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XLVI: Golden Streets and Hidden Choices
Last Updated:
2025-03-27 23:39:27
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Stealing My Sister's Fiancee XLVII : He Knew Before I Did
A middle-aged man in a navy-blue suit walked over with an enthusiastic expression. His face was slightly flushed—maybe from the wine warming his body or perhaps from excitement he could barely contain.“My God, I can hardly believe you’re really here!” he said, his voice brimming with excitement as his eyes lit up when they met mine. “I have to thank Marcus for bringing you to this event.”I smiled warmly and extended my hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr...?”“Richard Calloway,” he said quickly, shaking my hand a bit too firmly, like a fan unwilling to miss his chance. “But please, call me Richard. I’m one of the hosts tonight. And Maya, I have to admit... I’m a huge fan.”I chuckled softly, easing my hand out of his grasp with practiced elegance. “Oh? That’s interesting.”Richard laughed, sounding almost nervous. “No, seriously! I’ve followed your career since your first indie film. Scarlet Ruins, right?”I raised an eyebrow, a little impressed. “Wow, not many people know about that one. I
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Aaric didn’t give me a chance to refuse. His hand gripped my wrist, not too tight, but firm enough to make sure I couldn’t pull away. Before I could utter a single word, he was already leading me toward his car, a black vehicle that now felt like a trap.The car door opened, and in one swift motion, he pushed me inside with the confidence of a man who knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I could have protested, I could have resisted, but I didn’t. My fingers clenched the hem of my dress as Aaric shut the door beside me, then moved to the other side and slid into the driver’s seat.As soon as the engine roared to life and the car started moving, I bit my lip, trying to suppress the unease creeping up my chest. All I wanted was to go back to my old penthouse, not to the grand house I now shared with him, a house that was never supposed to be mine.But Aaric had other plans.The silence inside the car felt like a short fuse ready to ignite at any moment. I could sense Aaric’s gaze from the
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Five Years Ago.Years ago—long before all of this, before the world felt so distant from those times—I was a design student.I spent my days in the art studio, sketching, studying composition, tweaking typography, and working on projects that always kept me up all night. But amidst all that, I had one small obsession: film.I never wanted to be a director or a screenwriter, but there was something about how films worked—the way colors, lighting, and framing shaped a story—that fascinated me. So, I took a few film theory classes as electives. I loved sitting in a dark room with a big screen, listening to professors dissect scenes in detail, discussing the hidden symbolism within a single frame.I always believed that in life, everyone has their own way of seeing the world. For me, the world always looked like a film—sometimes in warm, soft colors, other times in a dark, cold noir scheme.And that night, at a college party that was supposed to be one of the brightest chapters of my life
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That morning had just started to feel a little better when I finally stepped into the faculty building, my hands still busy straightening the messy papers after the incident with Aaric. I walked quickly through the increasingly crowded corridor, trying to reach the studio room before my professor found another reason to make my day worse.But of course, I wasn’t that lucky.“Maya!”I stopped abruptly, almost dropping the folder in my hands. That voice… oh no.When I turned around, just as I had expected, Professor Leonard was striding toward me with his signature long, purposeful steps. His tall figure was dressed in a crisp white shirt and a tie that always seemed too tight. His expression was stern, his sharp eyes like a hawk locking onto its prey.I took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. “Good morning, Professor.”He didn’t return my smile. “I need to talk to you.”I gave a small nod. “Of course. What is it?”“This weekend’s seminar,” he said without preamble. “I want you to
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I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. But my heart pounded like a giant hammer striking my chest over and over again.My steps inched closer to the dark corner of the room, my sneakers squeaking softly against the floor. The shadow in the corner didn’t move, but I could swear I heard something there earlier."If you're joking..." I muttered under my breath, half-threatening, though my voice trembled slightly.I stepped even closer. My breathing sounded louder than it should. I was just one step away from the large shelf in the corner when suddenly—"BOO!""AARGH!" I nearly threw the marker in my hand as someone jumped out from behind the shelf.Loud laughter exploded in front of me. Samuel. Wearing a worn-out T-shirt, his hair a mess, and a satisfied grin like a kid who had just won the biggest prize at an amusement park."Your face!" he said between fits of laughter. "Oh my God, I wish I recorded that!"I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my erratic breathing. "You.
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As soon as class was dismissed, I grabbed my sketchbook and started slipping it into my bag. Margo was already standing beside me, arms crossed over her chest, her expression full of curiosity ready to explode.“So,” she said in her usual dramatic tone, “if you’re not interested in auditioning, why did you bother taking Film Theory?”I zipped my bag shut with a sharp motion. “Because I like movies, Margo.”“Bullshit.” She arched an eyebrow sharply. “You want to be an actress, don’t you?”I let out a short chuckle, trying to ignore the sudden heat creeping up my face. “When I was a kid, yeah. But now I don’t—”“You’re lying,” she cut in quickly. “I know you love acting. You love attention.” She pointed at the whiteboard where I had just drawn. “You were acting just now, Maya! Like you knew everything about architecture.”“That’s because I do.”Margo let out a long sigh, then threw her hands up in frustration. “You’re seriously wasting your potential.”I turned on my heel and walked out
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Aaric tensed for a moment, then slowly turned, the corner of his lips still curled upward. A faint red mark was beginning to form on his cheek, but what irritated me the most was his smile—the victorious one, as if he knew I would react like this."Wow," he said in a lazy tone that made me want to slap him again. "You know, I didn’t take you for the violent type.""I didn’t take you for the type who doesn’t know when to shut up," I shot back, grabbing my notes and hurriedly packing up my things.He didn’t stop me—of course, he wouldn’t. That wasn’t his style. Aaric Bernardi never tried to hold people back; he preferred to make them come back on their own. And I knew he thought I would do the same.As I turned to leave, he spoke again. "Don’t take it too seriously, De Cruz," he said. "But if you need a partner to practice for the seminar, I can help. You know where to find me."I paused for a moment at the doorway, glancing back. "Thanks," I said flatly. "But I’d rather practice with a
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The house had gone still. Even the waves sounded farther away than usual, as if intentionally giving space to the worries stacking quietly in my chest.An open suitcase sat on the bed. Summer dresses folded neatly. A straw hat. Leather sandals. Two bikinis I chose not because I planned to swim, but because I thought—that's just how it’s supposed to look. That’s how a woman should show up on a vacation with her younger sister’s fiancé’s family.Tonight, I wasn’t Maya. I was just… a prop in someone else’s story.I opened the drawer on the right side of the wardrobe, looking for sunscreen or maybe a light t-shirt—anything to fold, just to keep my hands busy. But the drawer stuck. I tugged a little harder… and as it opened, something slipped out from underneath.A dark brown leather notebook. The corners worn. No label. No name.My heart started pounding.I stared at the thing for a few seconds. It felt like stealing. But this was… my room too, wasn’t it? At least, by our agreement.My fi
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After an hour-long break, I was back on set. My hair was still slightly damp from the setting spray Amira had used, and my skin felt a little sticky from the fake tears that had been washed off and reapplied. But inside me, Helena’s pulse was still lingering.The shooting space was different this time—brighter, more open. We were on the dining room set. The next scene showed Helena finally coming home after disappearing for a few days, trying to act “normal” even though her world had just fallen apart.Daniel was already in his seat, wearing a soft cream sweater, his hair tousled like he’d just rolled out of bed. He was reading the script, marking up a few lines with a pencil, occasionally scribbling notes on facial expressions.I sat across the table and grabbed the hot coffee waiting for me. As I took a sip, I stared at the set in front of us: a long wooden table, two tea cups, and a vase of slightly wilted flowers. The props were perfect—just understated enough. Like Helena’s relat
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee LXXV - Better Than Cashmere
The morning came slowly.Sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, brushing against my skin like warm fingers that weren’t quite ready to wake me up. The air in the room was still cold, but something kept me from moving.An arm around my waist. Heavy. Warm. Familiar.Aaric.Once again, he was holding me like I was the only thing keeping him from falling. Like my body was the anchor that kept him alive.I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. Almost seven. Still enough time before I had to get ready for the shoot. But my body didn’t want to move. Not yet.I thought I’d have trouble sleeping after last night—after the blood, the gunshots, and seeing the true face of Aaric’s world. But instead, I slept more soundly than I had in a long time.And that... was a problem.I took a deep breath and slowly peeled myself out of Aaric’s embrace. It wasn’t easy. He mumbled something in his sleep but didn’t wake up. His arm dropped onto the bed as I got u
