Nica nervously fidgeted with her fingers. The weight of what she had done dawned on her.She shouldn’t have told Klaus that Simon had ordered those men to mess with Morticia. They actually wanted to strip her and take a few indecent pictures.It was mainly because Dimitri kept pestering Simon to do something about her getting humiliated.Klaus was going to do something. She knew it. He had always been like that in high school. Always protective of Morticia...She didn’t even know who was worse between Klaus and Vincent. What if Vincent found out, too? Things would get messy. That guy always had a smiley face, but he was dangerous as hell when triggered."Oh God," she mumbled. It was 2:00 a.m., and she couldn’t sleep.The knock on her door made her jerk. She stayed quiet, wondering who had come to her door this early.The knock came again, followed by a voice that sent a chill down her spine.She quickly lay on her bed, covering herself with the duvet, her heart racing. Why was he here
"Why did you do that?" Vincent questioned the cold guy, who was pulling out some drinks."You don't need to know," Klaus replied, reaching for the cups as well."I don't need to know why you beat up Simon and almost killed two men? I know you did it for a reason, so tell me.""Since you know I did it for a reason, let it slide," Klaus shrugged, placing the drinks on the table before turning on the television.Vincent's eyes stayed fixed on his stubborn friend. "Since when did you start keeping things from me?""Friends have limits on what they can tell each other," Klaus mumbled, opening the box of pizza on the table."Friends? We're brothers, sinful motherfucker... brothers.""Siblings have limits too," Klaus said, taking a bite. "You didn’t tell me you slept with Vivian, so we're even.""That was high school, and this isn't about girls. You hit Simon, and the fact that you're avoiding telling me means it involves me.""No, it doesn't. We cool?" Klaus lied. It was better if Vincent d
His words hung in the air for a long moment. They stared at each other, each with different thoughts running through their heads.She nodded, determination flashing in her gaze."I'm leaving," her voice firm."Good choice," he said in a low voice, watching her as she turned and headed for the door.Klaus knew that would be her answer. Leave and avoid him...That was exactly what he wanted her to do, yet she suddenly halted by the door. His eyes tracked her movement.She took a deep breath, mumbled something, and swept her hair back before turning to face him again.What is she doing?Her feet moved quickly. One moment, she was at the door, and the next, she was standing in front of him again. Those round grey eyes locked with his.Her jaw clenched. She stammered, her voice trembling."I... I'm... staying."Klaus's eyes widened, shocked by her unexpected action. He was speechless.Did she know what she was getting herself into?!Well, he gave her options, and she chose."Don't blame me
"Ahhhh!!!" Morticia screamed, rushing downstairs."Oh, Lord of heaven, what is it now?" Ava asked with a sigh."Rhea got in!" she exclaimed."Congratulations to her," Ava mumbled, her expression blank with no trace of excitement."Why aren’t you excited? You know how much I love Rhea, you should be happy for me.""I am happy for you. I’m just not used to being around someone foreign." Ava shrugged."Mom," Morticia sighed. Her mother could be a proud peacock sometimes."Fine... I’m happy for her. Once she’s here, tell her to come have dinner with us and sleep over," Ava shrugged."Yes! Thanks, Mom," Morticia hugged Ava and headed to the dining room but was surprised to see Klaus with Vincent.He was wearing his usual sleeveless black jersey, revealing tattoos, his eyes fixed on his phone. Seeing him for the first time after the kiss they had shared made her so nervous she almost thought of having her breakfast in her room."Breakfast is ready," Ava announced, and the guys looked up. Kl
"Well, Mr. Wimp, the thing is, Bunnie and I, K—"___"Klaus!" Morticia shouted, her eyes cold as ice. Klaus stopped, but the smirk stayed on his face."What’s going on, Morty?" Jamie asked from behind, missing Klaus’s last word."Nothing. He just wants to say something embarrassing about me. He’s taunting me, like always," Morticia replied, her voice strained. She wasn’t one to lie, but the thought of Jamie hearing it from Klaus was unbearable.Jamie’s eyes filled with concern and confusion. He didn’t seem convinced."I’ll see you around, Jamie," she added, hoping he’d leave before Klaus spilled anything. Klaus was unpredictable—he could say it at any moment, and no one could stop him."Alright," Jamie muttered. Morticia was relieved he didn’t press further. He was always understanding."Thanks again for the flowers," she said."Hm... I’ll see you tomorrow." Jamie closed the distance between them and kissed her forehead, his eyes briefly meeting Klaus’s.‘What the hell?’ Klaus thought
"Don't be late. Be consistent with this job; I hate when my workers slack off. Never give excuses, and drag yourself over here even if you're sick. You hear me?" the old man said to Nica in a cold voice.People were right about this man—he was cold and strict. She had heard previous workers left because of his attitude.But she had no choice. She needed this job or she was going to starve on the streets."Understood, sir," she forced a smile."Good... and be nice to the customers too, or I'll fire you the next day. Am I clear?""Yes, sir," she swallowed and watched the man leave."Oh God, this is going to be way harder than I thought," she muttered.Her phone buzzed twice—messages from Jamie and Dimitri.~Where are you, sis? I need to know if you're okay. Please don't ignore me.~Nica sighed, reading Jamie's message. How was she going to face him? She had hurt Mr. Hanson in self-defense. She knew how much Jamie loved his father and couldn't hurt him with the truth about the monster hi
"Your roommate seems cool... a bit mean, though," Rhea said as they headed to the café."Yeah, she’s pretty nice if you’re patient with her.""Hm, she’s Sienna’s sister, right? I saw them arguing a moment ago," Rhea said."Really? What were they arguing about?""I don’t know. It wasn’t very clear," Rhea shrugged."Oh, by the way, Jamie confessed to me last night. He said he loves me," Morticia said, and Rhea froze, eyes wide."No freaking way. He confessed?""Yeah, he did," Morticia confirmed as they stepped into the café."Morty!" Jamie called from a corner of the café, waving at her. She smiled and led Rhea toward him."This is Rhea, and this is Jamie," Morticia introduced them."Hi," Jamie smiled while Rhea blinked."You kind of look familiar... Well, nice to meet you," Rhea greeted Jamie with a handshake."I don’t think we’ve met, but... nice to meet you too. Morty talks about you a lot. If you were a guy, I’d be so jealous," he joked, making the girls laugh. "I was about to invit
Vincent drove like a madman through the streets, weaving his way between cars, his heart pounding hard like a cage animal.“How is she?” he asked Rhea, who had Morticia’s body resting on her. Jamie was with them, just as concerned.“Her pulse is slowing, Vince,” Rhea said, panicked.“Fuck,” Vincent cursed, pressing the accelerator harder, speeding dangerously fast. That bitch Dimitri was as good as dead when he got his hands on her. They reached the hospital, and the car screeched to a halt.Jamie quickly carried Morticia out, but Vincent took her from him, dashing into the hospital, breathing heavily.“Help!” he yelled. Fortunately, the nurses rushed over. They placed Morticia on a stretcher and fitted her with an oxygen mask to steady her breathing.Vincent watched as they worked, and slowly, Morticia’s breathing returned to normal. She fell asleep.He let out a deep breath of relief as the doctor mentioned that she would be fine.Rhea’s eyes were teary. Morticia’s condition had ne
"Klaus, you have to try this," she said, bouncing with excitement as they stopped before the game Dance Upon Revolution.Klaus crossed his arms, towering over the machine with a skeptical look. "You really expect me to jump around on that thing?""Yes! It's fun!" Morticia grinned, pointing at the screen. "The goal is simple: step on the arrows as they light up to match the rhythm of the song. Easy.""That's literally jumping, not dancing," Klaus muttered, his brow furrowing."It's not about looking cool; it's about not falling off the platform."Klaus huffed, stepping onto the platform reluctantly. Morticia joined him on the second pad, cracking her knuckles like a seasoned pro."Let's start with an easy song," she said, scrolling through the menu. She picked a cheerful, mid-tempo tune.The music began, and the arrows on the screen started scrolling upward in time with the beat. Morticia's feet moved fluidly, hitting each step with precision. Klaus, meanwhile, hesitated, stomping awkw
SURGERY 1 SUCCESSFUL...Klaus couldn't stop smiling as Morticia chattered animatedly around him. His Bunnie could talk all day, and he loved every moment of it. Her presence was everything.The first surgery for his mother had been a success, but there were still two more to go. The next surgery was in twelve hours, and Josephine would be unconscious until all three procedures were completed.Klaus leaned in and placed a swift kiss on Morticia's lips, playfully silencing her. "That's enough," he whispered, his voice hoarse."I... I haven't told you how he got to won the competition yet!" "A bonus?" She gasped. "How did you know?""Because we watched the movie together," he chuckled, and Morticia blinked at him with wide eyes."How come you're telling me this now, just as I'm about to finish telling you about the entire movie?""I just love listening to your voice," he replied softly, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss as she settled on top of him, his fingers caressing her back.T
"So, how's Klaus?" Rhea asked Morticia as they spent time together."I..." Morticia sighed, taking a deep breath. "I don't know.""What do you mean?" Rhea asked."We haven't talked," Morticia replied. It had been more than a week since Josephine's death, and the last time she saw Klaus was at the funeral. He left before the ceremony was over.She had searched for him at his apartment the next day, but found no sign of him either. The only place remaining was Mr. Finn's mansion, here in Washington.Rhea sighed. "I hope he's okay then. What about your mother?""She's watching movies more than she can handle. She's trying to distract herself. My brother is taking care of her," Morticia croaked. Everything felt as though it was falling apart since Josephine's death.Rhea reached out to hold her hand, giving her an assuring squeeze."Everything will be fine, okay? Perhaps he's just trying to get himself together and doesn't want to hurt you," Rhea said."That's what Vincent said. He said h
However, day by day passed with neither of them contacting each other. Morticia focused her time on studying for exams and spending time with Rhea.All this while, she didn't see Klaus.But once, when she visited Josephine with Ava, Klaus wasn't present. Deep down, she wished he was.Perhaps she should contact him and ask how he was doing. She wanted to; she couldn't deny that.~It was finally the day of surgery. Klaus was with Josephine at the beach. The surgery was going to take place in three hours.Though Josephine acted as though she wasn't scared, Klaus could see right through her. He wasn't unscathed either.The surgery was scaring the hell out of him. He just had to act strong for her."I've been waiting for this moment, Klaus," Josephine started after they both stared at the sea for a long while."Me too." Klaus looked at her calm face. "You're going to survive; I know that."Josephine smiled. "You've finished your final exam; you'll soon graduate. How could I not survive to
Vincent ran his fingers through his hair, his gaze on the ceiling as he struggled to sleep.All he wanted was to see his family again. He missed them so much, but he never expected to meet everything so screwed up.His phone buzzed, and he picked it up to check.His eyes widened at the message, and he sprang up from his bed."What?" Vincent mumbled.Klaus, who had also received the same message, sat on his couch with a stunned expression.~Simon, Dimitri and their other accomplice eliminated for breaking the rules~The message was from a strange, untraceable number, accompanied by a picture of Simon, Dimitri, and others lying dead.The rules.Was it because they tried to kill Klaus?"Void," Klaus and Vincent muttered simultaneously in their respective rooms.-Old Evan tapped on his counter machine, trying to make it work."What bad timing, you little punk," he mumbled and hit it again. The customer before him let out an awkward smile; the old man looked scary when frustrated.Nica ru
"Kill who?" Ava asked again when they all remained silent, staring at her. She stepped further into the room."Are you just going to stand there and say nothing? I just asked you both a question!" she snapped.Klaus made to speak, but Vincent stopped him and began explaining instead. Ava's eyes widened with every word, and she instinctively stepped back in shock."After a year of working for him, he didn't release us. He threatened to go after our family if we didn't continue to work for him," Klaus added.Ava shook her head in disbelief. "Are you both serious right now? What in the hell did this so-called Simon do to drag you both into this? And why didn't you tell me?! What could he have possibly used to threaten you?!""It was because of you!" Vincent snapped at her for the very first time.Klaus gave him a look, silently urging him not to say it.Ava's mouth hung open. "Because of me?""August 19th, last year. What happened that night?" Vincent questioned, and the color drained fr
Klaus woke up late the next day, his eyes fluttering open to a slightly familiar room.Slowly, he sat up, meeting Vincent's blank gaze from the corner of the room. He glanced around but saw no sign of Morticia."She's home with my mother," Vincent clarified, sensing Klaus's confusion. "So Ava won't suspect anything and make Josephine worry.""Oh," Klaus muttered, and a long silence settled between them."How is she?" Klaus finally asked, breaking the stillness.Vincent raised a brow."I know you're mad at me, bruh. I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Klaus said. "I planned to once you got back, and I never meant for you to find out like that."Another heavy pause hung in the air before Vincent spoke. "I'm not sorry for hitting you. But I'm sorry for not being there sooner."Klaus studied his friend. There was still anger in Vincent's eyes, burning fiercely. But beneath the rage was something else-something unfamiliar. It was the first time Klaus couldn't read him."I'm not gonna hurt her,"
Jamie stared at the unconscious Klaus with a satisfied grin on his face. Klaus's phone buzzed on the floor, flashing the name Bunnie on the screen.Jamie's smile disappeared as his gaze landed on it."She's calling him," he mumbled, his gaze darkening.Reaching for the hammer in his pocket, he slammed it on Klaus's phone. He did it again and again until it was completely destroyed.Taking a deep breath, his eyes settled on Klaus again. "Fûcking asshole," he chuckled darkly."I would have loved to kill you with my bare hands, but... sigh... that weird guy Simon who released me said I should make it look like an accident," he scoffed. "Let's see how this goes."Simon had chosen Klaus's favorite place-the beach-to stage the "accident." It was supposed to look as though Klaus had drowned himself, ensuring it would take time for anyone to find the body and making it impossible to trace back to them.Groaning, Jamie dropped Klaus onto the sand, gasping for air."This motherfûcker is heavy,"
Vincent finally stopped. Klaus spat out blood, sliding to the floor, bleeding all over. His breath was ragged."I'm sorry," he breathed, groaning at the intense pain surging through him.Two or three ribs were probably broken from the brutal hits. Blood trickled down his lips and nose. He was a mess, marred with his own blood and bruises."Get out before I kill you. And stay the fûck away from her," Vincent growled.Sucking in a breath, Klaus forced himself up. Vincent clenched his fists, tears falling from his eyes as his best friend staggered past him.Klaus gripped the table for support, his gaze meeting Morticia's, who was in tears."Klaus," she mouthed, her lips trembling."Don't worry about me," he said, his voice hoarse. "I'll get myself treated and reach out... I promise."Morticia shook her head, tears streaming freely. "You can't just leave like this. You're hurt, Klaus. Let me-""Don't," Klaus cut her off, his voice firm despite his battered state. "I don't want you getting