FAITHThe clink of silverware and the soft murmur of voices filled the room as I sat at the breakfast table, nibbling on my toast. I had gotten used to these family meals now. At first, I was nervous, unsure of how I would fit in with Blaze's family, but they had welcomed me without hesitation.Jessica's enthusiasm was infectious, and even though she sometimes hovered over her son a little too much, I could tell it was all out of love."So, Faith, how's your project going?" Jessica asked, her voice bubbly as usual. She leaned over the table, practically bouncing in her seat as she awaited my answer.I smiled, wiping a crumb off the edge of my lip. "It's going well, actually. It's been a lot of work, but I'm almost done with it.""That's wonderful!" she said, practically glowing. "But don’t stress much, it’s not good for the baby." I nodded. I could feel the warmth in the room, and it made me feel more at ease. Their family dynamic was different, but it was comforting in its own way.
FAITHShe was standing a few feet away, glaring at me with so much intensity it felt like a physical force. Her eyes were sharp with fury, her lips twisted into a snarl."You!" she spat, taking a few steps forward, her hands balling into fists. “Because of you, I lost everything! Everything!”My stomach sank. I tried to stay calm, but the way she was looking at me made something cold and heavy settle in my chest.“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel a knot of anxiety tightening in my throat.Reagan didn’t answer me, though. She was practically vibrating with rage. “You set me up, Faith! You took everything I had and threw it in my face. You don’t deserve to be with him.”I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, she lunged toward me, her hand reaching for my hair. I flinched, but before she could make contact, Austin stepped in between us, grabbing her wrist with surprising force.“Reagan, enough,” Austin growled, his vo
FAITHI couldn't stop thinking about Blaze’s birthday. The idea of making it special for him lingered in my mind, like a quiet buzz that wouldn’t let me focus on anything else. What would he even like? He didn’t seem the type to appreciate a grand gesture or a surprise party, not like the way Jessica always tried to push him into celebrating.I needed to know more about him. I needed to figure out what would make him happy, even if he didn’t admit it. And that meant getting closer to him, observing him—without raising his suspicions.It was tricky, though. Blaze wasn't the type of person you could just casually observe without him noticing. But then again, who said I couldn’t have a little fun with this? Maybe I could sneak a peek into his world, into the things he liked, by simply sticking around more.And so, later that night, I found myself walking down the corridor toward his study. It was quiet, the house mostly asleep, the only sound being the soft tapping of my footsteps ag
FAITHBlaze paused for a moment, clearly thinking it through before responding with a softness I hadn’t quite expected. “Soft music. Jazz. Or something mellow.”I nodded, feeling pleased with myself. Soft music. That was another piece of the puzzle.“Okay, next question,” Blaze said, now sounding a little more into the game than before. “What’s the one food you can’t stand?”I didn’t hesitate. “Seafood. I can’t even look at it without feeling grossed out.”Blaze’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s a shame. I thought you might like it. ”“Nope, definitely not,” I said with a shudder. “I mean, I’m okay with Italian seafood dishes, but that’s pushing it. Fish? No thanks.”“Fun fact: I dislike it too.” Blaze chuckled softly, and for a second, it felt like we were just two people having a normal conversation, no corporate walls or icy barriers between us.“Your turn,” he said, the game starting to feel more natural now.I leaned back, considering my next question. “Alright, if you
FAITHThe whole morning passed in a haze. Hillary's words lingered in my mind like a dark storm cloud that refused to dissipate. Blaze’s life still revolves around her. Every time I thought about it, my chest felt tight, like there wasn’t enough air in the room.How could I have been so blind? I had let myself get swept up in this fantasy where I thought Blaze and I had something special, something real. But maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe I was just someone he tolerated, a distraction from the pain of his past.The plans I’d made for Blaze’s birthday—the excitement, the effort—now felt like a cruel joke. Was I just forcing my way into a place where I didn’t belong? Hillary’s words gnawed at my thoughts like an echo I couldn’t silence.He still feels for his first love.No matter how hard I tried to push the thought aside, it kept creeping back, wrapping itself around my heart and squeezing. The fantasy I had built in my head—the little moments, the laughter we shared—felt fragile now
BLAZEThe rhythmic tapping of my pen against the desk was the only sound in the room.My gaze was fixed on the skyline outside my office window, but my thoughts were far away.Faith.Lately, she’d occupied my mind more than I cared to admit. There was something about her—her energy, her stubbornness, her unshakable resolve—that managed to cut through the monotony of my days.She was unpredictable, and maybe that’s what I liked most.A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.Jared strolled in, his usual air of casual arrogance intact. “You are doing that thing again,” he sai
BLAZEJared rolled his eyes so dramatically that I was tempted to grab the nearest object and throw it at him.“You know,” he began, dragging out his words like a know-it-all, “for someone who claims to have everything under control, you really have no idea how to handle this situation.”I rolled my eyes. “What’s your point, Jared?”“My point,” he said, leaning against the desk, “is that you’re dancing around your feelings. Stop playing games with Faith. You either make an effort or let her go.”“Stop with that attitude,” I said, my voice laced with irritation. “I just don’t want to mislead her or make her fall for me when I can’t promise her a future together.”
BLAZE“Faith!” I shouted, my voice breaking with panic.My feet pounded against the pavement as I bolted toward the van. Faith’s body was limp, the man shoving her inside with a disturbing lack of effort. Every muscle in my body screamed to move faster, to stop them before they could get away.But just as I closed in, someone appeared in front of me.“Watch it!” they snapped as I collided with them, the force sending me sprawling onto the ground.“Get out of my way!” I barked, scrambling to my feet.By the time I regained my balance, the van’s doors slammed shut, and the engine roared to life. My chest ti
FAITHBlaze’s expression flickered for a moment, something unreadable passing through his eyes, but then he quickly schooled his face back into his usual stoic mask. "I’m just concerned for you, okay?"I rolled my eyes, ready to snap back, but he spoke before I could."And if you don’t want to see it as me being a boyfriend," he said, his voice lowering slightly, "then think of it as a fussy father who doesn’t want his children to get hurt."I groaned, throwing my hands up. "You’re impossible."Blaze smirked slightly, opening the car door for me. "Yeah, yeah. Get in."Muttering under my breath, I climbed into the car, and he followed, shutting the door behind him.The ride to the university was filled with our usual back-and-forth, me huffing about how overprotective he was, him insisting that I needed to take better care of myself.When we finally pulled up outside the entrance, I grabbed my bag, reaching for the door handle.But before I stepped out, Blaze spoke, his voice softer th
FAITHThe dining room was quiet that morning. Too quiet.I sat at the long table, trying to eat my breakfast as quickly as I could before heading off to my last midterm exam, but the silence around me was unsettling. The only sound was the soft clinking of silverware against porcelain and Blaze’s voice fussing over me.“Faith, eat more,” he said, nudging my plate slightly toward me. “You barely slept last night. You need energy.”I sighed, taking another bite just to appease him. “I’m eating.”“Not enough,” he muttered, shaking his head before pushing a glass of water toward me. “And drink this. You need to stay hydrated.”I rolled my eyes but grabbed the glass anyway, taking a small sip. He wasn’t going to let me leave until I at least pretended to listen to him.Blaze continued, relentless. “Are you sure you’re ready for your exam? Did you review everything? And you’ll text me when you’re done, right?”“Yes, Blaze,” I sighed, giving him an amused look. “I’m not a child, you know.”
BLAZEI strode through the hallways of the estate, my mind still burning with the conversation I had just left behind. The tension in my body hadn't eased, and every step I took only fueled the frustration simmering in my chest.But right now, none of that mattered.I needed to see Faith.I stopped in front of her room, my fingers curling into a fist as I knocked against the wooden door. “Faith?” My voice was firm but not demanding.Silence.I frowned, waiting a few more seconds before knocking again, this time a little louder. “Faith, are you awake?”
BLAZEThe drive home was long, and my mind never settled. My fingers tapped against my thigh, my thoughts shifting between the past hour and what lay ahead.Faith.I needed to see her. To check on her. To remind myself that she was okay, that she was safe.But as soon as I stepped inside the house, a servant approached me, bowing his head slightly before speaking. “Sir, your grandfather has requested to see you.”I exhaled slowly, my jaw tightening.Of course.I wanted to go to Faith first. I wanted to see her face, to hear her voice, to know that she was doin
BLAZEI stopped in my tracks, my jaw tightening. Slowly, I turned to look at Jared, my frown deepening.“Of course, it was him,” I said, my voice clipped, cold. “Who else would it be?”Jared raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. “Well… you have a long list of enemies, so you never know. It could be anyone.”I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. He wasn’t wrong. Over the years, I had built up a solid list of people who would love nothing more than to see me suffer. Competitors in business, people I
BLAZEThe hallway was dark, the dim glow of the overhead lights barely casting enough illumination to cut through the shadows.My footsteps echoed against the cold, tiled floor, steady and unhurried. The air was thick, heavy, humming with tension, each step pulling me deeper into the darkness.I didn’t rush.I wanted to savor this moment.Jared was already waiting for me at the end of the corridor, his expression blank, his stance rigid. His hands were clasped behind his back, his jaw set, but I knew him well enough to catch the slight stiffness in his shoulders—the barely perceptible sign that he was on edge.Good.He should
FAITHJessica’s heels clicked sharply against the hospital floor as she marched toward me, her arms crossed, her face set in a deep scowl. Her usual pristine elegance was overshadowed by anger, her piercing gaze burning into me.I barely had time to process her words before she continued, her tone sharp, cutting.“You put yourself in danger—worse, you put the baby in danger! What kind of reckless, thoughtless behavior is that?” she snapped, her eyes blazing.I blinked, still dizzy, my mind struggling to keep up. “I… I didn’t—”“And for what?” she cut me off. “To go to some unknown restaurant? Without security? Without even
FAITHI woke up to the steady beeping of a monitor and the feeling of something cool pressed against my face. My body felt heavy, my limbs weak, my head pounding as though a thousand hammers were striking against it.I blinked against the harsh fluorescent light, my vision blurry, my throat raw and burning.Where was I?I tried to move, but something was strapped to my face—an oxygen mask. Panic stirred in my chest as I took a shallow, raspy breath, the memory of thick smoke and unbearable heat flashing in my mind.The fire.I inhaled too fast, coughing violently, my ribs aching with each sharp motion. A sharp pain shot through my chest, making me wince.A soft, familiar voice broke through the haze.“Take it easy, Miss. You’re in the hospital.”I turned my head slightly to see a doctor standing beside my bed, his expression calm but serious. He was flipping through a chart, his glasses slightly askew.Hospital.I was alive.I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry, too raw.The do
BLAZEThis was a setup. A fucking trap.For her.My chair scraped against the marble floors as I shot up, my heartbeat slamming against my ribs.Jared, who was still standing nearby, frowned. “Blaze? What’s wrong?”I didn’t answer. I was already moving.Jared cursed under his breath and followed. “Damn it, what’s going on?”I stormed out of the office, my mind spinning, panic clawing up my throat. “Faith—she’s in danger. Someone tricked her into going to La Vigna.”Jared’s face paled. &l