Kylie
I sat by the pool, lost in thought, mulling over the things I had overheard earlier. I didn’t know how I would tell Dad about it; he never listens to me anyway, especially when it comes to matters I deem important.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding.” Atlas’s voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up at him and sighed deeply. I didn’t understand why he kept coming around, especially when he knew I couldn’t reciprocate the feelings he had for me. But he continued to approach me, undeterred.
He took a seat beside me, but I didn’t acknowledge him, too preoccupied with my own thoughts. “Are you really not going to talk to me?” he asked gently.
“Why are you here, Atlas? Haven’t I been clear enough about my feelings toward you? Why do you still want to marry me?” I asked, my voice tinged with frustration. “I know you’re genuine, but we don’t feel the same way about each other,” I added. I didn’t want to avoid him anymore; there was no point. I needed to be honest about how I felt.
“So, that’s why they told me the other day that you didn’t want to go out with me?” he asked, his tone inquisitive. I swallowed hard and averted my gaze.
“You know, Vaness told me the other day that she saw you with another man. She even dragged me to the room where she claimed you had gone, but you weren’t there.” His words made me freeze. I couldn’t believe Vaness would actually say that.
But then again, why was I surprised? She wanted me out of the picture, so of course, she’d do anything to make me look bad in front of everyone.
“Is it true? Were you really with another man that day?” Atlas asked, his voice soft but probing. I hesitated, guilt washing over me as I thought about the secrets I was keeping from him.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “How can you say that when I wasn’t even there?” I replied, my voice calm but my heart racing.
He smiled faintly and looked at me. “But I saw you,” he said, making my heart skip a beat. “When Vaness left, I went to the CCTV room. I know the people who work there. You were in that building, but you just entered the wrong room. When I reviewed the footage, I saw a man enter that room before you did.” His revelation left me speechless.
I didn’t know what to say or how to explain myself. This was exactly what Vaness would use against me.
“Please don’t tell anyone,” I pleaded. The last thing I wanted was for Dad to find out; I’d be in serious trouble.
“Why? Is Uncle going to be mad at you if he finds out?” Atlas asked, his concern evident.
“I just want his love back. Aunt Celeste has been clouding his mind, and even the slightest mistake I make becomes a big deal to him. I don’t even understand why he wants me to marry you when we both know it won’t work,” I confessed.
Atlas nodded, understanding dawning on his face. Rejecting him wasn’t easy for me, knowing I was hurting someone who cared deeply for me. But I knew it was better this way; we’d only end up hurting each other more if we went through with this.
“Don’t worry, I have already deleted the footage. If Vaness tries to find it, she won’t find anything,” Atlas said. I looked at him, stunned by what he had done. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, but at the same time, a pang of sadness hit me.
“Why did you do that? You could have used it to force me into marrying you,” I said, genuinely curious.
He smiled and shook his head. “How could I do that? I love you; why would I want to hurt you?” he replied. His words sent a shiver down my spine, not from fear but from the sincerity in his voice. I couldn’t believe Atlas would do something like that just because he loved me.
He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “I know you’ll never love me back, and I’m not going to force you to. But please, just let me love you in the only way I know how.” His words made my heart ache.
If only I could teach my heart to love Atlas, I would, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t force myself to feel something that wasn’t there. To me, Atlas was a friend—nothing more, nothing less.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s fine. Your secret's safe with me,” he assured me.
He was right. All the secrets I had, he kept them, even back when we were teenagers. Not once had he ever betrayed my trust. And now, even as an adult, he was still protecting me, still keeping my foolish mistakes hidden.
I felt a pang of guilt. I didn’t know how to repay him for everything he had done for me. Atlas was genuine, almost too genuine, to the point where it sometimes annoyed me. There were times when he would push himself into my life, trying to get me to notice him, and I’d get irritated. But other times, I found myself craving his attention because he was such a caring person. The problem was, I couldn’t give him back the same kind of care he showed me. I cared for him as a friend, but that was as far as it went. I couldn’t match the affection he had for me.
Days and months passed, and Atlas and I spent more time together. He was persistent in courting me, but I kept reminding him that my feelings hadn’t changed since the day he first asked if I felt anything for him.
But as we continued to go out, sometimes on friendly dates, I found myself getting closer to him. Perhaps this was a good thing, getting to know him better. We became even closer, maybe because of the help he gave me after what happened with Rage.
As we grew closer, I noticed Vaness’s anger toward me intensifying. I’d lost count of how many times she had tried to set me up to get me in trouble with Dad, but Atlas had always defended me.
“Are you alright? I can’t believe that girl. Is she seriously going to keep doing this?” Atlas asked, frustration lacing his voice. I sighed deeply and shook my head.
“You shouldn’t be surprised. She likes you; that’s why she’s so angry with me. I told her I’d step aside,” I said. Atlas shot me a disapproving look. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, confused.
“You’d really push me toward someone like her? If it’s not you, I’d rather stay single for the rest of my life.” His words made me frown, but I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. I have to admit, Atlas was growing on me more and more each day. Every time he visited, I got to know him better. I felt like I was eating my words because I never expected to like him. I had been so quick to judge him without seeing his true worth.
“What are you talking about? If Uncle hears you, he’ll be mad. Besides, don’t you like Vaness?” I asked, trying not to let my feelings show. I didn’t want him to jump to any conclusions; I needed to be sure of my feelings before I acted on them.
“You’re the one who introduced us. I never liked her, but since you said she was your cousin, I thought I’d be friendly.” I shook my head at his words.
“That’s what she told me. She said that when she saw you, she wanted to get to know you, but she didn’t want to approach you because you weren’t paying attention to her. So she asked for my help.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have helped her. Now it’s hard to get rid of her.” I couldn’t help but laugh at his response.
“I didn’t know she’d turn out like this. If I had known, I wouldn’t have helped,” I said, laughing.
“Anyway, let’s not think about her. Let’s focus on the food I brought. Weren’t you craving this?” he asked, pulling out a container of beef steak. I didn’t know why, but I had been craving his beef steak for days.
He handed me the food he had prepared, and I took it close to my nose, wanting to savor the aroma of Atlas’s cooking. But as soon as the smell hit me, my stomach churned, and I had to rush to the sink to throw up.
I didn’t understand why I reacted that way, but the smell of his beef steak had turned my stomach.
“Are you alright? Why did you throw up? Is something wrong?” Atlas asked, his voice full of concern. I took a deep breath and shook my head.
“No, it’s just that the smell of your beef steak was off. What did you put in it?” I asked.
“The usual. I didn’t add anything new,” he replied, sounding worried.
A wave of anxiety washed over me. I was feeling a bit dizzy and slightly nauseous.
“Hey, I think we should go to the hospital. It’s better to find out why you’re feeling this way,” Atlas suggested, his voice laced with concern. The thought of going to the hospital made me nervous. I wasn’t seriously ill, so why was I feeling like this?
Kylie We went to the hospital just as Atlas suggested. I was starting to feel better, so I told him we didn't need to go, but his concern was overwhelming, so we continued. While waiting for the results in one of the rooms, I was startled when the door suddenly opened and my father walked in, accompanied by my aunt.My heart skipped a beat. What were they doing here? We hadn't informed them that Atlas and I were at the hospital, so how did they find out?“Dad, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the office?” I asked, trying to mask the anxiety in my voice.“We came home early, and the maids told us you and Atlas came here. What happened?” His voice was laced with worry. I didn’t expect him to be this concerned about me.“Nothing yet, uncle. We’re still waiting for Kylie’s results,” Atlas responded, and my father nodded, though the concern in his eyes didn’t waver.“You didn’t need to come here. We can handle this on our own. It’s better if you wait for us outside. It’s emb
KylieWe were standing before them—Dad, Aunt Celeste, and now Vaness—facing the inevitable. My heart raced as I saw the expression on their faces. They could sense that something was off, and I could feel the weight of what was about to happen.I wanted to stop Atlas. This wasn’t his responsibility. He didn’t need to carry this burden, yet the determination in his eyes was undeniable. He wanted this—to stand by my side, even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness and freedom. The sadness that washed over me was suffocating. He was willing to give up so much to form a family, just to help me."What do you have to say?" Dad’s voice was sharp, demanding. His gaze, more intense than I had ever felt, made the air between us heavy.The tension in the room thickened further when Vaness arrived. She looked at us, her face hard with confusion and suspicion.“What’s going on here, Aunt?” I heard her ask Aunt Celeste.“Well, they’ve been standing there for a while, but still, nothing’s come o
Kylie Once we reached my room, Atlas shut the door behind us, and the silence between us grew louder. I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands trembling as I rested them on my lap. He knelt down in front of me, his hands resting on my knees, his warm touch grounding me."Kylie," he began, his voice low and steady. "We need to talk about what just happened."I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Atlas, I’m sorry," I whispered. "I never meant for any of this to happen. You shouldn’t have to deal with this."He sighed, his thumb gently tracing circles on my knee. "I told you, I’ll help you through this. But we need to be careful. Vaness won’t let this go. She’s determined to find out the truth."I swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on me. "You don’t have to keep pretending, Atlas," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t want you to suffer because of me. I never should’ve dragged you into this."He lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were f
Kylie The air was different in New York. Colder, sharper. The moment I stepped off the plane, the city’s unfamiliar sounds washed over me like a wave—horns blaring, people talking in hurried voices, and the constant hum of life moving at a relentless pace. It was nothing like home.But that was the point.I clutched my suitcase tightly, my heart pounding in my chest. This was my new life now, far away from the drama and tension that had defined everything back home. Far away from the cold judgment of my father and the scheming eyes of Celeste and Vaness. Here, I was just Kylie. Not the daughter of a wealthy businessman, not the woman caught in a web of lies. Just me.My grandmother was waiting for me at the airport, her face lighting up as soon as she saw me. Her gray hair was pulled into a neat bun, and she wore the same kind of warm, practical clothes I remembered from
KylieI could taste every drop of alcohol as it flowed down my throat while everyone around me cheered in delight. I didn't know why I was doing this, but one thing was certain—I wanted to escape. I wanted to break free from the pain weighing down my heart. I was tired of sulking in a corner, but I also didn't know how to face all of this. It hurt me to see myself suffering, but it seemed like I had no other choice but to flee from reality."Drink more, Kylie!" shouted Vaness, my cousin, with a teasing and mocking tone. She wasn't my real cousin, but she was the closest relative I had in our new family setup. I grabbed another glass and downed it, hoping that every drop of alcohol would wash away the wounds in my soul.As the night deepened and the drinks piled up, I felt the pain in my heart slowly fading. But despite my efforts to forget everything, the weight of my emotions seemed to grow heavier. I carried every heartache and problem with me as I forced myself to smile. I couldn’t
KylieAfter everything that happened, I stumbled into the bathroom, my body still trembling from the intensity of our encounter. The lingering heat between my thighs and the sheen of sweat covering my skin reminded me of how wild and passionate it had been. I needed to clean myself, to wash away the evidence of our shared hunger. The cool water would help soothe the fever still burning inside me, a fever stoked by alcohol and the relentless desire that seemed impossible to quench.I turned on the shower, letting the cold water rain down on me, hoping it would cool the fire within. The shock of the cold made me shiver, but it was a welcome relief from the heat that had consumed me. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back as the water cascaded over my face, washing away the sweat and the haze of alcohol. For a moment, I let myself drift, trying to reclaim a sense of normalcy after the whirlwind of emotions and sensations that had overtaken me.But just as I began to find some peace, I fe
KylieI woke up to a splitting headache, my body aching from the aftermath of last night. The throbbing pain reminded me of how intense things had gotten. We didn’t just do it once; we went at it multiple times. I turned my head to the side, curious to see who I had spent the night with. That’s when I truly appreciated Rage’s face. Even in sleep, he looked striking—his strong, chiseled features, the sharp bridge of his nose, and his mestizo complexion.It’s ironic how peaceful he looks while sleeping, yet so wild and untamed in bed. I never imagined my first time would be so memorable, and he made sure it was, exceeding all my expectations.I hadn’t anticipated anything happening between us. After all, we don’t love each other. But the way he pleasured me was something I hadn’t expected. He was incredibly skilled, leaving no doubt in my mind that women probably chased after him for more. It’s easy to see why they would—he’s the kind of man you’d crave again and again.I swallowed hard
KylieI don’t know why I’m still here. They won’t ask for my opinion on business matters since Dad knows he won’t get anything useful from me. But I’m here because they want Atlas to marry me for their own selfish reasons.I glance at Vaness, noticing the irritation and frustration etched on her face. I know exactly how much she wants Atlas. I’ve always known this day would come; it’s clear that she’s not genuine in her actions and that envy has always simmered beneath the surface.“Kylie,” Atlas calls my name, pulling me out of my thoughts. I take a deep breath, turning to face him with an expression devoid of any emotion. To me, Atlas is just a friend—nothing more. But that changed when he confessed his feelings for me. Since then, I’ve grown even more distant from him, especially after learning about the arranged marriage.