The toy
. “Ariel, save me!” I screamed, my eyes opened,casting its gaze on the ceiling. As I rose, I caught a whiff of pancakes. That’s right, Damon was here. I ran to the kitchen. I had to force Damon to sleep on the chair; I couldn’t bear the thought of him lying on a bed where I had sex with another man. Since I was mad at him about the charity event, he complied without suspecting anything. “Good morning, Binky.” Damon greeted me, standing shirtless with an apron on and exposing his perfectly sculpted muscles. “What are you doing in my kitchen?” I settled into the dining area situated at the center of the kitchen. “Our kitchen,” he retorted, "is making you breakfast.” Damon handed me a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and hotdogs. “What happened to my alcohol?” He asked. My stomach twisted as I remembered myself and Logan drinking it yesterday. “I poured them down the sink,” I replied, turning my face away from him. “You what? That wine was motherfucking expensive.” He snapped. “I know that’s why I threw it out. I was angry, and I am still angry with you,” I shot back. “Why didn’t you take me off the charity event?” I quickly changed the topic. I’d wanted to discuss it earlier this morning when he came in, but he was too drunk and beaten up for a conversation. “I don’t want to talk about anything that happened last night,” he replied, squinting at me. I scoffed. “It’s easy for you to move on when you’re not the one being called crazy,“ I began, folding my arms. “I’ll handle the media,” he interrupted me. “Let’s not talk about it, okay?" He added. Knowing Damon, once he decided not to discuss something, no force on earth could make him change his mind. Not even if it would save the world. “Did you have a nightmare?” His voice softened. “How do you know about that?” My eyes opened. “I came up to check up on you; I heard you muttering to yourself.” He replied. “I wouldn’t call them nightmares.” I began to eat, even though I didn’t want him to think he could earn my forgiveness with food. I was just too hungry to care. “Anything that makes you scream out of fear or panic is a nightmare.” He settled into the seat across from me. “So, you are a nightmare?” I raised a brow. “Nice one.” He chuckled. “What was the dream about?” “I don’t want to talk about it," I stated, a wry smile creeping onto my face. He moved closer, his amber eyes staring into mine. “Come on, tell me.” And like an idiot, I spilled. “Ariel and I were playing with our dolls, then my mum dragged her away and locked her in a dark room. I started begging her to save me.” I wasn’t sure if I answered because I wanted him to back off or because I was too weak to resist this man. He would have kept pressing until I gave in, and unlike him, I couldn’t hold out. “So your mother locked her up, yet you begged to be saved?" Damon said he was trying to make sense of it. “My aunt said my mother loved Ariel, so why would she lock her up?” I wondered aloud, pondering about the dream, “Anyway, dreams aren’t supposed to make sense all the time.” I said it because I couldn’t figure it out. “They might be memories.” “I doubt that.” I scoffed at the idea. Aunty Mary said I hated her since I was compared to her every moment of my life, yet in my dream, I loved her so much it felt like I could die without her. “What are you thinking?” Damon asked, raising my chin with his hand. “Nothing.” I shoved his hand off my chin. My eyes were falling on the bruises near his lips, and I just had to ask. “What happened to your face?” “Nothing,” he said, taking the plates and slipping them into the sink. “You have a bruise on your face.” I raised my brows, folding my arms. “I just said I don’t want to talk about anything that happened last night,” he reiterated. “And I just told you about my dream, even when I didn’t want to talk about it.” My face contorted into a frown. Exhaling in defeat, he replied, “I can barely remember; I was drunk. I was so surprised to wake up here this morning,” he said with a seductive smile playing on his lips. "Damon, get out of my house.” I blurted out. His eyes widened. He never fully opened up to me, yet I did. Every time I tried to understand what was going on in his life, he shut me out, reminding me of my place in his life. “This is my house too." A frown was etched across his face. Without a word, I went to the living room and got his shirt and tie. I handed it over and pushed him towards the door. “What’s wrong with you?” He questioned. “When you figure out who you want in your life, you can come back—until then, bye.” I slammed the door shut. I went back upstairs to prepare and leave the house. I had to discuss this with Jessie. ***** I sat by the window of Jessie’s and my favorite restaurant, watching two couples play lovebirds outside. I couldn’t help but wonder why I couldn’t have that. “Jessie!” I called as soon as she walked in. She smiled, making her way over to me. “How are you feeling? I hope Damon didn’t come to bother you at home,” she said, settling into the seat across from me. “Of course not,” I lied. I couldn’t tell her the truth. She’d be furious if she found out Damon had stayed over. She might even decide to move in with me just to fend him off every time he shows up. “So, what do you think of Logan?” She giggled. “We had sex,” I blurted out, my cheeks flushing as I took a sip of juice. “What?” Her mouth dropped open. “Damn, that was quick.” She giggled again. Jessie wasn’t judging. We were both suckers for fine men. Wherever we were, we couldn’t resist checking them out as they came and went. “How was it?” she asked, a wide smile still on her face. “It was nice,” I replied, not ready to admit that Damon had been on my mind almost the entire time. “But I don’t think I’m in love with him.” She paused for a moment before bursting into laughter. “If it were that easy to fall in love, we’d all be in love. Just use him to get over Damon.” Jessie’s advice was blunt. She might love fine men, but she wasn’t a sucker for love. She used men to satisfy her desires, nothing more. “We—” A sharp pain shot through my head, causing me to shut my eyes and wince. An image of either myself or Ariel, smiling and holding a man’s hand, flashed through my mind. I couldn’t tell who it was since we looked so alike. The pain lasted a few seconds before I regained my composure. “Are you okay?” Jessie asked, concern etched on her face. “Yeah,” I replied, still disoriented. This had to be a memory. Were my memories coming back? I turned to Jessie and asked, “Can dreams be memories?” “Are your memories coming back?” Her eyes gaped, her tone growing intense. I recounted my dream to her. “They could be,” she replied thoughtfully. “Why now? It’s been about a year,” I pondered aloud. “Something must have triggered it,” Jessie remarked. “What’s new in your life?” she asked. What was new in my life? I racked my brain for answers. “The only new thing in my life is Logan,” I said. Jessie looked at me for a few seconds before commenting, “I doubt Logan has anything to do with this. He didn’t strike me as someone who knew you.” I didn’t respond. I should have been happy about getting my memories back, but if everything my aunt had said was true, then my childhood memories were better left forgotten. I’d rather deal with amnesia than confront that trauma.The toy . Although it had been a week since Damon said he would handle the media, headlines still painted me as the crazy bitch. Meanwhile, pictures of him and Lucy have also been all over the media—romantic dates, holding hands at events. Seeing those photos made me relive the heartbreak all over again. Jessie and I had decided to go on vacation to get our minds off things. I glanced at the apartment, wondering how Damon would feel when he came back, and I realized I was gone. He’d definitely pull the life support on my mother by himself. “Our flight is at 11 a.m. We’ve got less than two hours to get to the airport.” Jessie reminded me. “You’re taking forever. Are you scared the Demon will pull your mother's life support with his bare hands?” Jessie chuckled. “You always know what I’m thinking.” I smiled, closing the door behind me. "That is why we are friends. Just tell him you are going on vacation. You need some time for yourself,” Jessie said, tossing the luggage
The CEO . It was like I was set on fire, my blood boiling at 100 degrees Celsius, as I saw those bloody, horny men flooding her comment. I posted it for myself—I scoffed at the message. If it’s for herself, then it should remain in her gallery, not on her social page. After writing a long paragraph about why she should arrange her bags and return to New York, I deleted it. I didn’t want to sound controlling, and she does need a break from all this drama. “Are you with another man?” I asked as I adjusted my red tie against my white dress shirt, seated alone in my office. I was reading through some contracts when my phone chimed. Glancing at my notifications bar, I saw—Ari. S had posted a picture. As I clicked on it, a picture of her in a red bikini, accentuating her cleavage and hips, popped up. I was pleased with it until I saw those bloody men staring at my woman. My phone chimed, and I picked it up. Aria: Are you with your missing piece? She had been haunting me with thi
The toy . “I can walk—put me down!” I yelled, banging my clenched fist against his back. As we arrived at the reception, my screams drew attention. Instantly, I covered my face with my palms to avoid any further embarrassment. I didn’t need pictures of me being carried like a sack of rice flooding the internet. After all, no face, no case. Damon slipped me into his black sports Ferrari before entering the driver’s seat. Starting his car, he advised, “You should always fasten your seatbelt,” as he leaned over and did it for me. There he goes, acting like he actually cares. “Where is Jessie?” I asked, scanning the outside through the car’s tinted glass. “Behind us, with Zach.” Staring back, I saw Zach’s red sports Ferrari behind. “We are leaving Jessie alone with that womanizer friend of yours.” “What, are you scared he would steal her heart?” That was the least of my worries. I just didn’t want to be left alone in the same space with Damon. Although Zach is a very charming
The toy . Damon noticed my discomfort. "Why are you nervous?" he asked. “I’m not.” I struggled not to scratch my forehead to not affirm his deductions. Just then, my phone rang—Logan's name lit up the screen. “Who is Logan?” Damon’s tone was intense, causing a thunderous silence. I swallowed hard as my body trembled. “My friend.” Jessie snatched my phone away, feigning nonchalance. "Probably just trying to reach me since my phone was off," she added, disappearing into the other room. Although Jessie had intervened, my hands didn’t stop trembling as Damon still stared at me, his eyes hinting at his disbelief. Jessie walked back in and handed over my phone. “I was right; he tried calling me. Guess my phone was switched off.” Damon's suspicions seemed to intensify. "Your phone's not off," Zach noted as Jessie's phone chimed, drawing her attention. I closed my eyes, hoping to disappear. Without uttering a word, Damon shifted his focus back to the game. An unsettling feeli
The CEO . My eyes widened as I saw her, and my phone slipped from my grasp, clattering to the floor. “Binky,” I whispered, my heart aching as tears streamed down her face. “I was stupid to believe you,” she sobbed, her voice trembling as she broke down completely. She turned and ran into the next room, slamming the door so hard that it echoed through the house. “There’s been a lot of door-slamming lately,” Zach observed. “What did you do to her?” Jessie demanded, her brows furrowed. “Ari, please open the door!” Jessie pounded on it. A claustrophobic sensation began to crawl up my throat, and I clenched my fists as conflicting thoughts warred in my mind—one screaming for me to drown my sorrows in alcohol. I marched over to the indoor bar and downed five glasses in quick succession. Zach, understanding me all too well, stood silently, offering no reproach. Grabbing my car keys, I headed for the door, only to be intercepted by Zach. “You’ve had too much to drink,” he cautioned
The toy .I woke up to sunlight piercing through my puffy, red eyes. I turned and noticed Jessie wasn't in bed. With a slow gait, I strode out of the room, drawn by the sound of her laughter coming from the kitchen."Morning, sunshine," Zach greeted me as I entered."How are you feeling?" Jessie asked."Like I've been stung by a thousand bees," I replied, gulping down a glass of water."You'll get better," Jessie said.My eyes darted around the room, scanning for someone I wasn’t ready to face. Just one smile from him, and my heart would foolishly skip a beat."So, what are your plans for today?" I asked Jessie."Well, Zach is taking me shopping with the money I won yesterday.""When did you two become friends?" I inquired."We were never enemies," Zach said, taking a swig of his drink.It reminded me of Damon, who liked to start drinking early in the morning—birds of a feather."And you don’t have to worry about the demon," Jessie added. "He’s gone back to New York."I should have
The toy . Suddenly, I regretted why I hid in the closet. I should have jumped out— should have risked breaking my leg. I closed my eyes, and the taste of fear—metallic and bitter—lingered on my tongue as I awaited my end. “Ariel,” his surprisingly soft voice called out. I opened one eye before the other, sizing the huge man before me. “It’s me, Tony your neighbor.” He scoffed jokingly. “I mean your former neighbor.” He stared at the knife before tossing it to the floor. “Sorry, I must have scared you. I saw a car packed outside, and I thought it was one of those junkies that come around.” I was still too stunned to speak; fear was still coursing through my veins. “Aria” He asked. Noticing I flinched at the mention of the name, he apologized. "Sorry, I thought it was Ariel. Cause of the hair.” I stepped out of the closet and dusted off the cobwebs draping my outfit. Turning to him, “the hair?” “Ariel loved her hair long, and you, you know, you loved yours short.” He explaine
The CEO..I stood outside Binky’s apartment, my hands shoved deep into the pockets of my black pants, wrestling with the urge to go inside or return to that house. I couldn’t even call it a home, not with Lucy living there.I sighed as I saw the post: Damon Wesley celebrates his fiancée’s birthday.My heart ached, knowing Binky must have seen it too. I always thought she didn’t care about me and that her outbursts were just attempts to break free from our contract. But the vacation made me realize she was in love with me, and I’d do anything to be with her—even if it meant making a deal with the devil.Every part of me wanted to confront my father directly, but that would be foolish; he wouldn’t just torment me, but everyone I care about.A tall figure entering Binky’s apartment jolted me from my reverie. From the broad shoulders, it had to be a man, and my mind immediately jumped to Logan. Although Binky said he was Jessie’s friend, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.A frown wa