*MAGO’s POV*"Stop it, Miguel!" my mother's voice pierced through the darkness, sharp and filled with pain. "You're hurting me!"I clamped my small hands over my ears, squeezing my eyes shut. ‘Don't cry’, I told myself. Daddy always said crying was for girls, and I wasn't allowed to cry."Please, I beg you, stop," she whimpered, her voice breaking.It was always like this—Daddy forcing himself on Mommy. Even at six years old, I understood more than I should. But what could I do? I was just a child, powerless against the storm raging in the next room. All I could do was hide in the closet, curled up among the shadows, waiting for the nightmare to end."MAGO," Nana's gentle voice called softly. "You can come out now."I must have fallen asleep, tears drying stiff on my cheeks. As the closet door creaked open, I rubbed my eyes, blinking up at Nana's kind but weary face. She was the only one who knew my hiding place, the only one who cared enough to find me."Where's Mommy?" I whispered,
*MAGO’s POV*“What now? Mago!” Libra’s voice sliced through the air; her frustration sharp enough to make anyone else flinch. “Where on earth are we going to find another wedding singer now?”I sighed, keeping my tone calm, despite the storm of tension brewing around us. “I’ll sing it solo.”“Are you insane?” Libra snapped, barely containing her fury. “The song was written for a duet! I can’t believe she just bailed at the last second. The rehearsal last night was perfect! Why would she do this now?”Marco, always the peacekeeper, stepped in quickly. “Don’t worry, Lib. We’ll figure something out.”“You better fix this!” she barked, stomping her foot, the sound echoing sharply across the room, punctuating her frustration.Marco turned to me, narrowing his eyes. “Seriously, man, you were with her last night. What happened?”I shrugged, keeping my face unreadable. “Nothing. I just dropped her off at her apartment.”Kaz chuckled, shaking his head knowingly. “Yeah, right. ‘Nothing.’ We all
*ARLENE’s POV*I hadn’t been myself for weeks. Not since that night. Not since spending a night in his room, lying awake on his bed while he slept on the sofa across the room. Nothing happened—just silence and distance between us. And yet, that night lingered like a fleeting memory I couldn’t shake. After that, he disappeared, like a ghost, vanishing from my life as quickly as he had entered it.And still, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.Janine and Patricia dragged me to Marco’s brother's wedding, insisting it was the perfect opportunity to see him again. ‘I wasn’t ready—God, I wasn’t ready”. I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready. But here I was, standing on the edge of something I couldn’t name, heart pounding with anticipation and dread." Arlene! Come with me!" Janine grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, right into the heart of the gathering. My breath caught in my throat the second I saw him—MAGO. He stood there like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t just upended my entire wo
*ARLENE’S POV*He had avoided me since our last encounter, disappearing like a shadow in the night, but that didn’t stop me. Maybe it should have. Maybe my heart should have listened to reason. Instead, I chose his bar for my on-the-job training. It was reckless, bordering on foolish, but what else could I do? My heart refused to stop beating for him, no matter how much sense told me to let go. I couldn’t command my mind to stop obsessing over his every move. And no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up whenever I thought about him.Even if the entire world screamed that he was wrong for me, that he would never love me back the way I needed, my heart—stubborn and irrational—still insisted on loving him.“Are you even listening?” The sharp voice of the bartender snapped me back to reality.“H-huh? I-I’m sorry,” I stammered, embarrassed.She gave me a look, somewhere between frustration and amusement. “If you want to survive your first night here,” she said
*MAGO’s POV*My breath caught in my throat when I saw her standing near the counter of my bar, her eyes scanning the room as if she belonged here. ARLENE. Of all places, here—my sanctuary, my downfall. What the hell was she thinking, applying to be my apprentice? She shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t have kissed her the last time we met. I should’ve known better.But how could I have known? She’s innocent—never been in a relationship, never kissed anyone before me. And now, because of my stupidity, I’ve put her in danger. Not physical danger, no—but something worse. Emotional destruction. I can’t allow her to fall for me. I ruin every woman I touch. They fall, and I drag them down with me. Every. Damn. Time.I’m a cheater. It’s not just some bad habit—it’s in my veins, a twisted inheritance from my mother. I remember my father’s desperate attempts to keep her, as if she were slipping away day by day. He thought getting her pregnant would hold her, would make her stay. But she left anyway
*ARLENE’s POV*I watched them disappear up the stairs to his office, and a wave of bitterness washed over me. What right do I have to stop them? None. He never promised me anything. But why do I feel so betrayed? It’s like a knife twisting inside me, and I hate myself for it.I let out a sigh and forced myself back to work. If he likes those types of women, then fine. I’ll show him I can be the bitchiest bitch he’s ever met. This negativity is eating me alive, and Patricia was right—crying is for the weak. I refuse to shed a single tear. Instead, I’ll play his game and beat him at it.I glanced at Dessa as she prepared her props for a flair bartending exhibition. A wicked idea sparked in my mind. I used to be the best at this—hell, I won the inter-school flairing championship. If I’m going to get close to Mago, I need to remind him just how damn good I am.I stepped up beside Dessa and started prepping my own bottles and glasses. She looked at me, her brow raised, but when she realize
*MAGO’S POV*"Do you know what pisses me off?" she slurred, her eyes narrowing as we stepped into my house. Her voice was laced with a mix of frustration and vulnerability. "I've been trying to catch your attention, but you can’t even flash me a smile. What do those other women have that I don’t?"Before I could respond, she turned, throwing her hands in the air dramatically. "I’m sexy," she said, her voice dripping with irony. "I’m pretty." She pouted, emphasizing her lips. "Don’t I have kissable lips?"I almost laughed at her drunken antics, but the situation was more serious than it seemed. I’d been with many drunk women, and I knew how these nights usually ended. But not this time. Not with her. She’s a virgin, and we’re definitely not ending up in bed tonight.She took a step forward, and her legs wobbled beneath her, making her lose her balance. I instinctively reached out and caught her before she could fall.“Sorry,” she murmured, pressing her face against my chest. “Mmm, you
*ARLENE’s POV*I wake up in a haze, the room spinning slightly as I sit up, groaning at the unfamiliar weight of a shirt—much too big for me—draped over my body. My head pounds as I try to piece together the fragmented memories of last night, but everything's a blur.‘Oh no, no, no!’ I frantically scan the bed, my heart racing, looking for any sign—any telltale mark—that could confirm my worst fear. Nothing.‘But what if it didn’t happen here?’ My mind spirals.‘The car? The living room? The kitchen?’ I pace around, trying to piece together my night.I search my body for any pain or discomfort. My legs feel steady, my body normal, but the doubt lingers.‘Who was I with? What if it was some random guy... or worse, someone old? Ugly? Oh god, what if I’m...’I stop, clutching my hair in horror. ‘Pregnant? No, it couldn’t be. Could it?’Suddenly, a name flashes in