Damien enters the house, built on an acre of field, surrounded by classic gardens and an artificial fountain. This is built with all kinds of facilities for him to accommodate. Although it looks luxurious but he has no emotional attachment to this house. Even the sight of the huge wooden Door of this luxurious villa reminds him of Carol's house. It's cozy, mostly - It feels like home. The scent of spicy cologne and freshly baked cookies and brewed tea welcomes him with an alert on someone- unwelcome presence in his own house. He wheels himself - Steady and controlled. The scent of the tea is enough to tell him who it is. So, his expression is as cold as his usual self- No expression and no emotions But when he arrives in the living room, he is welcomed by the scene of her parents sitting on the couch, James who is family friends as well, has accompanied them. This sound of his wheelchair rolling on the tiles lets everyone know his presence. The first person who stands up wi
Strong people tend to hide their emotions pretty well. However, it doesn't mean that they don't go through the pain that an average person does. Carol is getting ready to grab some coffee and light snacks from a café nearby where she is a regular. After getting the proposal from Damien, she has been thinking about her life a lot. It causes her pain for a long time and then helps her to recover from the pain as well. However, the instability of her emotions has been bothering her a lot. She knows she is clearly not okay in her house. Even the slightest thing makes her remember that everyone has abandoned her like last week's garbage. Sometimes she ends up sobbing in her bed, having constant nightmares and uncertainty about her life. She isn't in the right mind, she is aware of this. Her next therapy is scheduled on Monday next week which is impossible for her to stay. The house looks awfully empty after everyone left. She doesn't know if she can continue living like this. But she n
Carol taps out a message on her phone, her fingers gliding over the screen as she searches for the right words to ask for a text instead of a call. But the message won’t send, and a strange chill runs through her. She glances around. The café, Chat & Bake, is oddly empty. Usually, it’s buzzing with life at this hour. She comes here every week, drawn by the best hot chocolate and apple pie in town. But today, there’s no one—no waitress, no manager. The absence feels unsettling. The familiar scent of fresh bread and coffee lingers in the air, but without the usual hum of people, it feels strangely hollow. She has watched a lot of horror movies. Although the sound didn't reach her, or the eerie music as background, but she knows how to feel about the oddly empty café with nobody out of nowhere- There are lots of crime documentaries. She doesn't want to entertain herself with this - No, thank you. Stepping outside, Carol tries to shake off the unease. The strange calls she’s been g
" Damien! Is this okay with provoking your parents? Also, are you sure about Miss Carol? If she learns the truth behind your sudden appearance and asks for marrying you - This is too much!" James strides in, approaching Damien, who is sitting in his wheelchair and typing something. He knows everything about Damien, including how his family treats him. But involving someone who has no connection with his messy life seems to be an unfair action that James can't help but despise. However, Damien isn't an average Man to deal with either. With 160 IQ and with that mask of coldness, nobody can read what's going on in his mind. His steps are unpredictable, and so was his marriage to Carol. Since he was a kindergarten student and bench mate of Damien, he knows him well. After hearing James's words, he pulls himself away from the window and looks at James with his usual hard to understand expression. He is an I-don't-give-a-fuck-on-your-opinion kinda guy. He always has his own worl
Carol feels much better as soon as she has been left alone. She doesn't know where she is. But one thing is positive that she is inside a house. The room temperature and the scent of burning charcoal gives her the thought of -- Lake house. Someone is throwing a BBQ party while kidnapping her here, she finds it quite amusing. While sitting on the couch, feeling the coldness of the wooden floor with her bare legs , waiting for anyone to open the blindfold and the tie around her wrists. Soon after she can feel the floor is vibrating. She tries to understand the vibration of someone's footsteps. Since most of the time she needs to feel the vibration just to ensure she gets the phone call immediately, she can feel the footsteps approaching her. One is way heavier than the other. Seemingly two people are coming towards her and one of them is a female. She takes a deep breath, unable to see or hear, the sense of her is working fully. The footsteps stop and the wind of someone stopping
It's been years since she last came here - almost 19 years. Each and every single day, she tried to forget about this place. But instead of forgetting the memories, she forgot about the roads. Now she is stuck in the dense forest. She has checked every single way to out of this curse place. Frustratedly, she almost punches the steering wheel. All she remembers is that there is a sign of the entrance when the car takes turn into the woods. This place is out of network as well. That's why her mother was so confident about her death 19 years ago. Nobody would know how she died. But she didn't die that day - fortunately? Carol pulls over, trying to get signals. For two seconds, it might have helped her. But as expected, there is no connection here. She hates this kind of place. Serial killers have their perfect place to hide their crimes easily. While Carol is trying to get a signal, her eyes widen when she notices a truck stopping ahead of her and signals to follow it. Her eye
Boss. Her location, along with someone else’s, popped up at the same place an hour ago." Damien’s head snaps up. His piercing eyes lock onto James, who sits at his desk, fidgeting as he navigates through a map on his screen. "Someone else?" Damien's voice tightens with irritation. James swallows nervously, shifting in his seat. "It’s...Troy. Her ex." It is like a slap on his face when James mentions Troy's Name. Is she with him? Did she betray him? Did she think of getting together to the Man who hurt her? The mention of Troy hits Damien like a punch to the gut. For a moment, his jaw clenches. His eyes narrow, and his lips curl into a thin, hard line. Is she with him? Did she betray me? The thoughts race through his mind, relentless and sharp. Did she really go back to the man who hurt her? Damien’s thick brows draw together, tension rippling across his features. But he smooths out the storm gathering in his expression, keeping his composure. According to the rules, no be
The Crawley family is the number one family with overwhelming authority and wealth. Everything about them has to be perfect and flawless. From the bathroom floor to the terrace, from the garden to swan lake, Mrs Crawley personally instructs everything to become a perfect image. However, 25 years ago, when she was busy with her own son growing up, she found herself standing before her husband playing families with another woman who used to work for her. It was devastating. It was cruel to her to watch her Man being with another woman. But she wouldn't give up on the family that she built alongside her husband. Mr Crawley who fell in love with another woman knew better that without his wife, he was nothing. So, instead of asking for divorce, he led the other woman to be crazy and brought the newborn child - Naming him Damien Crawley, the first son of the Crawley couple. Nobody knew that he was his father's illegitimate son and Mrs Crawley who announced the birth of her baby son
It’s late evening, and the house is quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioner. Everyone left except Carol. She just put Aria in her bed after a long day. Carol is curled up on the couch, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone, catching up on the day’s events. The soft glow from the screen lights up her face, and she can’t help but smile as she reads a message from her best friend, Eunice. After what felt like a long stretch of tension and uncertainty, Eunice and James have decided to try again—James is back, and it seems like they’re working things out. Carol’s heart swells with happiness for her friend. Just as she leans back, stretching her legs on the couch, the front door opens, and Damien walks in. His shoulders are hunched, his tie slightly loosened, and he looks exhausted. The stress from his day is evident, and he doesn’t even bother to take off his shoes before walking towards the living room. Carol raises an eyebrow, putting her phone down and watching
Aria sits quietly on the couch, her little body curled up into a ball, her plush carrot tightly held against her chest. Her small face is scrunched up, a mixture of confusion and sadness overtaking her usual lively demeanor. She can’t stop thinking about what happened with Julian earlier, and it's hurting her innocence heart more than she’s willing to admit. She is confused why Julian wants to play with someone else when she is playing with him. Damien, noticing his daughter’s silence, looks over at her from the kitchen, where he’s sipping his coffee. His heart clenches at the sight of her pouting face. Aria usually bounces around the house with boundless energy, but today, she’s a shell of her usual self. He places the mug down on the counter and walks over to her. “Hey, kiddo,” he says softly, sitting beside her on the couch. He gently pulls her onto his lap, his big hands rubbing circles on her back as he tries to comfort her. “What’s wrong, princess? Why the long face?” Aria d
The apartment is filled with the sound of the faint rustling of clothes and the occasional thud of a box being moved around. It’s quiet in a way that feels almost suffocating, the air thick with the unspoken tension that has been building for weeks. Since James hasn't been in his company, I couldn't ignore the situation. He wants to stay a few days to travel around the city. However, he has been getting lots of calls from his assistant. I can't let him slack off all day like a lazy ass. I sit cross-legged on the bed, staring at the half-packed suitcase in front of me, my fingers mindlessly folding the clothes I’ve laid out. My thoughts are a jumbled mess, as usual, filled with a thousand things—mostly about what’s coming next, about leaving and starting over, about the future that feels uncertain. But there’s one constant. One person. James. I can feel him watching me from across the room, where he’s leaned lazily against the dresser, arms crossed, his gaze locked onto me
Although I couldn't secure a position in the American branch of my company, for our best interests, James has asked me to work for him in his company. Although it's a new company, Damien has been helping him with lots of projects. We will leave soon. I have resigned my position. The bar is alive with music, the low hum of conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter as glasses clink together in celebration. The air is thick with the scent of alcohol, fried food, and something bittersweet that lingers beneath it all—farewells. My farewell. I should be celebrating. This is my night, after all. A send-off from colleagues who’ve become friends, from a place that’s been my home for years. A place I fought to leave, worked tirelessly to outgrow. But as I sit at the bar, nursing my fourth—or maybe fifth?—drink, there’s a hollow feeling settling deep inside me, like something slipping through my fingers no matter how tightly I try to hold on. Maybe because I acknowledged th
The apartment is unbearably quiet. I sit curled up on the couch, knees drawn to my chest, staring blankly at the dark ceiling. The only sound is the faint hum of the refrigerator, but even that feels distant—like the world outside this room no longer exists. James’s message from last night is still on my phone, the words burning into my mind. "Staying at a hotel tonight. Don’t wait up."He didn’t call. Didn’t ask to talk. Didn’t even ask why. I clutch the blanket around me, my fingers tightening in the fabric. The weight in my chest is suffocating, pressing down like a stone. Sleep never came, only hours of staring at the walls, thinking about the moment he found that ticket—how his expression darkened, how he left without another word. He knows. And I hurt him. The sky outside turns from black to gray, signaling morning, but it doesn’t bring relief. The ache in my chest only deepens. I can’t sit in this silence any longer. My hands tremble as I pick up my phone and d
Eunice, The morning sunlight drapes across the living room, casting a golden warmth over the space. Everything feels too still, too peaceful, as if the world itself is oblivious to the storm brewing inside me. James moves around the kitchen with ease, sleeves rolled up, flipping pancakes like it’s second nature. I watch him, mesmerized by the way he hums under his breath, his presence so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. It should be comforting—this domesticity, this quiet moment between us. But instead, my chest tightens, because I know that soon, everything will change. Since we have returned home, I have been fighting with myself for a decision that I thought was simple a month ago. However, his appearance, me falling in love with him again made that simple decision one of the hardest decisions ever. I haven’t told him yet. “You’re staring,” James teases, his voice smooth, pulling me out of my thoughts. He glances over his shoulder, flashing that boyish grin that u
With a long-suffering sigh, he nods. “Fine. I promise.” Aria beams, hugging him tightly. “Yay! My Julie forever!” Irene smirks, crossing her arms. “We’ll see about that.” Julian groans, rubbing his temples as Aria and Irene continue their tug-of-war over him. He has had enough. “Can you both just stop?!” He snaps finally, his patience finally breaking and wearing off. Especially to Aria who is clinging onto him like a slime. Silence falls. Aria blinks, her grip on his shirt loosening. “J-Julie…?” Her voice is small, uncertain. Julian exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “Irene, you always mess with me and now her, and Aria, you act like a spoiled kid whenever I talk to anyone else!” His voice is firm, frustrated. “I can be friends with other people! You don’t own me, Aria!” His sharp cold eyes shudders Aria who looks confused with Julian's cold and indifferent gaze. The room suddenly feels too quiet. Aria’s fingers tremble as she stares at him,
Julian narrows his eyes before walking towards the door, " What's their name!?" He asks. " Julie! You got friends. What about me?" She follows him hugging her plush. " I don't know her name but she is here to play with you!" Julian walks downstairs while Aria skips the staircases one after one. " Why do you have friends? I don't have friends. I want to be friends with your friend!" She keeps whining while running towards Julian. " Hi! Julian!" A girl wearing a beautiful dress shyly waves her hand. " I am here to play." " Irene! Why are you here?" Julian asks, frowning a bit. " To play -!" Julian barely takes two steps forward before Aria latches onto his arm, her plush carrot squeezed against her chest like a battle shield. Her big, round eyes lock onto the girl standing before them, her lips pursed in a deep frown. Irene blinks, then smiles, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is this your little sister, Julian?” Aria gasps dramatically, releasing Julian just to s
Two days ago, Julian told her that he hated her for touching his homework. Now she is yet to get over from that shock. Julian barely stirs under the warmth of his blanket, his face half-buried in his pillow. The room is quiet except for the faint rustling of fabric as he tries to sink deeper into sleep. But Aria stands frozen at his bedside, her tiny fists clenched, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He said he hates me…" Her lips tremble, but not from sadness—from determination. She knows Julian better than anyone. He can say all he wants, but the moment she starts crying, he’ll melt like an ice cream cone in the sun. Taking a deep breath, she clenches her plush carrot and prepares for battle. She sniffs. Loudly. A little whimper escapes her lips, followed by another dramatic sniff. Then, with precise control, her lower lip wobbles as she blinks rapidly, allowing fat, glistening tears to pool in her big eyes. Julian shifts slightly under the blanket. She s