"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
Simon looked at Dimitri, who was struggling to breathe. She was losing so much blood, and her life was slipping away. Her eyes, once full of life, were now dull.Simon badly wanted to scold her. She was the one who said they should stay low, yet she had been the impatient one.Simon’s eyes remained fixed on the two of them. “I could kill you both right now. Challenging me is the stupidest move you could make.”“You made the rules, Simon. You said none of us should hurt each other or our people without a good reason... but you broke the rule. You sent men to molest my sister, and your bitch here almost killed her.”“That’s right. I made the rules.. not you...”“How about you say that to Void?” Klaus added with a dark smirk.Simon’s eyes widened at the name. “How do you know about him?”“Since you treat us like puppets, we decided to find out who pulls your strings,” Klaus smirked.Though Void remained mysterious, they had been digging into Simon since the day he refused to free them. T
After the call with Rhea, Morticia grabbed her popcorn and began to watch the movie. It turned out to be a horror one.She had bought it thinking it was a romance series, but it was horror, and the fact that she couldn’t take her eyes off it baffled her.The door creaked open, and she gasped with a sharp scream."Easy, it’s just me," Klaus mumbled, his eyes settling on the TV. "Is that horror?""Yeah? What are you doing here?""I’m spending the night here. Vince got an emergency call from his company and won’t be home," he replied, his voice tired. His hair was rough, matching his voice.Heat crept onto Morticia’s cheeks. Does that mean she’ll be home alone with Klaus?"Why do you have to stay? It’s not like it’s my first time being home alone," she said."I’m going up to bed. I can’t argue with you," he swept his hair back and headed upstairs."Why does he look so tired?" Morticia mumbled, returning her gaze to the TV, only to jerk at the sight of a woman being murdered in her bed."
She pushed herself up, pressing her chest against his. Their lips moved in sync, and Klaus's hand trailed up further.It took her breath away. His mouth was greedy and wild, and she couldn’t keep up, overwhelmed by the sensation.His hand stopped just below her breasts. He pulled away and whispered, "Can I touch you?"His voice was laced with desire, his lips pink and swollen from kissing her."Yes," she agreed.Klaus's teeth grazed her collarbone, and she moaned. The feeling shot down her entire body as he gently sucked her skin. His hand cupped one of her breasts, giving it a light squeeze under her shirt.Soft—yet firm—and damn good. It was as if it was made for his hand to hold. His touch ignited her body even more. What was he doing to her?"This is crazy, Bunnie. Fuck," he said, moving his lips up to her chin, kissing her, then trailing back to her lips. She let out a satisfied moan. She couldn’t get enough of his lips."I want to see you. Will that be okay?""See me?" she asked
The next morning, Morticia woke up slowly with a light groan. Her body stretched on the bed as her eyes fluttered open to her familiar room.The memories of last night hit her, and she blushed. She rose from her bed, swung her feet to the floor, and headed downstairs."Innocent demon is awake," Vincent’s voice greeted her. Morticia paused.Klaus emerged from the kitchen, casting his usual blank gaze at her.Her heart almost jumped out of her ribcage. She smiled at him, but he didn’t return it, which mad her frowned."Good morning, Bunnie," he mumbled, eating the cereal he had brought from the kitchen and sitting beside Vincent."Let me have some," Vincent reached out."No. Why do you want it now that I’ve made it? You said you weren’t interested a moment ago," Klaus raised a brow at him."I wanted you to make it... now let me have some," Vincent reached for it, but Klaus dodged."Go make your own.""Come on, just one spoon, okay?" Vincent pleaded."No... what's with your mood? Seems
"You're not my girlfriend, Bunnie. I don't date. So quit acting up..."_Those words hurt. They hurt like hell and at the same time reminded her of who was standing before her.It was Klaus, the guy who broke her heart over and over again with every make-out session with other girls. She had learned the art of not letting it get to her... but this?This hurt like hell, making it hard for her to breathe.Klaus didn't realize how much his words had affected Morticia, not until a tear rolled down her cheek. The scowl on his face softened."Bunnie... I..." He took a step forward, but she stepped back, staring at him in disbelief. His voice was soft. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that... you just always seem to get everything wrong.""Yeah, I did," she croaked. She sniffed, suppressing the urge to cry in front of him."Hey..." Concern etched onto his face. She snapped."It was just a fling. You were right," she added. "And that fling is never going to happen again."Klaus watched her
"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
Morticia staggered backward, her head spinning at the scene. Oh heavens! This should be a dream!Josephine can't be dead. This was surreal. The doctor mentioned she was responding, and her chance of survival was slowly rising.How could she have died just forty minutes before her last surgery?Klaus was unconscious, lying on the bed. Finn had hurt his head pretty badly, and the nurse was treating him.Wait. Ava.Morticia spun around, her eyes scanning the hall with no sign of her mother."Mom?" she panicked."She's in the ward at the end of the hall," Katie responded."What!""She passed out after hearing the news of her death."Morticia spun, rushing toward the ward. There, on the bed, Ava had an oxygen mask on her face, unconscious."She will be fine, miss. She just went through a shock and will wake up tomorrow morning," the nurse assured.Morticia burst into loud cries, sliding to the floor, her fingers tangling in her hair as she pulled it in frustration.It was too much! How cou
"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
As they continue hugging, the door creaked open silently, revealing Vincent, whose gaze landed on them. The scene stirred something deep inside him as he silently watched. He decided not to disturb them. Exhaling, he closed the door softly and stepped away from the room. He met his mother's worried look. "They're fine. Morticia is taking care of him," Vincent smiled and walked away before she could reply. Ava's mouth hung open; it seemed Vincent knew what was going on between Klaus and Morticia. Light sobs caught her attention, and she traced the sound to find Evie crying silently in an empty ward room. Spotting Ava, Evie quickly wiped her tears and greeted her. "Hi." Ava let out a small smile. "Are you okay?" Evie stayed silent for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I'm not. But I will be once she's awake." Ava nodded and sat beside her. "She's the strongest woman I know. She's going to make it." Evie nodded, wiping the tears that fell freely down her cheeks. "Thanks a lo
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,"