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5. The Deal
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-17 21:22:12I stood on the edge of the rooftop, my heart thudding so hard I wondered if it would give out before I took the final step of jumping off and ending it all. Adrian Montclair’s business card was tightly clutched in my palm, so sharp against my skin that it almost tore into it.
He had left me standing there, his words lingering in my head just like his irresistible perfume mixed with the smoke of his cigar.
“Call me when you’re ready to stop running.”
I hated him for showing up, for making me hesitate because I would have been done by now. However, I hated myself even more for letting his presence keep me from jumping. That was the problem—I was not strong enough to make decisions for myself.
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I looked over the city. Everywhere was filled with bright light as the wind tugged at my hair coldly.
“Why can my life not be bright and beautiful like this? I am the only darkness in the world. Why is my life so sad?” My lips quivered as I broke down totally.
“You don’t know anything about my life, how dare you tell me to stop running?” I had yelled at him. Still, he had seen through me, straight to the pain I tried so hard to bury.
Who was he to judge me? A stranger with a dangerous reputation, a mafia boss who probably broke people like me for breakfast. What did he know about breaking apart piece by piece, day after day?
However, I realized that he recognized my pain because he carried his own.
“I know pain when I see it.” His words had pierced through my anger and despair, leaving a fresh wound birthed from the truth.
I didn’t want to die. I wanted the pain to stop. But how?
I clenched my fist harder till the card crumpled in my grasp. I was about to proceed to jumping when the door behind me creaked, and two familiar voices started talking as they stepped onto the rooftop.
It was Bianca and Lila, my stepsisters. They hadn’t seen me yet because they were too wrapped up in their own conversation, oblivious to my presence as they crossed the rooftop.
“Dad found out about the money,” Bianca said with a smug voice.
“It was locked away in Seraphina’s name. Can you believe her mother did something smart for once?”
Lila snorted. “Too bad Sera’s not smart enough to use it. Not like she’ll be around to access it when she turns twenty-five.” And they both chuckled.
Bianca’s laugh was cruel. “Exactly. And once she’s out of the picture, we can put her into comatose or something worse, we’ll get access. Just need to make sure she has another ‘accident.’”
My blood went cold. I couldn’t believe the extent to which they were willing to hurt me. How could they be so greedy for my inheritance? It was my mother’s last gift, the one thing meant to protect me, and they wanted to steal it by ruining my life even further.
I couldn’t contain my anger anymore. I stepped back from the edge with a racing and determined mind.
They will never win. I will not die. I declared, my right hand cleaning up my teary cheeks.
If I die, they will take everything. No. I couldn’t let that happen, not anymore. I had been pushed and tormented, humiliated and broken, but not defeated, at least, not yet.
My hands shook as I smoothed out the business card. Adrian Montclair had offered me a chance to rebuild, to fight back. In exchange, I’d owe him a favor someday. The idea of owing anyone, especially a man like him, twisted my stomach. But what choice did I have?
I will just shake hands with the devil if it means crushing them, I swore.
I wasn’t going to let them push me off this ledge. I was going to rise, even if it meant stepping into Adrian’s dark world to do it.
Slowly, I dialed the number on the card as my heart raced.
“Adrian? I’m ready to stop running.” I declared with a cold voice.
Kaugnay na kabanata
The Phoenix Contract 6. A New Beginning
Seraphina sat upright in the hospital bed, her fingers curling around the rough fabric of the blanket draped over her lap. The air in the room was filled with tension as Eleanor, Bianca, Lila, and her father loomed over her like a pack of vultures circling their prey. Their faces twisted with irritation, barely concealed behind the thin veneer of forced concern.“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Seraphina,” Eleanor snapped, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “After everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us? Telling us to leave?”She couldn’t accommodate any longer after what she heard on the rooftop. Although she kept wondering where they heard about the fortune from because it was foreign to her, even as the owner. Her father was the only sane option and that got her wondering why he never mentioned it to her.The sense of betrayal was more than she could bear. Their presence irritated her soul to the point it made her retch. They were all planning to steal the la
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-06The Phoenix Contract 7. The Rules of Survival
Seraphina had expected a mansion full of chaos, the kind of place where criminals gathered to plan their next move. But Adrian Montclair’s world was nothing like the crime movies she had seen. His estate wasn’t just a house; it was a fortress, massive and imposing, nestled on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by high walls and security that made escape seem impossible.The first thing she noticed was the silence. Despite its size, the mansion wasn’t filled with the usual liveliness of a home. There were no children running through the halls, no idle chatter. The crew was present but disciplined, moving with purpose, as if every moment had a function. Even the maids who arrived every morning left before nightfall. By sunset, only Adrian’s people remained.Adrian led her inside, his sharp gaze was all over her. The grand entrance boasted a massive chandelier, dripping with crystal, reflecting light across marble floors polished to perfection. A staircase curled up to the second floo
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-13The Phoenix Contract 8. The First Defeat
Seraphina’s fingers trembled slightly as she moved her knight across the board, her heart pounding in her chest. Adrian watched her with a serious expression, his sharp gaze flicking between her face and the board. She held her breath, waiting for his next move.Then, without hesitation, Adrian captured her knight with his bishop. “Pathetic,” he murmured, barely looking up at her. “You hesitate too much. That’s why you’re weak.”She clenched her jaw, refusing to let his words affect her even though she knew he was very right. She studied the board again, trying to think two steps ahead, but her mind was clouded with frustration. When she moved her rook, Adrian sighed and immediately countered with a devastating play.“Tell me, Seraphina,” he said, his voice smooth but sharp as a blade. “Do you plan to continue walking through life hoping people will hand you victories? Because that won’t happen.” He moved another piece, trapping her king. “Check.”She swallowed hard, sweat gathering a
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-20The Phoenix Contract 1. The Invisible Girl
|Sera|They say college is where you find yourself. It’s the place where you’re supposed to grow, bloom, and become someone the world will remember. For me, college wasn’t a garden for growth but a bloody battlefield. And I was the target everyone loved to strike, without mercy at that.I used to believe in things like friendship, loyalty, and kindness. I’d grown up clinging to the hope that if you were good to people, they’d be good to you in return. That hope shattered the day Isla Kensington, my so-called best friend, turned my life into a living hell.We’d met in high school. Back then, she’d been my anchor in a world that often felt too cruel. Isla was everything I wasn’t: confident, energetic, and effortlessly beautiful. She had a laugh that made people stop and stare, and when she walked into a room, it was as if the air shifted to accommodate her presence. I was the quiet one, the girl who melted into the background like a wallpaper. But Isla made me feel seen. She made me fee
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-17The Phoenix Contract 2. A House of Shadows
Life at home wasn’t any better than the torment I faced at college. If anything, it was worse. It was a daily grind of humiliation and neglect that left no room for peace or respite. The grand house on Thornwood Lane, with its ivy-covered walls and sprawling gardens, might have looked picturesque from the outside, but inside, it was a battlefield. And I was the lone soldier, always losing.My stepsisters, Bianca and Lila, were everything I wasn’t: glamorous, confident, and cruel. Bianca, the elder of the two, was a sharp-tongued beauty with an appetite for dominance. She treated me like an unpaid maid, barking orders at me to fetch her coffee, clean her room, or iron her designer clothes. Lila, though younger, was just as vile. She had a talent for cutting remarks, finding ways to humiliate me in front of any guests who visited. “Oh, that’s just Seraphina,” she’d say with a sneer, “our little house help.”Their mother, Eleanor, was the worst of them all. She made no effort to hide her
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-17The Phoenix Contract 3. Adrian Montclair
I’ve always admired Adrian Montclair, though I never expected to meet someone like him in real life. For me, he was just a ghost on a screen, a myth almost too good to be true. A chessboard in his hands was like an extension of his mind. Every of his moves were calculated, deliberate, and unyielding. I would watch videos of his chess matches late into the night, finding solace in the boldness of his moves. I envied that courage, the decisiveness I lacked badly.Adrian’s reputation preceded him. He wasn’t just a chess prodigy and he was a name that carried fear. A mafia boss cloaked in accurate moves, his world was chaos, yet he remained unshaken with all those storms. Stories about him spread through whispers: the man who turned the tides of power in his favor, a leader feared by his enemies and revered by his own. But what fascinated me the most was how untouchable he seemed. Nothing fazed him; nothing broke him. Meanwhile, I felt like I was cracking at the edges every day.People ca
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-17The Phoenix Contract 4. The Breaking Point
I walked into school the next day, my head was hung low and my heart was heavy with fear sprinkled with sadness. I told myself that the comments would fade if I just stayed invisible, like I always had. If I didn’t look at anyone, if I didn’t speak, they’d forget eventually, wouldn’t they? It had worked before. Being invisible had always been my armor, thin as it was.But this time, it didn’t work.Everywhere I turned, there were whispers, muffled giggles, and mocking stares. I caught snatches of their cruel words, each one slicing into me like a knife."Madwoman’s daughter.""Guess insanity runs in the family.""Careful, she might snap any second."By lunch, the whispers turned into open jeers. Isla’s posse made sure of that, they kept fanning the flames she had lit. Even Dane, who once smiled at me like I mattered, joined in. He leaned against a locker, smirking as he said loud enough for everyone to hear, “No wonder she’s such a freak. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the craz
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-17
Pinakabagong kabanata
The Phoenix Contract 8. The First Defeat
Seraphina’s fingers trembled slightly as she moved her knight across the board, her heart pounding in her chest. Adrian watched her with a serious expression, his sharp gaze flicking between her face and the board. She held her breath, waiting for his next move.Then, without hesitation, Adrian captured her knight with his bishop. “Pathetic,” he murmured, barely looking up at her. “You hesitate too much. That’s why you’re weak.”She clenched her jaw, refusing to let his words affect her even though she knew he was very right. She studied the board again, trying to think two steps ahead, but her mind was clouded with frustration. When she moved her rook, Adrian sighed and immediately countered with a devastating play.“Tell me, Seraphina,” he said, his voice smooth but sharp as a blade. “Do you plan to continue walking through life hoping people will hand you victories? Because that won’t happen.” He moved another piece, trapping her king. “Check.”She swallowed hard, sweat gathering a
The Phoenix Contract 7. The Rules of Survival
Seraphina had expected a mansion full of chaos, the kind of place where criminals gathered to plan their next move. But Adrian Montclair’s world was nothing like the crime movies she had seen. His estate wasn’t just a house; it was a fortress, massive and imposing, nestled on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by high walls and security that made escape seem impossible.The first thing she noticed was the silence. Despite its size, the mansion wasn’t filled with the usual liveliness of a home. There were no children running through the halls, no idle chatter. The crew was present but disciplined, moving with purpose, as if every moment had a function. Even the maids who arrived every morning left before nightfall. By sunset, only Adrian’s people remained.Adrian led her inside, his sharp gaze was all over her. The grand entrance boasted a massive chandelier, dripping with crystal, reflecting light across marble floors polished to perfection. A staircase curled up to the second floo
The Phoenix Contract 6. A New Beginning
Seraphina sat upright in the hospital bed, her fingers curling around the rough fabric of the blanket draped over her lap. The air in the room was filled with tension as Eleanor, Bianca, Lila, and her father loomed over her like a pack of vultures circling their prey. Their faces twisted with irritation, barely concealed behind the thin veneer of forced concern.“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Seraphina,” Eleanor snapped, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “After everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us? Telling us to leave?”She couldn’t accommodate any longer after what she heard on the rooftop. Although she kept wondering where they heard about the fortune from because it was foreign to her, even as the owner. Her father was the only sane option and that got her wondering why he never mentioned it to her.The sense of betrayal was more than she could bear. Their presence irritated her soul to the point it made her retch. They were all planning to steal the la
The Phoenix Contract 5. The Deal
I stood on the edge of the rooftop, my heart thudding so hard I wondered if it would give out before I took the final step of jumping off and ending it all. Adrian Montclair’s business card was tightly clutched in my palm, so sharp against my skin that it almost tore into it.He had left me standing there, his words lingering in my head just like his irresistible perfume mixed with the smoke of his cigar.“Call me when you’re ready to stop running.”I hated him for showing up, for making me hesitate because I would have been done by now. However, I hated myself even more for letting his presence keep me from jumping. That was the problem—I was not strong enough to make decisions for myself.Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I looked over the city. Everywhere was filled with bright light as the wind tugged at my hair coldly.“Why can my life not be bright and beautiful like this? I am the only darkness in the world. Why is my life so sad?” My lips quivered as I broke do
The Phoenix Contract 4. The Breaking Point
I walked into school the next day, my head was hung low and my heart was heavy with fear sprinkled with sadness. I told myself that the comments would fade if I just stayed invisible, like I always had. If I didn’t look at anyone, if I didn’t speak, they’d forget eventually, wouldn’t they? It had worked before. Being invisible had always been my armor, thin as it was.But this time, it didn’t work.Everywhere I turned, there were whispers, muffled giggles, and mocking stares. I caught snatches of their cruel words, each one slicing into me like a knife."Madwoman’s daughter.""Guess insanity runs in the family.""Careful, she might snap any second."By lunch, the whispers turned into open jeers. Isla’s posse made sure of that, they kept fanning the flames she had lit. Even Dane, who once smiled at me like I mattered, joined in. He leaned against a locker, smirking as he said loud enough for everyone to hear, “No wonder she’s such a freak. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the craz
The Phoenix Contract 3. Adrian Montclair
I’ve always admired Adrian Montclair, though I never expected to meet someone like him in real life. For me, he was just a ghost on a screen, a myth almost too good to be true. A chessboard in his hands was like an extension of his mind. Every of his moves were calculated, deliberate, and unyielding. I would watch videos of his chess matches late into the night, finding solace in the boldness of his moves. I envied that courage, the decisiveness I lacked badly.Adrian’s reputation preceded him. He wasn’t just a chess prodigy and he was a name that carried fear. A mafia boss cloaked in accurate moves, his world was chaos, yet he remained unshaken with all those storms. Stories about him spread through whispers: the man who turned the tides of power in his favor, a leader feared by his enemies and revered by his own. But what fascinated me the most was how untouchable he seemed. Nothing fazed him; nothing broke him. Meanwhile, I felt like I was cracking at the edges every day.People ca
The Phoenix Contract 2. A House of Shadows
Life at home wasn’t any better than the torment I faced at college. If anything, it was worse. It was a daily grind of humiliation and neglect that left no room for peace or respite. The grand house on Thornwood Lane, with its ivy-covered walls and sprawling gardens, might have looked picturesque from the outside, but inside, it was a battlefield. And I was the lone soldier, always losing.My stepsisters, Bianca and Lila, were everything I wasn’t: glamorous, confident, and cruel. Bianca, the elder of the two, was a sharp-tongued beauty with an appetite for dominance. She treated me like an unpaid maid, barking orders at me to fetch her coffee, clean her room, or iron her designer clothes. Lila, though younger, was just as vile. She had a talent for cutting remarks, finding ways to humiliate me in front of any guests who visited. “Oh, that’s just Seraphina,” she’d say with a sneer, “our little house help.”Their mother, Eleanor, was the worst of them all. She made no effort to hide her
The Phoenix Contract 1. The Invisible Girl
|Sera|They say college is where you find yourself. It’s the place where you’re supposed to grow, bloom, and become someone the world will remember. For me, college wasn’t a garden for growth but a bloody battlefield. And I was the target everyone loved to strike, without mercy at that.I used to believe in things like friendship, loyalty, and kindness. I’d grown up clinging to the hope that if you were good to people, they’d be good to you in return. That hope shattered the day Isla Kensington, my so-called best friend, turned my life into a living hell.We’d met in high school. Back then, she’d been my anchor in a world that often felt too cruel. Isla was everything I wasn’t: confident, energetic, and effortlessly beautiful. She had a laugh that made people stop and stare, and when she walked into a room, it was as if the air shifted to accommodate her presence. I was the quiet one, the girl who melted into the background like a wallpaper. But Isla made me feel seen. She made me fee
