"So where are you taking me for lunch?" I asked him. "There's a fancy restaurant outside, if you agree, I would like to take you there," he said. I shrugged my shoulders and he quickly grabbed my hand and this guy dragged me from the second floor all the way to the parking lot as if we we're in a freaking running contest. ... "We could have taken the elevator you know!" I glared at him when we areached his car. I was so out of breathe and this prick just laughed at my condition. "At least we got a good exercise out of it," he said, and I'm sure my face is like a tomato right now by how furious I am. "Please step inside, princess," he gestured as he opened the passenger door. Even though I'm angry at him, I'm still true to my words. So I'll go to lunch with him, and after this, I'll make sure I don't see him ever again. ... He took me to a restaurant that was a five minute drive from the mall. It was an elegant looking restaurant, a michellin holder in fact. So I'
“Wow, Isabella, you eat a lot, huh?” I closed my eyes, hearing another annoying remark from Fiona. The whole time we’ve been eating she has done nothing but say veiled mean things about me. That I eat a lot, that I have poor manners, that I don’t have any etiquette. Can’t she just leave me alone for five seconds? I suddenly felt a strong call of nature. I stood up quickly, “I have to use the restroom,” I said, leaving hurriedly. I rushed to the cubicle and did my business. After I was done, I washed my hands and prepared to go back. And the moment I got out, I feel like my soul left my body when I saw Dominic standing by the door, looking at me with an unreadable expression. “Dominic, what are you doing here? This is the ladies,” I asked, but he didn’t answer. He just stared at me. “Dominic?” “Is he really you’re boyfriend?” He asked in a chilly tone. “Um, yeah,” I said. He walked towards me slowly, “Liar” he uttered. “When we were at the resort you told me me you
"So what will you do now?" Aiden asked as I tend to his bruise. "What else can I do? I'll just go look for another job. I'm sure I can find a job out there," I said, not saying the part where I almost puked blood just to land my first ever job. "If you want, my older brother runs his own company, maybe I can get you in," he said. "You don't have to do that, you have already done a lot for me," I declined. I don't want to give him the impression that I'm just using him. "Oh come on, his company gives great benefits, plus, he even offers to fund scholarships, it'll help you with your studies so you can finally go to college," he said, and I was taken aback for a second. "How did you..." "I can tell. You work full time at Dominic's company but you have a lot of books under your bed. It's really a no brainier," he shrugged and kept quiet. I looked down and indeed the books I bought were visible down there. This guy is something else, he's very keen and observant. And
"So let me ge this straight, you got fired the other day, then you got hired yesterday, and now you're moving out?" Kara said, walking back and forth while I sat down, looking at her going on and on like that for ten minutes now. "Yeah," I answered her, massaging my temples."And where are you moving again?" "To my boss's house," "Yeah... right, of course. And ummm...you agreed to it?" "Well, yeah," She has her hand on her waist, her face looking stressed. I know she's worried about me, not to mention I told her the truth why I quit."Isabella, not that I don think you can make it on your own. But this world is full of bad people. Why don't you just go back...""No," I stood up, "I can't go back. I'm finally free from their clutches, if I go back home it's like I'm admitting defeat to them. And I can't let them have that Kara, I just can't." I said to her and she covered her face with her hands as she sat down. "You know mom has been asking a lot about you. Why don't you go talk
Aiden was the one driving. It must've been half an hour before we reached their house, or rather it's more fitting to say the word 'mansion'. "Are you excited?" "Not more than you," "Don't worry, my brother just seem like a grumpy person but he is actually very nice guy," he said. I recalled me and Hayden's first interaction, and that image still remained stuck in my head. "Hey, are you listening to me?" Aiden tapped my shoulder. "Huh, yeah, what did you say?" I asked, my head still floating in the clouds. "I said you can get off now. Or do you want me to give you the princess treatment?" He scooched closer, batting hus eyes. "Shut up," I pushed his face away and opened the car door and got off. "Aiden," "Yeah?" "Is it really okay for me to live here?" I asked as we walked to the entrance. "Of course! I'd love to have you here," he muttered, raising his hands up. "And you're brother?" I asked, and his smile slowly faded. "Hmmm...well, he doesn't stay h
As agreed yesterday, me and Aiden went to his academy so I can register. And as expected, his school is not like any other school. It's the school for elite. The Golden Academy. As far as I know they are very much strict with the students they allow to enter. I haven't even passed my credentials yet but they've already accepted me. It's suspicious why such a prestigious academy would allow a girl with no background, but I can only speculate that Hayden has something to do with it. "I'm so excited to have you here with me. We're gonna have so much fun, I'll introduce you to my friends and I'll tour you around campus," Aiden said enthusiastically. He has such a golden retriever vibe. I bet a lot of girls are trying to pursue him. I filed a bunch of papers at the registrar first, and after that, Aiden and I walked around the oval looking at other students. And I swear I saw glares from other girls as they watched me and Aiden walk together. Sigh. I have not even started, ye
I walked towards Aiden and the others and even from afar I could tell that there was something weird going on. Ara was nowhere to be found, and Aiden’s friends were all looking at him, and mind you, not the good kind of look, the kind of look that put someone six feet under. What’s happening? I have a gut feeling as to what could have happened, and seeing Aiden’s expression getting uglier as I got closer only proved my suspicion. “Aiden, what is going on?” I asked him, and he turned his face away. His friend scoffed at his behavior and cursed at him. “This rotten bastard made Ara cry. She finally confessed her feelings, and instead of just rejecting her, he insulted her. Like what the hell, bro! She was your friend, at least you could have rejected her more nicely! Why the insults?!” Leon yelled, pulling his collar. “Leon! Stop that…enough!” Therese intervened and pulled Leon away. I also tried to help by pulling Aiden away, grabbing his arm, but he just swatted my hand away an
I didn't dwell much on what happened yesterday. I also didn't bother telling Aiden about my gut feeling that someone was following me since he'll surely make a big deal out of it. Also, I'm not really sure if someone was indeed following me since I didn't really take a good look and I didn’t see anyone, so I have no evidence. Today, I got up early since it will be my first day at work. Hayden told me that we will be meeting some important people and that I should dress up nicely. I wore the dress Aiden bought for me at the mall a few days ago and I guess I look the part now since Hayden told me we were going in a fancy restaurant. I didn't want to embarrass him so I did extra effort with my make up. I looked at the time and it was almost nine o'clock already. He's probably waiting downstairs for me to finish. Once I was satisfied with how I looked. I smiled at the mirror one last time before walking out of my room. I walked down the stairs and indeed Hayden wa
The early morning light slipped through the cracks of the curtains, painting faint gold lines across the bed. I stirred awake, groggily opening my eyes, my body still heavy with sleep. Slowly, I turned to my side and found Hayden beside me, sleeping peacefully, a soft snore escaping his lips.A small, sad smile tugged at my mouth. I brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss against his temple. He didn’t move, he just let out a deeper sigh before settling again.I slipped out of bed quietly, grabbing my purse and phone before heading out.One of the things Kara had found, one of the things that really got me worried, was that Hayden had regularly visited a mental health clinic years ago. Right after Cassie’s death. The timing wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be. Whether it was guilt, grief, or something worse, I needed to know what demons he was fighting. That’s why I’m going to that clinic to find the details I need. My car rumbled softly
Hayden and I walked in silence toward the parking lot. My hand was still in his, but it felt like there was a glass wall between us.Just as we reached the car, I stopped abruptly, pulling my hand away from his. Hayden immediately turned to me, confusion flashing across his face."Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and careful.I didn’t answer right away. I kept my eyes on him, gathering every stray thought running wild in my head. Finally, I found my voice."I’ve been trying to understand everything," I muttered. "You said before that you couldn’t tell me what was bothering you, and I respected that. I really did." I took a step closer to him, needing him to see how much I meant it. "But now... maybe you can at least give me assurance. That what happened inside there—with that Cedric—isn’t something I should be worried about."Hayden’s eyes dropped to the ground. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking every bit as tired as I felt."Nothing will happen," he sa
My body tensed slightly, the air growing a little too heavy, and I didn’t know why. Something just didn’t feel right.Cedric turned to me with a glint in his eyes that I couldn’t quite read. I thought this guy was simple, but I guess in this room full of people, the word “simple” wouldn’t sound right after all. “So, Isabella,” he began, his tone light but I could sense he was just pretending. “Are you Hayden’s girlfriend?”The question caught me off guard. My lips parted, but the words didn’t immediately come out.Cedric continued before I could even respond, “You know, my sister and Hayden have a long history.”I blinked at him. “Fiona and Hayden are close?” I asked, trying to steady my voice, even though my chest felt like it was tightening.Cedric chuckled softly, tilted his head, then glanced at Dominic. “Not Dominic, Cassie,” he clarified, enunciating the name clearly. My heart stopped.He turned back to me, still smiling. “I mean, the three of you did have a long history toget
The morning passed by quickly. I really wish I could go home and take a long nap. But unfortunately, I can’t. Whoever said adult life gives you more freedom. They’re liars. I had barely taken a proper sip of my coffee when my assistant, Mia, knocked lightly on the door of my office. She peeked inside, holding her tablet close to her chest.“Ms, just a quick reminder—you’ve been invited to the Heritage Gala this evening. It's happening at the Grand Atrium Hotel. The car is supposed to be ready by five."I blinked. Right. The Heritage Gala. I had completely forgotten about it."Thank you, Mia. I’ll wrap things up early then."She gave a polite nod before disappearing down the hall.Despite the early chaos, the rest of the day seemed to breeze by. I felt oddly light. I smiled to myself as I grabbed my coat and bag, ready to leave.But as soon as I stepped out of the building and into the parking lot, the sight that greeted me made my stomach sink.My car tires—both on the driver's side
It was quiet, almost too quiet, when I finally found the courage to ask.I looked at Hayden, his face slightly turned away, as if avoiding what he knew was coming. My heart felt like it had been wrung out, twisted and bruised from the weight of everything I had learned, everything I had seen, and most of all, everything he had failed to say."Why did you lie to me?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.Hayden didn’t answer. Not immediately. His jaw tensed. His hands fidgeted at his sides. But his eyes, his eyes couldn’t meet mine.The silence between us wasn’t just silence. It was loud and deafening. It pierced through the walls I had tried to build for myself."Can you really not tell me?" I asked again, softer this time.He turned his head slowly, eyes finally meeting mine. There was pain in them. Pain and conflict. He hesitated, then shook his head.My heart sank, but I nodded. I tried to understand. He must have his reason for not telling me.I stepped forward and cupped his fac
I got home late that night. Way too late.The driveway was empty and quiet, and the porch light was the only thing still on. I stood outside for a moment, staring at the house. It looked the same as always, but I wasn’t. Not after what I saw, not after what I heard.I don’t want to be affected by what’s happening, but I am…and I don’t know how to stop this feeling coursing through my heart. Sigh.I opened the door quietly and stepped inside. The living room was dark, the silence stretching far too deep. I didn’t even bother turning on the lights. My legs moved on their own, carrying me upstairs. I just wanted to see Blake to calm myself down. I pushed open his door slowly trying not make any noise as possible. He was curled up beneath his blankets, his tiny fists tucked under his cheek as his chest rose and fell slowly. I let out a quiet sigh, one that seemed to drag all the weight from my shoulders. I watched him for a few more seconds, just making sure. Then I gently closed the
We roamed the halls like shadows.For a building so guarded on the outside, the inside felt... ordinary. Almost too ordinary. White walls. Polished floors. A faint scent of paper and air freshener. It looked like any high-end office complex you’d find downtown—quiet, professional, boring even. No alarms. No red sirens. No looming sense of dread.Except, maybe, the one hammering in my chest.We moved carefully, glancing around every corner before slipping into rooms. Most of them were unlocked. I half-expected to find people inside, or something, anything, that screamed you shouldn’t be here. But all I saw were shelves stacked with binders, boxes labeled with codes, and desks that were probably neatly cleaned.“This is anticlimactic,” Dominic muttered as he flipped through a folder marked F04-Secondary Entry Logs.“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, scanning another stack of documents that meant nothing to me. Numbers. Charts. Reports that could’ve belonged to any logistics firm in the c
Dominic.He was standing outside my car, eyebrows raised, arms crossed with that maddening smirk.I had no choice but to slowly roll down the window."Fancy seeing you here," he said, peering inside like some nosy neighbor. "What are you doing in a place like this, Bella?""That’s none of your business," I snapped, sitting up straighter, trying not to look guilty.He laughed—really laughed, like it was actually funny. I stared. It was strange. His face looked lighter. Less grumpy, less tired. He didn’t have that usual broody air around him. Instead, there was something... approachable? Tsk, I must be going crazy, this man, approachable? "Oh come on, don't give me that look," he said with a grin. "You look like a squirrel caught stealing almonds."I groaned and got out of the car, shutting the door a little harder than necessary. "Why are you here? Are you following me?""Please," he scoffed. "Not everything is about you, Bella. I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Saw your car
I woke up with a plan.This wasn’t something I was proud of. It felt like a betrayal in itself—snooping around, following someone you care about. But what choice did I have? The way Hayden had been acting lately left me no room for comfort. Something had shifted in him, and while I tried to ignore it, the unease inside me only grew stronger with every passing day.So, I took a day off. Told him I needed rest. He didn’t question it.Blake came down the stairs, rubbing his eyes, his uniform a little crumpled. I smiled and helped fix his collar before kissing his forehead. "Be good at school, alright?""Yes, Mama," he replied sleepily, climbing into the backseat of the car.I stood at the doorway and waved until the driver pulled away.Hayden stood in the living room, sipping coffee, dressed casually but neatly. "I’ll be heading out too," I told him, grabbing my purse and keys. "Need to check on a few errands."He gave a nod. "Alright. Be careful, okay?""I will. You too," I added, step