betrayal of the tension that had already begun to seep in between us. "I know how this looks. But it's not true. You have to trust me."I didn't know what to say to him. He stood there, broad shoulders tense, yet still so much the man with whom I had spent weeks-the man who had held me when I was scared, the man who kissed me as if nothing else in the wor
"Jaxon!" I couldn't keep the edge out of my voice anymore. I'd tried, really, but everything inside me was breaking apart. "Why won't you just tell me what the hell's going on?"We stood in our living room, the same one where we had shared so many quiet nights, but tonight, it felt like the whole world was breaking apart. I didn't realize how much I'd kept inside until that moment.He stood there, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes cold. I could tell he was trying to hold himself together, but the tension in the room was unbearable. It wasn't just the mess with the fake financial records and the staged photos; it was everything that had been building up between us, all of the things unsaid, doubts and fears creeping into every word.I told you, Isabel, this is all a setup." His tone was sharp but laced with desperation, too, as though begging me to listen, yet his words carried no such message. "How many times have I got to say it? It's not true.But how can I believe you?" I felt my fr
"Why are you doing this?" I couldn't keep the frustration from my voice. The words were out before I could stop them, but I didn't regret saying them. Not when it felt like the weight of everything was crushing down on me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think straight, and he wasn't making it any easier.Jaxon didn't say anything, just kept his jaw clenched and eyes searching mine as if he tried to figure out whether I lied or not. Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't know anymore.I'm doing this because you don't trust me," he said, his voice low, the tension thick in the air. "You keep pushing me, Isabel. I'm not the bad guy here. You have to stop treating me like I am.I opened my mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. He was right. I was pushing him, but how could I not when everything around me felt like a lie? The photos, the records, the shadow of doubt that had settled over everything between us-it was like a weight I couldn't shake off.You think I'm lying, don't you?" His voice
Morning light filtering through the blind slats splashed thin rows of sunlight onto the living room floor. I tried to concentrate on the news playing on the TV, but my mind couldn't help circling back to last night: the kiss, the anger, the confusion. And Jaxon, God, I could still feel his touch on me, his lips, his hands. Everything had felt so real, but it was all some blur of emotions now, and I wasn't sure how to process them.I sat ramrod straight on the couch, my eyes darting to the door every time the sound of footsteps echoed, with every creak of the floorboards causing my heart to skitter out of control. I hadn't spoken to him since I ran out last night, and he hadn't tried reaching out to me either, but I knew that he was somewhere in the house, his presence thick in the air, a storm ready to break.And just like that, the door to the living room opened, and he walked in. His eyes finally met mine, and my chest tightened. Something it shouldn't be doing. Something that shoul
I was still trying to wrap my brain around everything-the chaos, the mess, the way it had all so horribly spun out of control. Jaxon was pacing back and forth in his office, his phone pressed to his ear, the veins in his neck bulging with tension. I could barely hear the words on the other end of the call, but I could feel the weight of every syllable."Yes, I know, but it's not-" He broke off, rubbing his forehead, his hand shaking just slightly. "This wasn't supposed to happen. They don't have the documents, do they?"I looked over to the desk, and on my phone, the headlines were screaming for me to see: Scandal Unfolds at Jaxon Enterprises. The leak, the fake documents-everything was crashing down around him, and I had no idea what to do or where to go from here."Isabel, Jaxon mumbled, clattering the receiver down onto the cradle, a loud crack. He whirled towards me, face blank. "It's not what it appears. This is… everything was supposed to go smoothly.?"I nodded, but in my chest
Two more snows had fallen. The members of the international class noticed that ever since Maureen returned from the final round, the atmosphere between her and their "boss" seemed to have subtly changed. Before the final round, they seemed inseparable, obviously lovebirds. After the finals, who knows what happened? Or if it's just their imagination, but Maureen appeared to care more about their "boss," almost like an eagle protecting a chick. For instance, their class advisor, Teacher Logan. Because of Liam, Teacher Logan hadn't received a performance bonus in three years, and his resentment was more than justified. Finally, after Maureen transferred into their class this semester, the number of incidents involving Liam dramatically decreased. Teacher Logan thought he could relax a bit, but the last school celebration performance was unexpectedly changed by Liam! The school leaders were furious. Now, this month's bonus was gone again! Teacher Logan was so enraged with Liam th
The two hadn't had their fill over there, so they decided to cook some noodles when they got back. "I'm actually a little angry." Maureen stirred the noodles in the pot with a long pair of spoons, her tone still choked with emotion. She avoided looking at Liam, her eyes lowered on the boiling water and the tumbling noodles in the pot, her eyes rimmed red, "I asked you before, about the wound on your neck, you told me that the instant noodle glass bowl exploded! Do you have no heart, no feelings?" Maureen couldn't help but drop her Spoon. She should have realized it long ago, she had been living there for so long, and she had never seen Liam eat instant noodles - his refrigerator was completely empty, not a single instant noodle or glass bowl, what noodles was he supposedly making?! Liam was always lying to her! Seeing Maureen crying all the way back in the cold wind, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts, Liam felt deeply distressed. He lightly patted Maureen's back, trying t
Maureen was the first to take a bath. After Liam entered the bathroom, Maureen wandered around the apartment in her fluffy pajamas, bored out of her mind. Being in love is such a fascinating thing. Before, besides studying, she found dramas and games enjoyable. Yet, after falling in love, when he was not by her side even for a moment, she got bored no matter what she did. Nothing was as fun as spending time with Liam. She wanted to do everything with him, whether it was watching dramas or eating. Just one glance from him, and her feelings could experience the dramatic waves, drowning in the deep ocean, the best bite of a summer watermelon, or the tartest segment of an orange. The spacious apartment changed gradually after Maureen moved in. Maureen was like an invader, painting the previously icy and quiet apartment with colors everywhere. She was afraid of the cold, so Liam always had the heater on, causing the previous bone-chilling feeling to disappear. She was afraid of t
There's a small step at the entrance where shoes are changed. Liam leans on the shoe cabinet to stand up, and Mr. Boris carries his wheelchair in. Liam hops up on one foot. He glances at Maureen, trying to hop in a nonchalant and handsome manner. But how cool and handsome could he possibly look hopping around on a single foot? Liam feels a bit embarrassed, murmuring discontented, "Who decided to put this step here?" Maureen watches from the side, her heart pounding. She subconsciously raises her hand to help him, fearing a second injury due to a slippery tiled floor. However, Liam, who seems to intentionally show off his skills, or something like that, refuses her help and smoothly completes a series of movements. Maureen: "Once he's up, Mr. Boris quickly pushes the wheelchair behind him. He holds onto the handles, sits back down in the wheelchair, raises one plastered leg, and with great effort, positions his plastered foot correctly. He then raises his handsome eyebrows a
The next day, Teacher Logan specifically noticed that it was again Maureen who was pushing Liam's wheelchair into the classroom. The group of boys in the class were extremely envious, while Liam coolly tucked his hands into his pockets, raised his chin, and wore noise-canceling headphones around his neck. He looked both arrogant and pleased. Liam wished he could show off Maureen to the entire world. Teacher Logan, on the other hand, was extremely frustrated. Right after the class, Teacher Logan asked Maureen to his office with a stern face. "Has someone been bullying you in the class recently?" Maureen was taken aback,?" No." Teacher Logan sighed deeply and said, "Maureen, you can tell me if someone is bullying you. I will back you up." Maureen thought for a moment and really couldn't think of anyone who could bully her. In fact, when she transferred to the international class, she had made the most important decision to stick with Liam. This could be the so-called stra
The three of them came out of KFC, it was so blistering cold that Liam put Maureen's hand into his own pocket. Niel, with his sharp eyes, suddenly called out to Maureen and pointed in a direction with his milk tea in hand, he said: "Am I seeing things, or is that Bianca? Is she dating someone now?" Bianca's contract with the talent agency, Maureen heard about it too. For the past month, Maureen had barely seen Bianca in school. She seemed to have disappeared completely from her sight, someone she used to bump into every few days on the streets. The main reason was that even though the controversy of the true and false heiress was over, Bianca still faced some stares. If it wasn't for the sake of graduation, Bianca wouldn't want to attend school at all. She spent most of her time in society, working. So, seeing Bianca again out of the blue at the school gate was quite a surprise for Maureen. She followed the direction Niel pointed and glanced over. Outside Secondary School wa
"Sir," The butler came in with a phone in hand. "The hospital replied they are willing to sell, but," Under Augustin’s gaze, he swallowed hard before continuing. "The price is three times higher than what we previously sold it for." "Three times?!" Victoria widened her eyes in surprise, her voice sharp. "This is downright robbery!!" Augustin’s eyes darkened, his face looking extremely unsightly. "Did they specify why the increase in price?" "They said someone is willing to purchase at a high price, which led to the price hike." The butler nodded affirmatively. "So, do you still want to buy it?" Augustin pressed his lips together. Before he could even speak, Victoria on the side grabbed the opportunity to interject. "We cannot buy it,” There was a hint of anger on her slightly chubby face. "Augustine, we can't be the scapegoats." "What do you know?" Augustin looked at her with deep, mysterious eyes, his voice icy. "In a few days, it will be grandpa Luther's birthday ban
The house was dead quiet. The type of quiet that feels too still, as if everything were holding its breath. The letter had left its mark, but I tried to shove it away. We'd already been through enough, and I refused to let something like this get the better of us. Jaxon was right; it was only a prank. Nothing more.Already Hazel had gone to bed, which left Jaxon and me still sitting in the living room trying to process it all. I was holding our son, this tiny little ball of a boy cuddled into my side, his soft, light breath a reminder of the fragility but beauty life had become. And in this uneventful drive home, at least, I felt normal settle over us.Jaxon sat across from me, his eyes scanning the letter again, as if willing it to change. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It doesn’t make sense. Who would want to hurt us now?”I shrugged, glancing down at our baby’s sleeping face. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s someone who never really let go.”He let out a deep sigh. "
Laughter and murmurs of quiet conversation filled the house. It was so still, so right with the world. I had never felt this relaxed in my life. I was seated on the couch, Hazel perched on the arm beside me, as we watched Jaxon bounce our son in his arms. He looked so natural with the baby, like he had done this all his life. And in many ways, he had-just never with a child of his own. But that didn't matter. We were here, together; our little family was complete."Did you see the way he smiled?" Hazel laughed. "He's definitely a charmer. Takes after his dad."Jaxon was smirking, rocking the baby gently. "I think he is more like his mom. Look at those big eyes."I grinned, knowing full well what he meant. The baby had my eyes, sure, but he also got my stubbornness. I could tell that already.But before I could answer, there came a soft knock on the door. I turned, wondering who it could be. It was still early, and I wasn't expecting anyone. Jaxon stood up, a bit too quick, and I caugh