Romane von Shirley South

Bella's POVThe plane doors closed behind us as we settled and the exhaustion finally hit me. It was an emotional exhaustion... the kind that settled deep inside your chest and refused to leave.I leaned back against my seat as the private jet prepared for takeoff, my fingers resting against the armrest while I stared blankly ahead. Across from my husband and I, Miles already had his headphones on, completely absorbed in his phone like the world around him didn’t exist.I envied him.Beside me, Cole adjusted his seatbelt quietly. I could feel him glancing at me every now and then like he wanted to say something.And honestly?I already knew what it was. I just hoped he wouldn’t.The plane slowly began moving.Then finally—“Bella, baby.”There it was.I sighed softly without looking at him.“Yes?”His voice was calm.“Why did you tell Mia that Eric raped you?”I let out a small laugh.Of course, he went straight to it.I turned slightly toward him.“That’s what’s bothering you?”“Yes,

Mia's POVHis lips were still on mine when he suddenly slowed, and the kiss softened. Then he paused, and then he stopped completely.I blinked slightly, still breathless, my fingers curled lightly into the front of his shirt as I looked up at him. Nikolas stared at my face carefully.“What’s wrong?” he asked out of nowhere.I opened my mouth immediately to deny it.“Nothing.”He gave me a look.“Mia.”I sighed softly and looked away. The warmth that had filled the room only moments ago suddenly felt distant, and heavy thoughts came rushing back too quickly.Nikolas gently touched my chin, guiding my face back toward his.“Talk to me, babe.”His voice was soft and patient, and somehow that made it harder because I knew he genuinely cared.I swallowed then exhaled shakily.“A lot happened before graduation,” I admitted quietly.His expression softened instantly.“Okay, sweetie... what happened?”For a moment, I didn’t know where to begin. How did someone even start a conversation like

Mia's POVI couldn’t look away. I didn’t even realize I was staring until it was too late.Eric stood there, not too far from Alan, dressed just as formally as everyone else, but there was something about him that stood out, maybe it was because I knew now.. knew what he really was and knew what he had done.My chest tightened, my fingers curling slightly around the bouquet in my hand. And then he looked up, straight at me, and our eyes locked. Then for a second, everything around me faded.The noise, the laughter, and the celebration were all gone. It was just him and me.His expression didn’t change much, but then, he raised his hand and gave me a small wave like nothing was wrong and like everything was normal.My stomach turned.I rolled my eyes immediately and looked away, forcing my attention back to Nikolas, who was still speaking with my parents like nothing had just happened.I exhaled quietly, trying to calm myself down, reminding myself to just focus.“Mia?”I blinked.My m

Mia's POVThe moment I stepped off the stage, everything became noise to me with the loud applause, cheers and people's voices calling my name. It all blended into something overwhelming. I barely remembered walking back to my seat because my mind was still stuck on that moment with my diploma in my hand, coupled with the feeling of finally being done.When the ceremony ended, the crowd slowly began to disperse as students rushed toward their families, and families rushed toward their students and just like that, the formal atmosphere dissolved into laughter, hugs, and celebration.I didn’t wait because the moment I spotted my family, I ran.“Mom!”She turned just in time before I threw my arms around her.“Oh my baby,” she said, holding me tightly. “You did it.”“I did,” I laughed softly, my voice a little shaky.My dad pulled me into a hug next.“I’m super proud of you,” he said.“Thank you, thank you,” I whispered.Miles was next. He hugged me quickly but it was tighter than usual.

Mia's POVThe morning of my graduation, and it felt so unreal. But here I was sitting in my family’s private jet, thousands of feet above the ground, on my way to California to receive my degree.I stared out the window, watching the clouds drift by in soft, endless waves which was the complete opposite of what I felt inside.“You’re doing it again, Mia.”I blinked.“What?”“That thing where you stare into space like you’re in a dramatic movie scene,” Miles said from across me.I turned to look at him.“I’m not doing anything.”“You are,” he said, grinning. “You’ve been like that for the past ten minutes. It’s weird.”I rolled my eyes.“Well, maybe I’m just thinking.”“Okay? Thinking about what?” he asked, leaning forward slightly. “Your emotional speech when you get your diploma?”I scoffed.“I’m not giving a speech.”“You should,” he said. “Make it really long. Like, painfully long.”“Why would I do that?”“So I can fall asleep in the audience,” he replied.I grabbed the nearest pil

Mia's POVMy mom's fingers were tightening around my dad’s hand, then slowly she turned to me, and her eyes were softer now.“Mia…” she said quietly.I swallowed.“Yes?”She took a step closer, her voice trembling just slightly.“No matter what you hear tonight,” she said, “I need you to remember something.”I frowned.“What?”“That everything I did…” she continued, her gaze locking with mine, “I did it with your best interest at heart.”My chest tightened and for a second, I didn’t know what to say because whatever this was, it was big.I could feel it.“I know,” I said softly.And I meant it because even with all the frustration, all the anger, all the confusion, I still trusted her.She nodded slowly then she glanced at my dad and he squeezed her hand gently like he was telling her it was okay.“Sit,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from them.I didn’t argue. I walked over and sat down, my hands resting on my lap as I watched them both move to sit on the bed with their hand

We pulled away from the kiss just to catch our breath for a few seconds."You've often told me about the awesome blowjobs you gave your boyfriends. And if I remember right, you've only bragged to me about them, but never offered to give me one," he muttered. "That pisses me off a lot.""I always knew you were jealous of the guys I dated." I bit my lips.He stood and dropped his pants, then sat back with his legs spread open a bit as he rubbed his hard wood. "Prove to me how good you are."I got on my knees in front of him. Then I ran my hand up his leg, feeling him shudder as his cock stiffened even more. My hand gripped him tightly. His wood was bigger than any cock I've held, and believe me, I've held a lot of cocks.I began stroking him, pumping him. Derek closed his eyes as my warm hands gripped his cock. Soon, I coated it with my saliva. My tongue ran over the shaft, leaving not one spot dry. I covered the tip and sucked gently, taking in more, and kept a vacuum-like hold on him,

The weight of my body pressed against him was so hot. His breath brushed my skin, and the softness of his touch sent chills running down my spine. My heart was begging for distance, but my body had already made its choice.His hand rested on my face as he tilted my chin upwards. His eyes were locked on my mouth while he traced the corner of my lips with his thumb. Our breaths tangled in the narrow space between us. Our faces drifted closer until our lips hovered just a breath apart.But then he stopped, and that pause burned more than any kiss ever could.The air in my living room felt very heavy, and for a second, I thought I could hear my own heartbeat echo off the walls. Derek’s hand was still at my waist, his breath warm at the base of my neck, but his eyes had changed. He wasn't looking at me with hunger anymore. He was looking at me with uncertainty. And I understood why.He stepped back first, breaking us apart.“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly. "I'm sorry."“You d

Later that day, after I returned home from work. I sat on my couch for what felt like hours, thinking about whether I should give in to the dangerous pull towards Derek. I was caught up between sense and temptation.This was all new to me. Something about the way he is now just makes me want to have him, and not in the same way we were years ago. I reached out, grabbing my phone from the coffee table beside me. I unlocked it and went straight to my mail. My fingers hovered over his contact number as I hesitated to copy it.I thought to myself how silly it was. How totally ridiculous it was to feed more attention to what's happening. And yet... the thought of him still being drawn to me, the thought of me still having that kind of hold over him felt dangerously and deliciously intoxicating.Later that night, after pacing around for what felt like forever, I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and exhaled softly. Then I whispered to myself."Fuck it, I'm calling him."I tapped on his

"You remember me?" I asked in a soft voice, unsure if I actually heard him say my name.He scoffed. "There's not a machine in this world that will be able to wipe you out of my head," he smiled, pressing me even harder against him that it felt like our bodies were merging as one. "You're unforgettable, Elsa."I immediately threw my arms around him, hugging him back. After a while, we pulled apart slowly, reluctant to let each other go, but we had to. I couldn't risk letting anyone see me with a bride's husband in that manner.I smoothed down my dress. "Okay, so if you actually remembered me, why then did you not say anything back there? You just walked past me like I was a statue," I asked, playfully frowning at him."I apologize for making you feel that way, Elsa. It was not my intention," he pleaded. "I really didn't think I'd meet you here at all. It was so unexpected that when I saw you, I didn't know what to do. I needed time to process everything so I could react properly withou

My stepmother loved watching me have sex. Whenever I had my boyfriend around, she would stand outside, peeking through the slightly opened door, watching me and my then partner make love.I always thought it was some kind of fantasy of hers to watch her stepdaughter. But it was something else.Years ago, after the death of my father, I was basically turned into Cinderella. The classic 'daughter turned into a slave in her own father's house'. My stepmother was jealous of me. She hated how beautiful I was and the attention I got from guys back then... it was humiliating.After a while, I got fed up with it, and because my father was dead and I was nineteen, I had no one to stand up for me. No one but Derek.Back then, he was a guy who lived next door. Your typical silent, mysterious, but sweet guy that every girl in the area drooled over. I just didn't see what they were thirsting for about him, but whatever it was sure made a lot of girls go crazy.One evening, he approached me, and th