The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm, golden hue over the rooftop garden where I had often found solace. Ryan and I somehow managed to carve out a rare moment of peace from our hectic schedules, and we decided to escape to this quiet corner of the world. The garden was our little secret, a hidden gem where I could breathe, feel the breeze, and pretend, just for a while, that the world wasn’t so overwhelming.
I stood by the edge, staring out over the city as the lights began to twinkle in the distance. Ryan was behind me, pressing my head with gentle force. I love how he cared about me. My head leaned back on his chest melting in the head massage. I turned back and hugged him closing my eyes. That’s it, this what I needed to boost up my energy.We didn’t say anything; we didn’t need to. The silence was full of unspoken words, of shared moments and stolen glances. The soft hum of the city and the rustle of leaves filled the air around us, but I was only aware of him, of us. We stood there for what felt like an eternity, the world around us fading into the background. I could feel the warmth of his hand,patting my head smoothly , and it made me feel... safe. There was something so intimate, so profoundly tender in the way he held me. It spoke of trust, of quiet devotion, of a connection that went beyond words. A gentle breeze tousled my hair, sending a few strands across my face. Without saying a word, Ryan reached out with his free hand and tucked the hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my cheek, and I felt a flutter in my stomach, like a thousand butterflies taking flight all at once. I looked up at him, my breath catching as our eyes met. The way he looked at me, with such tenderness, made my heart swell. He didn’t need to say anything; his eyes said it all. The connection between us was undeniable, a silent promise we didn’t need to put into words. Just then, the rooftop door creaked open, and the moment shattered as Eva and Daniel stepped out, their laughter filling the air. They stopped in their tracks when they saw us, their gazes inevitably drawn to our joined hands. Eva teased, a grin spreading across her face. “Look what we have here.” I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, but Ryan just remained hugging me“I didn’t realize we had an audience,” he replied lightly. Eva’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she stepped closer. “Oh, don’t mind us. We’re just here to enjoy the view—and it looks like we’re in for a show.” Daniel, who had been quietly observing, finally chimed in, his voice full of good-natured teasing. “I never pegged you two as the romantic rooftop types, but I have to say, it suits you.” I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension melting away in the presence of my friends. “We’re just enjoying the evening,” I said, trying to play it cool, even though my voice was a little breathless. Eva raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Sure you are,” she said, her grin widening. For a moment, the teasing stopped, replaced by genuine warmth and approval from our friends. I felt a surge of gratitude—these were the people who had stood by me through so much, who had watched Ryan and me dance around each other for what felt like forever. It felt good to finally let them in on the secret, to share this happiness with them. But Eva, never one to let a moment get too serious, quickly changed the tone. “Alright, lovebirds, we’ll leave you to your romantic sunset,” she said with a wink. “Just don’t forget to come back down to earth eventually.” Eva and Daniel laughed, offering their own teasing goodbyes before following Mia back inside. As the door closed behind them, the silence returned, but now it was filled with a sense of shared joy. Ryan turned back to me, his eyes still twinkling with amusement. “You okay?” he asked softly, his fingers remaining busy in tucking my hair behind my ear I nodded, a smile spreading across my face. “Yeah. I’m more than okay.” Ryan’s smile softened, and pressed a tender kiss on my lips.The gesture was so simple, yet it sent another wave of warmth through me, making me feel cherished in a way I hadn’t before.As the evening deepened, a soft glow from the table lamp illuminated the cozy living room of Ryan’s apartment. He cooked my favourite dish . I felt so lucky to get a boyfriend who cooks. The city hummed faintly outside, but inside, everything felt muted, intimate, as if the world had shrunk down to just the two of us. I had come over for a simple dinner, but now we were sitting on his couch watching movie,close enough that I could feel the warmth of his body next to mine, our conversation ebbing into a comfortable silence.I wasn’t sure how it happened, how the gentle touch of his hand on mine turned into something more. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, his gaze so tender and full of unspoken promises. Or maybe it was the way my heart had been aching for him, my mind torn between what I wanted and what I knew was complicated. Whatever it was, it drew me to him, making me lean in just a little closer, my breath hitching as our lips met in a slow, lingering kiss.There was somethin
The soft, muted light of dawn filtered through the living room window as I blinked awake. I was lying on Ryan’s couch, his arm draped over me protectively. We must have fallen asleep here last night, too exhausted to make it to the bedroom. His presence was a comfort, his steady breathing a reminder that, for now at least, we were safe.I took a moment to enjoy the warmth of his body next to mine, the rise and fall of his chest against my back. It was a rare moment of peace in what had become a constant state of anxiety and fear. But as much as I wanted to stay wrapped up in this small, quiet world we’d created, I knew it couldn’t last. The real world was waiting for us—chaotic, unpredictable, and dangerous.Ryan stirred behind me, his arm tightening slightly before he slowly woke up. “Morning,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.“Morning,” I replied, turning to face him. His hair was tousled, his eyes still heavy with sleep, but there was a small smile on his lips—a brief glimp
As we walked down the hall toward our respective departments, he slowed his pace, his eyes searching mine.“Amira, are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.I forced a smile, but it felt hollow. “I’m fine. Just… shaken up, I guess.”“I understand. That was… awful.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “But we’ll get through this. Together.”“Yeah,” I murmured, but my voice lacked conviction. The weight of everything that had happened, and everything that could still happen, was pressing down on me like a ton of bricks.Ryan stopped walking, turning to face me fully. “Amira, listen to me,” he said, his tone firm but gentle. “We’re going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”It was meant to be reassuring, but it only deepened my fear. How could he make such a promise?But before I could think of anything , a sudden, sharp sound cut through the air—a loud, crackling noise that echoed down the corridor. Time seemed to slow as I turned my head, my heart skip
The following days blurred into a haze of fear, exhaustion, and desperate determination. The memory of Ryan collapsing in the hospital, the blood soaking his shirt, haunted my every waking moment. I replayed it over and over, trying to piece together anything that could help me find the person responsible. But there was nothing—no face, no clear direction the shots had come from. Just chaos, panic, and Ryan’s body crumpling to the ground.When I went to work the next day, trying to find some semblance of normalcy, Mia intercepted me in the hallway. Her face was a mask of concern, and I could see the worry lines etched deeper than usual. “Amira, you can’t be here right now,” she said softly, her voice gentle but firm.I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. “No. I’m not letting you do this to yourself. You need time to process, to rest. You’ve been through too much.”“I’m fine, Mia,” I insisted, though the quiver in my voice betrayed me. “I need to be here. I need to keep worki
Every day, I would visit Ryan, sit by his bedside, and talk to him, even though I knew he couldn’t hear me. I would tell him about the investigation, about how I was doing everything I could to find the person who did this. I told him how much I missed him, how much I needed him to wake up, to come back to me. But every time, I left the hospital with a heavier heart, the reality of his condition crushing me a little more.I wasn’t eating, barely sleeping, consumed by the need to find answers. My friends worried about me, tried to get me to take care of myself, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t rest until I knew who was behind this.One day, as I was leaving Ryan’s room, Eva caught up with me in the hallway. She looked at me, her eyes filled with concern. “Amira, you can’t keep doing this to yourself,” she said gently. “You’re going to burn out.”“I’m fine,” I replied automatically, though we both knew it was a lie.“No, you’re not,” she countered, her voice firm. “None of us are. But yo
The days passed with a suffocating sense of inertia. Each visit to the hospital, each glance at Ryan’s unmoving form, deepened the pit of despair in my chest. My frustration with the police was growing. They seemed uninterested in finding Ryan’s shooter, and every time I tried to get information, I was met with excuses, delays, and outright dismissals. It was as if they were intentionally dragging their feet.I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. The evidence was minimal, sure, but it felt like the police weren’t even trying. Their disinterest was becoming too apparent to ignore. The nagging thought that they might be compromised or involved somehow wouldn’t leave my mind. But I had no proof, just a gut feeling that gnawed at me constantly.One evening, after another frustrating day of getting nowhere with the police, I found myself outside a bar. I hadn’t planned on coming here, but my feet had led me here unconsciously. The need to escape, even just for a few hours,
my heart pounding as I stared at the message scrawled across the wall in vivid red paint: *"You belong to me."* The words dripped with a possessive menace that sent a chill down my spine. But the shock quickly turned into a searing anger, a white-hot rage that bubbled up from deep inside me.How dare they? Whoever it was, they had not only violated my home but had the audacity to claim ownership over me, as if I were some object to be possessed. My mind raced, a chaotic mix of fury and fear. I couldn’t let them get away with this. I wouldn’t let them.I stormed into my bedroom, my hands shaking with adrenaline. I yanked open the drawer in my nightstand, rummaging through it until my fingers closed around the cold, hard metal of the gun I kept hidden there. I hadn’t touched it in months but now, it felt like the only thing that could give me any semblance of control.With the gun in hand, I tore through my apartment, flinging open closet doors, checking under the bed, behind the curt
Just then, I heard a knock on the door. I froze, the gun still clenched in my hand, my body tense with a mix of fear and rage. The knock came again, more insistent this time, followed by a familiar voice.“Amira? Are you okay in there?”It was Denis, my neighbor. I hesitated, glancing around the apartment, trying to pull myself together. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my trembling hands, and forced myself to walk to the door.I cracked it open, just enough to see Denis’s concerned face on the other side. “Hey,” I said, my voice strained. “I’m fine. Just, uh… just a bad day.”Denis frowned, glancing over my shoulder into the apartment. “I heard you shouting. Are you sure you’re okay?”I nodded quickly, trying to give him a reassuring smile, though it probably looked more like a grimace. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… stressed. You know how it is.”He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded slowly. “Okay, but if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m right next door.”“Thanks, Deni
The next day, I was at the hospital, busy with my rounds when my phone buzzed. It was Mia, calling me in a tone that dripped with anger.“Amira, what the hell did you do?” she snapped before I could even say hello. Her voice was filled with accusation, and I could almost feel the heat of her frustration through the phone.“What are you talking about, Mia?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “What did I do?”“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Ryan is devastated, Amira. You’ve really hurt him this time,” she said, her words like sharp daggers. “By the way, congratulations on all the likes your post is getting. You and Aiden look so cozy, practically made for each other.”The line went dead before I could say another word. I stood there, frozen for a moment, confusion and panic washing over me. What post? What was Mia talking about? My pulse quickened as I pulled out my phone and opened Instagram.There it was—a post of me and Aiden, arms wrapped tightly around each other, o
The air between us was thick with tension as Aiden closed the door behind him. His eyes burned with a possessive intensity, and before I could even register what was happening, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me against him, his grip firm and unyielding. His mouth crashed down onto mine, urgent and demanding, and my immediate instinct was to push him away. I pressed my hands against his chest, clamping my mouth shut, but it only seemed to fuel him more.“Stop it, Aiden,” I managed to say, turning my head to the side to escape his lips. But he was relentless. His hand snaked up to my neck, and he gripped a fistful of my hair, yanking it just enough to bring my face back to him, forcing me to look into his darkened gaze. His voice was low and dangerously soft as he murmured, “I’m showing you that I own you, Amira.”I clenched my lips together, determined not to give him the satisfaction of my compliance. He kissed me again, harder this time, his mouth moving against mine with a hu
As I sat at the dining table, I couldn’t help but notice the tension thickening in the air. Aiden stormed into the mansion wearing his perfectly tailored suit, but his face carried a look of cold fury. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes burned with an unspoken anger. He glanced at me with a scowl before heading upstairs without a word. I watched him disappear down the hall, utterly confused about what had triggered his sudden temper.I turned back to my dinner, but the curiosity gnawed at me. What could have possibly happened to make him so furious? Aiden returned after a few minutes, freshly showered, and looking more composed. He strode down the stairs, his steps purposeful, his hair slightly damp, and his white shirt unbuttoned at the top, revealing a hint of his toned chest. His mother, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, instructed the servants to serve him dinner.As he settled at the table across from me, the tension was palpable. He began eating in a calm, almost too measured
L following day at the hospital, I was already feeling the strain of having my personal bodyguard shadowing me everywhere. Every step I took, there he was, a few paces behind, his stern gaze making my every move feel scrutinized. It was as if Aiden’s reach extended beyond the confines of our home, clutching me tightly even here. I desperately needed some space, and my irritation was starting to show.As I was tending to one of the pediatric patients, my phone vibrated in my pocket. It was Eva. I quickly excused myself and stepped out into the hallway, pressing the phone to my ear. “Eva? Is everything okay?”“Amira, I just wanted to check on you. How are you doing?” she asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern. “You’re really working in that hospital in Italy now?”“Yes,” I replied, glancing back at the bodyguard who stood near the corner, pretending not to eavesdrop but clearly listening. “I’m fine, just adjusting to everything here.”“Adjusting?” Eva’s tone became more skeptical.
At dinner, the atmosphere was a blend of tension and a strange sense of belonging I hadn’t quite felt in a while. Aiden’s mother, a warm and elegant woman with a gentle demeanor, was seated across from me. She looked at me with an encouraging smile as she asked, “How was your first day, dear? You must have had quite the challenge working in a new country.”I took a deep breath, setting my fork down. “It was… different,” I admitted, a small smile creeping onto my lips. “But I managed. The language barrier was difficult, but I’m learning.”She nodded, clearly pleased. “I’m proud of you,” she said, her voice soft but sincere. “It takes courage to adapt so quickly.”A rush of pride filled my chest, and I couldn’t help but cast a quick glance at Aiden, who sat at the head of the table, casually eating as if the whole conversation was of little interest to him. He didn’t look up, his focus solely on his meal, and it only made my resolve harden. At least his mother was proud of me, and that
The morning of my first day working at the hospital in Italy, I woke up with a strange mix of eagerness and anxiety. The air in the mansion felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if reminding me that I wasn’t here by choice. I sat at the edge of the bed, pulling on my slippers with a sense of determination. Working at the hospital was my one opportunity to feel some sense of normalcy, even if it came with strings attached.I headed downstairs holding Leo in my hand and handed over to his mom to take care of him. where Aiden was casually seated at the dining table, sipping his coffee as though he didn’t have a care in the world. His presence filled the room in a way that made me feel small and insignificant, even though I wasn’t about to let him see that. Marco, my assigned bodyguard, was already waiting by the door, dressed in a black tuxedo that seemed completely out of place for a hospital.As I picked up my bag, Aiden glanced up at me with that familiar controlling look in his eyes. “Y
I sat on the couch with Leo nestled in my lap, his small body curled up as I ran my fingers through his soft fur. The house felt unusually quiet, save for the occasional ticking of the wall clock. Aiden had just finished getting ready to leave for the hospital, his keys jingling in his hand as he strode toward the door. There was a finality in his movements, like he was already in his own world, where I didn’t matter. And for some reason, that bothered me.I glanced at the clock again and then at Leo, who seemed perfectly content to lie there and bask in the moment. Something inside me stirred—a resolve I wasn’t sure I had before. I couldn’t just sit here every day while my career and life slipped away. I needed to do something, to reclaim a sense of normalcy, of independence.Before I could overthink it, I called out to Aiden, my voice breaking the stillness of the room. “Aiden.”He stopped, halfway out the door, and turned back with a look of mild surprise. I almost never called him
The next morning, I woke to the soft tickle of a small, warm tongue licking my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Leo’s tiny face staring at me, his big brown eyes full of curiosity and affection. He let out a little whine and limped slightly as he moved closer, nudging my hand with his nose. It was as if he was trying to wake me up properly, to start the day together. I reached out and stroked his fur gently, feeling a pang of worry as I noticed the slight limp from the previous day’s accident.“Good morning, little one,” I whispered, lifting him up and kissing the top of his head. His tail wagged weakly, but there was a spark of life in his eyes that made me smile.As I got up, I noticed Aiden stirring on the couch. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing in pain. Sleeping on that couch hadn’t done him any favors, and it was evident by the irritated grimace on his face. He caught sight of Leo and me cuddling together, his expression darkening. For a moment, I saw a fl
I gently patted the soft fur on Leo’s little head as he nuzzled into my hand. He had bright, curious eyes and a coat of fluffy white and brown patches. I had spent the last hour crafting a makeshift bed for him out of a wicker basket I found in the storage room, lining it with soft blankets to keep him warm. Placing it on the bed where Aiden usually slept felt like a small act of defiance. If he wanted to control everything, he would have to share the bed—at least with Leo.Leo seemed to be enjoying himself, playfully pawing at my fingers. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a genuine smile tug at my lips. I wasn’t thinking about Aiden, or the nightmare my life had become. I was just focused on this tiny creature who seemed to love me unconditionally.The door clicked open, and I looked up to see Aiden walk in. His eyes took in the scene before him—me sitting on the bed with Leo curled up next to me, clearly marking his territory. Aiden’s jaw tightened for a moment, b