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THIRTY

Penulis: Cosmix
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-01 23:06:04

Reigna

The city was alive with the quiet hum of passing cars, the distant chatter of evening pedestrians, and the occasional rustle of leaves in the crisp evening air. I sat on a worn wooden bench in the park, staring at the pavement as if it held all the answers I couldn’t find.

I should’ve gone home.

Carlisle had told me to. But after everything—after the disaster at work, after his confusing words, after the way his arms had felt around me—I couldn’t bring myself to return to an empty apartment.

I needed air. I needed distance.

"Miss Reigna?"

I jumped slightly at the familiar voice.

Turning my head, I saw a petite figure standing a few feet away, blinking at me in surprise. Nanny Lucy.

She was still in her university uniform—white blouse, navy skirt—her backpack slung over one shoulder. Her red hair styled in curls were tied up in a messy ponytail, and her face, always so warm and gentle, was filled with concern.

"Lucy?" My voice came out softer than I intended. "What are you doing
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  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-ONE

    ReignaCarlisle Amoroso was impossible.The moment I stepped into the office that morning, I knew something was off. He wasn’t his usual, cold and calculating self—he was worse.I should’ve seen it coming. He had not forgotten about last night, about me staying out late instead of running home like a good little secretary. And now, he was punishing me the only way he knew how—by making my day a living hell."Miss Amethyst," his voice rang from his office for what felt like the tenth time that morning.I exhaled sharply before stepping inside. "Yes, sir?"He barely glanced up from his screen. "Redo the meeting minutes from this morning."I frowned. "Redo?""Yes," he said flatly, still typing. "They don’t meet my standards."I folded my arms, staring at him. "Sir, I wrote them exactly how you—"Carlisle finally looked up, his stormy gray eyes locking onto mine, sharp as steel. "Are you questioning my instructions?"I gritted my teeth. "No, sir.""Good. Have it done in twenty minutes.""

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-01
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-TWO

    Reigna“Deep breaths, Rei. Deep breaths.” I mumbled to myself.Carlisle had never looked this fragile before.His usual imposing figure was reduced to something completely still, his body slumped against the couch in his office, face flushed from fever, breaths slow and uneven despite falling asleep, all because his temperature spiked after an hour of finding him sick.I knelt beside him, carefully pressing a damp towel against his forehead, feeling the heat radiate from his skin like a furnace. Even in his sleep, his brows furrowed, as if even sickness wasn’t enough to rid him of his perpetual state of frustration."Idiot," I muttered under my breath, adjusting the blanket over him with delicate fingers, making sure it covered him properly. "You run an entire company, handle million-dollar contracts, and yet, you can’t even take care of yourself properly."I’m scared. For him. This is just a fever but I could barely stop myself from crying.Carlisle stirred slightly, his lips parting

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-02
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-THREE

    CarlisleThe drive home was quieter than usual.Reigna sat in the driver’s seat, her hands gripping the wheel tighter than necessary, knuckles slightly white from the pressure. I could tell she was still upset, still thinking about Violet’s words, about how she didn’t know enough about me.She was wrong.She knew too much—knew how to push my buttons, knew how to break through the walls I built, knew how to crawl under my skin in ways I didn’t understand.And yet, she thought she didn’t know enough.I exhaled slowly, my body slumped against the passenger seat, the fever making my limbs feel like lead. My head was pounding, and my throat felt raw, but the worst part wasn’t the sickness—it was her silence.The windshield wipers hummed softly against the glass as light rain pattered outside, blurring the city lights in the distance. The car’s interior was warm, wrapped in a soft glow from the dashboard."You’re driving too fast," I murmured, my voice hoarse.Reigna glanced at me, her brow

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-02
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-FOUR

    CarlisleThe morning crawled by at an agonizing pace, my body still weak from the fever, but my mind refused to rest.It wasn’t the headache that bothered me. It wasn’t even the lingering exhaustion weighing down my limbs. It was her.Reigna moved through the office as if nothing had changed, as if last night hadn’t happened, as if she hadn’t stayed by my side, wiping my forehead, keeping me steady, whispering words of comfort. She was back to being composed, efficient, and perfectly normal—and it bothered me more than it should.I knew I wasn’t acting normal either. I was distracted. Too aware of her. Every time she walked past my office, every time I heard her voice, every time she tucked her hair behind her ear—I noticed everything.I was never the type to waste time on useless emotions. And yet, here I was, unable to focus on a single thing because of a woman who wasn’t even trying.A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts."Sir?" Reigna’s voice came through, calm and prof

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-04
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-FIVE

    ReignaI needed air.He kept on giving me signals I keep on mixing up—and in the end? I am stuck with my own thoughts, troubled by my own fault, and bothered by the anxiety that barely kept me focused on my work, or anything I do for that matter,One minute, I was fine, doing my job. The next, I was being called out in front of everyone, the weight of his judgment pressing down on me. Like I had embarrassed him. Like I had embarrassed myself.I spent the rest of the day avoiding him.I kept my head down, finished my work, and ignored the way he watched me—because I knew he was watching. I could feel it. Every time I spoke to someone, every time I moved past his office, every time I so much as laughed at something Venice said, his gaze was there.It made my skin burn.Not because I was ashamed. Not because I was guilty. But because I didn’t know why he cared so much.And I hated that I cared about that.So when Venice appeared in the break room near the end of the day, hands on her hip

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-05
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-SIX

    ReignaThe drive home was suffocating.The tension inside the car was too thick, lingering between us like an unseen force, crackling with everything that hadn’t been said. Carlisle’s hands gripped the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his jaw was clenched like he was holding himself back from saying something he knew he shouldn’t.I refused to speak first.My heart was still racing, my skin still burning from the scene at the bar—from the way he had pulled me away from Axle, from the way his fury had been barely contained, and from the way he had looked at me.Not just with anger. Not just with control. But with something else.Something undeniable.I turned my head toward the window, watching the city blur past us in streaks of neon, trying to steady my breath. I couldn’t let myself think about it too much. Couldn’t let myself fall into the trap of reading into something that might not be there at all."Do you even understand what you're doing?"His voice was low, stra

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-06
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-SEVEN

    I just got here after bringing the photocopy of the documents she asked of me, and yet her smirk is annoyingly smug as she sits comfortably across from Carlisle’s desk."Oh, good. You’re here," Violet hums, tapping her nails against the armrest. "I was just about to tell Carlisle about our little chat earlier."I stiffened. “I don’t think it’s necessary, Miss Harrington.” I murmured.Carlisle frowns, eyes flicking between them. “What chat?”Violet’s smirk widens. “The one where we talked about how she’s not supposed to think everything you give her will last long.”I froze at how straightforward she was. “I-it is improper to talk about something not work-related.” I tried to sound stern and righteous, but the shake of my voice gave away my anxiety with how this conversation is going on.Carlisle’s eyes darken instantly, his expression hardening. “Violet.”Violet shrugs. “Oh, don’t look at me like that, darling. I’m just trying to help her manage her expectations.”…Expectations? My ex

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-08
  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   THIRTY-EIGHT

    ReignaThe night was endless.I had spent hours pacing in the penthouse, my fingers clutching my phone so tightly that my knuckles ached. Sleep was out of the question. How could I close my eyes when everything I had built—everything Carlisle had given me—was on the verge of destruction“She’s sending it out tomorrow, Reigna.” Axle’s words echoed in my head over and over again.I left work early to rest after being emotionally challenged all day, and yet here I am, on the verge of tears. Emma’s email was waiting to explode, and once it did, there would be no undoing it.I could already picture the headlines, the articles twisting my existence into a scandal, the whispers about how I had seduced my boss for power and wealth.I could handle humiliation. I had survived worse.But Carlisle? His reputation wasn’t just a title—it was a kingdom he had built through blood, sweat, and ruthless ambition.And Erwin? He was innocent. He didn’t deserve to wake up one day and have the world whisper

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-08

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  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   EIGHTY

    EIGHTYReignaHow many promises has Carlisle made and broken?I should’ve ran away and didn’t come along—but when I was looking up at him, something stirred within me: the memories I had with him as a boss, as a father of a lovely kid, and as a partner, all flood down, and before I knew it, I had no words to decline and my body already gave away my permission to be brought home.…but where exactly is my home?“You must’ve been scared earlier.” Breaking the silence, Carlisle spoke in a low, gentle voice, filling his car with tension that is an unsteady mix of hoping to come closer, and the fear that the boundary between us has gone much bigger than before.“I know I am too much, following you around, but princess, I-” stopping his own words, his pause caught my attention, but I refused to look at him and just stared outside the window, keeping my eyes on the dim streets.“-we miss you.”Hearing the words he spoke nearly made my breath hitch. We? I know Erwin definitely is looking for m

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-NINE

    SEVENTY-NINECarlisle"Marcus." My voice cut through the stagnant air, low and sharp. "I want updates. Every fifteen minutes. If there’s nothing, find something. I don’t care how you do it — just find her.""Yes, sir." Marcus answered without hesitation, though the tension in his jaw betrayed the weight of my command. I know that right now, he is keeping his senses alert, waiting for instructions as night continuously gets darker over time."Teams are already in position. We'll know if she moves, sir, traffic cameras, subway stations, even the taxi cabs. The only locations without hacked surveillance are the area directly under the mayor’s influence"Good.But it wasn’t good enough. None of this was.I should’ve been the one to stop her. I should’ve forced her to listen, made her understand that she wasn’t walking away from me.As much as I regret being such a fool, I’d let her slip through my fingers. And now, the city was swallowing her whole."Expand the radius," I growled, the wor

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-EIGHT

    CarlisleDamn it. I should’ve stopped her and run after her no matter what she said, wanted, or did—all to bring her back home.But I didn’t.And now? Now I was left with nothing but the bitter taste of regret clinging to my tongue.The car’s interior was suffocating. Marcus sat tensely in the front, his phone pressed to his ear as he barked orders to the security team. They were searching every corner of the city. Every street, every café, every possible place she could have gone. But none of it was enough. None of it would be until I saw her standing in front of me again."Status?" My voice was low, but the crack of it was unmistakable.Marcus shifted slightly, lowering his phone. "No updates yet. Surveillance spotted her near the park earlier, but she’s not there anymore. We’ve widened the search, and more cameras are being pulled."I clenched my jaw, the familiar sting of frustration settling deep beneath my ribs. "Not good enough.""We’re doing everything we can, sir," Marcus re

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-SEVEN

    ReignaMy steps were hurried, driven by the unbearable pressure lingering behind me — the weight of Carlisle’s stare, the tension that had coiled itself around us, choking out every rational thought.I could still hear the low murmurs of the gathering crowd, the harsh clicks of camera shutters echoing faintly against the distant hum of traffic. People were watching. People were judging.But none of that mattered.All I could think about was the way Carlisle had looked at me. Not with the cold detachment I had braced myself for. Not with the calculated authority he wore like armor. No, this time, it was something far more dangerous. Something I didn’t know how to face.He was broken.And it wasn’t because of Violet or the scandal or the relentless public scrutiny. It was because of me.“Reigna,” Axle called from behind, his voice cautious, like he was afraid I’d disappear if he spoke too loudly. I didn’t slow down. Not until his fingers brushed against my wrist, pulling me to a stop. “

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-SIX

    ReignaThe air between us was charged, thick with words neither of us could say. Axle’s hand lingered near mine, a silent reassurance I didn’t ask for, but couldn’t bring myself to pull away from.“Reigna.” His voice was low, rough around the edges like it always was when he wanted to sound sincere. “You don’t have to say anything. I’m not here to push.”I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Because even if I wanted to believe him, I knew better. Axle Daniels had always been good with words.“Please don’t push me away too.” The way they slipped from his lips — tender when I needed comfort, sharp when he wanted to win. But right now, those words were neither. They were just… there.Floating in the space between us like fragile glass. And I didn’t know whether to shatter them or cradle them like they meant something.But before I could decide, the air shifted.At first, it was subtle. The sound of distant footsteps, the faint hum of engines idling nearby. Then, a presence — heavy, watchful, unm

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-FIVE

    CarlisleShe was gone.Reigna had walked out without a second glance, her parting words echoing through my mind like a relentless drumbeat. “Just once, I wanted you to believe me.”My hands curled into fists at the memory. I should’ve gone after her. I should’ve stopped her the second she turned her back, but instead, I stood there like a goddamn coward. I let the silence consume us both, even though I knew exactly where it would lead.And now?Now I didn’t even know where she was. I tried looking for her but to no avail, which ended up with me coming himeafter receiving Lucy’s distressed call that Erwin was crying.…should I track her down?"Sir?" The driver’s voice broke through my thoughts, hesitant but firm. "We’re approaching the building."I didn’t respond. Instead, I shifted my gaze to the looming silhouette of the Veil Hyde Residence, its glass exterior gleaming under the city lights. Normally, the sight of it brought a certain sense of authority — a reminder of everything I’d

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-FOUR

    ReignaThe words hung in the air between us, weighty and unshakable, settling deep into my chest like a stone sinking to the bottom of a river. I could still hear them echoing in my mind, could still feel the way they wrapped around my ribs, squeezing too tight, making it hard to breathe.I should have dismissed them. I should have rolled my eyes, thrown his words back in his face, reminded him of every way he had shattered me and walked away without looking back. But instead, I sat there, gripping my coffee cup like it was the only thing tethering me to reality, feeling the weight of Axle’s gaze pressing against my skin."You can’t just say things like that," I finally murmured, my voice quiet, controlled—forced.Axle tilted his head slightly, a flicker of something unreadable flashing across his face. "Why not?"I exhaled sharply, shaking my head as I set my cup down, fingers tightening around the ceramic. "Because it’s unfair. Because it’s a lie. Because if you really never stopped

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-THREE

    ReignaI just needed space.I had thrown on a simple dress before leaving, one of my older ones from when my life had been normal, before Carlisle Amoroso had rewritten my entire existence. It was plain, nothing remarkable, but as I wandered past a group of people huddled near the park entrance, I caught the way their heads turned, their whispers slicing through the air like knives.At first, I ignored them.But then—“Wait, isn’t that—?”“Oh my god, it’s her.”“Is she seriously walking around like nothing happened?”My heart slammed against my ribs, my throat tightening as I quickened my steps, pushing forward, hoping—praying—that they would just let me pass. But the whispers only grew louder, venomous, laced with amusement and cruelty, the kind of sharp-edged mockery only people who had never lived a second in my shoes could wield so easily.“She has some nerve showing her face after trying to Violet Harrington.”“I hope Carlisle Amoroso finally saw her for what she is.”“Me too. Sh

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven   SEVENTY-TWO

    Carlisle“Dada! Mommy said she’ll see you later, but I told her it should be now!” he declared, completely oblivious to the suffocating tension between us.Reigna let out a slow breath, reaching up to smooth his hair with a trembling hand. “Sweetheart,” she murmured, her voice soft, tired. “Maybe another time, okay?”Another time.I clenched my jaw, stepping further into the room. “Erwin, come here,” I said, my voice quiet, measured.He pouted but obeyed, slipping off the bed and running over to me. I placed a hand on his head, smoothing down his curls, before finally shifting my gaze back to Reigna.She was already looking away.It irritated me more than it should have."You’ve been in here all morning," I said evenly, my eyes never leaving her. "And now you’re avoiding breakfast. How long are you planning to keep this up?"Reigna flinched, but she masked it quickly, schooling her features into a calm, unreadable expression. "I just need time," she said, echoing the same words she ha

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