Nobela ni Rikki

THRID PERSON POINT OF VIEW The hallway was silent. Dim. Too dim. Not a single maid. Not the usual quiet footsteps. Nothing. It felt like the entire house was holding its breath. Karline walked forward, each step heavier than the last. When she reached the main living area, she froze. Reid was sitting on the sofa. He wasn’t on his phone. He wasn’t working. He wasn’t distracted. He was just… sitting. Waiting. His posture relaxed but his eyes sharp and fixed on her. Her breath hitched. “Karline,” he said, his voice deep, quiet, unmistakably controlled. She swallowed, her pulse pounding loud in her ears. Reid stood up slowly, his tall frame emerging from the shadows of the dim room. He didn’t say anything for a moment, just looked at her, his gaze unreadable. Then he spoke again, softer this time. “Come,” he said, nodding toward the dining room. “Dinner.” She couldn’t refuse, she had no strength for another argument, and no right to start o

THRID PERSON POINT OF VIEW Karline stepped inside the room quietly, clutching her bag strap. Her breath hitched when she saw Reid. He stood near his wardrobe, bare-armed, pulling a black T-shirt over his head. The fabric stretched across his shoulders as he tugged it down, the muscles on his back shifting under his skin. He turned looking at her and adjusting his cloth. “You’re early,” he said, brows pulling together. “I told you nine at night” Karline lowered her eyes. “I ..I..umm didn’t… want people to look suspicious,” she murmured. Reid stared at her for a moment longer, his gaze unreadable. Then he exhaled and nodded. “Fine.” She swallowed hard, gripping her bag tighter. “Where… where should I stay?” “The guest room,” he said simply, perfuming himself on his neck. He didn’t move closer, but his eyes lingered on her longer than necessary. “I’ll have someone guide you.” She nodded quickly, as though afraid to stay in the same room with him for too l

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW SUNDAY MORNINGSunlight filtered weakly through the thin curtains of Karline’s small room, dust particles sparkling in the air.She stood in front of the mirror, hands trembling slightly as she tried to fix her hair. Her reflection looked pale, eyes tired, lips pressed into a thin line as if trying to keep her fear from spilling out.Today.Sunday.9 PM.Reid’s house.Her chest tightened.She swallowed hard and forced her hands to move, applying a little blush to hide the dullness on her cheeks. Her heart was pounding violently, and her fingers felt ice cold.Every few seconds, she paused, staring at her reflection as if questioning her own existence.You have to do this.For Ethan.For the money.A soft knock came at the door.“Karline?” her mother’s gentle voice called. “Are you awake, honey?”Karline inhaled sharply.“Y..yes, Mama,” she said, clearing her throat. “Come in.”Her mother entered, drying her hands with her apron. Her brows knitted together a

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW Natalie’s lips curled slowly, enjoying the way Reid’s jaw muscles twitched. She wasn’t finished. “I also heard,” she added casually, picking invisible lint off her dress, “that she’s asking money for her boyfriend. Rio.” Reid finally turned fully toward her. His eyes were cold. Too cold. Natalie only smiled brighter, as if she didn’t see the storm building in him. “I mean,” she shrugged lightly, “she’s such a devoted girlfriend. How sweet, right?” Reid’s fingers tightened on the armrest. Veins appeared on the back of his hand. “Hm. I don’t care,” he replied flatly, but the tension in his tone betrayed him. He absolutely cared. Natalie noticed. Oh, she noticed everything. She leaned closer, as if sharing a secret. “They say… the amount she’s looking for is one hundred and fifty thousand euros.” Reid’s head snapped up sharply. “One hundred and fifty,” he repeated, voice dropping, eyes darkening. Before Natalie could continue twisting the kni

TWO DAYS AGO NATALIE’S POINT OF VIEW “Um… amm…” A little cough came from my right. I didn’t even need to look to know who it was. I still turned, slowly, and gave him the deadliest glare I could manage. “What?” I snapped. Adrian lifted his brows, acting innocent even though he was the farthest thing from it. “There’s two big news about Karline.” That caught my attention instantly. My hand stopped mid-air, wine glass halfway to my mouth. “…What news?” I asked, trying to sound casual, but even he knew I was interested. He smirked. “Not just like that. What will I get in return?” I rolled my eyes so hard I felt a headache forming. Of course. Adrian and his drama. “I’ll see,” I said. “If the news is actually useful to me, I’ll pay.” “Nope.” He held out his hand like a child waiting for candy. “Give me money.” “Give me the news first.” “Fine.” He sighed dramatically. I just blinked at him, unamused. He leaned closer. “First news…I saw Karline, she s

THRID PERSON POINT OF VIEW The morning light that slipped through the blinds felt too bright for Karline’s eyes. She hadn’t slept all night, not even for a minute. Every time she closed her eyes, those words echoed in her head.Of reid's, of yesterday. By the time she reached the office, her body was there, but her mind was miles away. Her eyes were dull, her face pale, and her steps slow, almost dragging.She sat at her desk, pretending to go through the files, but her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Each tick of the clock sounded louder than before, pressing into her skull until she couldn’t take it anymore.She stood up. Her legs felt heavy, but she forced herself to move. She had to. For Ethan.When she knocked lightly on Reid’s door, her heart was hammering in her chest.“Come in,” his deep voice replied from the other side.Karline opened the door slowly. Reid was sitting at his desk, his attention fixed on his laptop screen. His brows were fur

KIYARA’S POV It’s been a week. A week since everything changed, since me and Raghav decided to get engaged, get married, and finally announce it to the world. We could finally be together. That’s all that mattered, above the whispers, above the dirty politics. Not for me. But for the baby. They still looked at me like a mistake they had to tolerate, only because it was growing inside me. Still… I didn’t mind. Because I had him. My baby. My reason to breathe. I sat by the window, holding the latest ultrasound printout in my hands. My eyes softened as I traced the tiny outline of the little life growing inside me... I can't wait for raghav to show it. I couldn’t stop the tears when the doctor let me hear his heartbeat. So strong. So full of promise. “My jaan… my everything,” I whispered, gently caressing my round belly. “When you come to the world, baby… Mumma’s going to love you so much. And Papa will too. He already does.” A smile broke through my tears. It was all

Natasha's POV I stood by the fire, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, though the heat from the flames was scorching my skin. They didn't see me. Not really. Raghav's world had shrunk down to the fragile girl in his arms-the same girl who had been the shadow between us from the very beginning. And me? I was just... there. Watching. Watching as he carried her in like she was made of glass, as though the rain had been cruel to her, as though the whole universe had wronged her. She's pregnant.. pregnant? God, how many nights had I begged for the same? How many times have I tried reaching out, telling about the future we were supposed to build together? A baby, Raghav. Let's have a baby. Your parents want an heir. The company needs a future. We should... we should try. Every time I said it, his jaw would tighten, his eyes would turn to stone. He never answered. He never touched me. Not once. Not even when everyone expected it, not even when I thought maybe

AT 12 AM It was past midnight. The storm raged outside, its fury relentless. Thunder cracked like whips across the sky, rattling the windows, and lightning sliced through the darkness, flooding the room with harsh, fleeting light. The wind howled like some wounded beast, slamming against the glass, making the walls tremble. But all of it, all the chaos outside, was nothing compared to the storm inside me. I hadn't slept in weeks. Not properly. Not since she disappeared. Kiyara. She had walked away again. Just like she always did when she was hurt. Just like she always did when she wanted to push me away. I had called her. Messaged her. Even shown up at her place. And every time...silence. The pain of her absence had been unbearable, but I told myself I deserved it. I had failed her. Failed us. I was still staring at the glass of whiskey in my hand when it came__ A knock. Loud. Urgent. I stilled, my breath catching. The intercom buzzed, the guard's voi

Vikram's POV (The day of divorce). There are truths Raghav doesn't know. And some part of me wonders if he even deserves to know them. It's not just that Natasha hurt Kiyara in college-no, that's only the surface. There were whispers, little cruelties laced in every smile, a quiet campaign to isolate her until she was nothing but a shadow of herself. I saw the aftermath. I saw her shut herself in her room, lying on her bed, clutching her pillow like it was the only thing holding her together. She never told Raghav. And I always wondered if that was because she was protecting him... or protecting herself from his reaction. But I know one thing-if Raghav had seen what I saw back then, the way Kiyara would stare into the dark, like she was trying to find herself in it... he would have burned the whole world to the ground for her. Or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he wouldn't have. Because here we are, years later, and he's still blind. When she told me she was pregnant... she didn't s

1.5 months later.. (Kiyara’s POV) The nausea had been creeping up on me for weeks, hitting me at the most inconvenient times...during morning lectures, late at night when I was trying to sleep, even in the middle of a goddamn presentation. I had tried to ignore it, pushing through my classes, forcing food down my throat even when my stomach protested. But today? Today was the worst. I barely made it to the bathroom before I collapsed onto my knees, clutching the toilet bowl as I heaved violently. My throat burned as bile filled my mouth, and tears blurred my vision. The sound of the hostel bathroom door creaking open made me tense, but I didn’t have the energy to care. "Fuck," I gasped, gripping the cold ceramic as another wave of nausea hit me. “Kiyara? Are you okay?” I groaned at the sound of my roommate Swara’s voice. God, I did not have the patience for this right now. “I swear, if you ask me that one more time_” My sentence was cut off by another violent retch. Swara sig

NATASHA'S POINT OF VIEW "But you did." My voice was barely audible. "You still are. I am your wife," I cut in, my voice trembling. "We made vows." His gaze hardened. "You know this marriage was never real." I flinched. Even though I had always known our marriage was arranged for business, I had still let myself fall for him. And now, he looked at me like I was just an inconvenience. "I'm not signing them," I said, holding the papers tighter. He exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please, don't make this harder." When he finally spoke again, his voice was tight. "Natasha, please. Just sign them." I laughed, bitter. "You think it's that simple? You break the agreement now and my father's company takes the hit. Years of work gone overnight. Does that even register with you?" He tilted his head, and when he spoke, his voice was low, clipped. "The only thing that registers with me is that I can't hurt my Kiyara anymore." My chest ached. "Do you have any idea