"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
Hello everyone! Sorry if I was gone for so long. I just got back from a really grave life problem. I just want you all to know that I made some major adjustments and updates with the previous chapters, and it would be best if you guys update my book in your library. Thank you! -ARMISTEAD ~_~
"I see, so you know Bella?” Hayden said. "I doubt you're unaware of that," Dominic replied back. Before the tension could thicken any further, Fiona stepped forward, her face glowing with a perfectly rehearsed smile. “Isabella, I didn't thought I'd see you again” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “It's good that you're here,” I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Her smile was anything but friendly. “Congratulations,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light. I know she doesn’t like be very much, or maybe she doesn’t like me at all. I thought that animosity of her’s would go away when I retired for Dominic but it seems she still carrying her hatred towards me. "I'm finally getting married, after a lot of obstacles thrown aside, finally there's nothing left to stop us," she said, with a double meaning behind her words as she looked at me with a veiled venomous look. Hayden’s hand slid protectively around my waist, pulling me
Hayden needed fresh air. The four walls of our home, though familiar to me, still felt foreign to him. I thought maybe a little walk through the garden would help. It was one of the few places we both cherished, we would take a walk when we had time—at least, before the accident. The sun had just started to dip, casting a golden hue across the sky as we stepped outside.The garden was just how we left it. A little messy, maybe. The lavender bushes leaned slightly too far into the path, and some of the tulips had bowed under their own weight, but it was still beautiful in its own imperfect way. It felt alive. Unlike the silence that often wrapped around us since he came home.Hayden walked a few paces ahead of me, hands in his pockets, his eyes drifting across the flowers as he gazed at them with a smile on his face. “I planted those,” I pointed at the small bed of daisies near the bench. “You helped. You said they reminded you of summer.”He looked at them, tilting his head slightly.
I messaged Dominic where we’d meet.I wasn’t even sure if he’d show up.The café was quiet that morning, tucked between an old bookstore and a flower shop. The kind of place people passed without looking twice. I chose the table near the window—half for the view, half for the distance. My fingers tapped anxiously against the ceramic cup, the latte I ordered was untouched and slowly cooling.Then the door creaked open, and there he was.Dominic looked... cautious. He didn’t walk in with the usual confidence he carried like a second skin. His steps were careful, his eyes searching for mine before he approached. There was no smirk, no witty remark, just a nod and a quiet, “Hey.”I gave a small smile, the kind you force when you don’t know where to begin. “Hey.” He sat down across from me. For a few seconds, we just sat there in silence, me staring at the swirling foam of my coffee, and him watching me like I might change my mind and leave any second now.“I’m glad you came,” I said firs
The car ride home was quiet. Too quiet.Hayden sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed outside the window, watching the city blur past like it was an unfamiliar terrain. Blake had fallen asleep in the backseat, curled up with his seatbelt still hugging his little body. Aiden followed behind in his own car, giving us space. Maybe he knew I needed this time with him. Maybe Hayden needed it, too.My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. I didn’t know what I expected the ride to feel like—but this emptiness wasn’t it. I should’ve been happy. I should’ve been relieved that Hayden was alive, that he was beside me. But instead, I felt… lost.The man sitting beside me had the same face. The same heartbeat. The same soul.But he didn’t know me.And worst of all… he thought I was someone else.Cassie.The name had looped in my head ever since he first whispered it. The way his brows creased in a mix of pain and longing. The way his lips moved, hesitant, like the name itself was so importa
Aiden stood beside me, quiet, his arms crossed as he watched Blake wander the room, his eyes flickering with concern. He hadn’t said a word since we walked in, and I knew why. We were all pretending like this wasn’t the most heartbreaking moment of our lives.“Is Uncle okay now, Mama?” Blake asked, looking up at me with those wide, innocent eyes. He was confused, worried, even. His little brows furrowed in a way that reminded me so much of Hayden when he get’s worried of me. Blake had really caught some of Hayden’s antics.I nodded, kneeling to his height. “He’s better now, baby. But he needs some time.”Without hesitation, Blake trotted toward the hospital bed. His tiny hand reached up, gently patting Hayden’s head. “I’m glad you’re okay now, Uncle.”I held my breath.It should’ve been a beautiful moment. But then… Hayden flinched.His hand rose, slow and uncertain, not aggressive but cautious—like someone touching water for the first time. He took Blake’s hand, examined it with a st
Back at the hospital, the atmosphere felt heavier. Too sterile. Too quiet. It was the kind of silence that I hate. The only things that you you basically hear is the beeping of the monitor.Hayden still hadn’t woken up.I sat next to him in the VIP room where the nurses led me to earlier, my eyes fixed on the bandage wrapped around his head. There were scratches on his face, some bruising on his jaw. But nothing prepared me for the moment I walked in and saw him lying there, still, pale, tubes hooked to him.The nurse had said his condition was stable, but that word barely gave me comfort.Stable meant alive. Not okay.“Ms.?” A nurse peeked in. “Do you need anything?”I shook my head. “Thank you.”I asked Aiden to go home first to take care of Blake. So it was just me and Hayden right now. We have also notified their parents and Auntie almost fainted at the news and had to be taken to the hospital. Uncle said they’ll arrive tomorrow since they were o
I was expecting him to yell. To meet fire with fire, like he always did. But Dominic just stared at me, his expression unreadable.And his stillness made me even more angrier. My hands were still slightly trembling from the slap, and my heart was pounding in my chest. But then I saw something unexpected, his eyes… it wasn’t filled with rage. They looked… concerned. And tired.He took a step forward. “Why are you crying?”I blinked, feeling the heat of my tears finally streaming down. I didn’t even realize I was crying until he said it. My throat was dry, and my chest hurt, but I wasn’t about to let him touch me—much less see me like this.When his hand reached up to wipe my face, I slapped it away. Hard.“Don’t touch me,” I said through clenched teeth. My voice cracked, but I didn’t back down.To my surprise, he didn’t push it. He actually pulled his hand back and… obeyed me. That was the scariest part. The calm before whatever twisted storm he had plann
My heels echoed through the hospital loudly. I didn’t care if people were staring. My heart was racing so loud it practically drowned out the sound of my steps anyway. I followed the nurse, my eyes trained on the walls but my mind all over the place.Please be okay. Please, Hayden, be okay.“He’s in this room, ma’am,” the nurse said, stopping in front of a door. She looked at me with a bit of sympathy in her eyes. “His condition has stabilized. It was a road accident—some reckless driver at an intersection. We’re still waiting for the official report.”Road accident?My breath caught in my throat as I stepped into the room.There he was.His head was wrapped in white gauze, a few cuts lining his forehead. His lip was split on one side. He had an IV in his hand and an oxygen clip on his finger. He looked... pale…and till. Too still for someone who never stops moving.My knees buckled slightly, and I had to grip the side of the door to stop myself from fall
I walked into the office that morning with a spring in my step and a smile that just wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t just a good day, it felt like the world was finally spinning the right way for me again. After everything, I was finally happy.“Good Morning Miss,” one of the interns beamed as I passed by.“Morning!” I chirped back, offering a quick wave. My heels clicked against the marble tiles like music. People nodded, smiled, even I feel like they were probably a little surprised by how bright I was glowing today. But I didn’t care. Let them wonder.But the moment I pushed the door open to my office, the smile on my face quickly drained away.Dominic was already inside with his arms crossed, pacing like he had every right to be in my space. My hand was still on the doorknob, and I’m not even sure if I should make my presence known, already seeing a huge argument coming my way.“Seriously?” I finally muttered, shutting the door behind me and rubbing my templ
We were on our way home after unintentionally spending the night outside. I glanced down at my hand, the ring on my finger glistening even in the soft daylight.I looked down at my hand, at the ring that now sat on my finger. It was simple but beautiful. A smooth white gold band with a single diamond in the middle. But what really got me was the engraving on the inside. “My first and last”It was so Hayden. Refined, meaningful, and intentional. “My fiancée’s staring at her hand a lot,” Hayden’s voice broke through my thoughts.I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide the smile playing on my lips. “I mean, it’s so pretty. Who wouldn’t stare?”Hayden smirked. “Should I get jealous of the ring?”I turned my hand slightly, admiring the way the sunlight made it shimmer. “Mmm. Maybe.”He scoffed, reaching over to take my left hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a brief, lingering kiss. “There. Now it’s touched by me. That should make it hundred times better.”