Lovewrites の小説

Lina woke up to the sound of her bedroom door locking from the outside.She bolted upright, heart slamming against her ribs. “Adrian? Open the door!”No answer.She jumped out of bed and yanked the handle. It didn’t budge.“Adrian!” She banged on the door with both fists. “This isn’t funny. Let me out right now!”Footsteps approached. The lock clicked.Adrian stood in the doorway, calm as ever in a black shirt, sleeves rolled up. “You’re awake.”Lina pushed past him into the hallway. “You locked me in? Like I’m a prisoner?”Adrian closed the door behind her. “Yes. After your ex showed up at the event last night, I can’t trust you to stay put. You’re not leaving the penthouse today. No hospital. No phone. No exceptions.”Lina spun around, eyes blazing. “You can’t do this! My brother’s treatment starts in two days. He needs me there.”Adrian walked toward the dining table like the conversation was already over. “He needs the money from this contract. And right now, you’re the biggest th

Lina stood beside Adrian under the bright lights of the grand ballroom, the charity auction in full swing. The emerald dress felt like armor tonight beautiful but heavy.Adrian’s hand stayed firmly on her lower back as they moved through the crowd. “Remember, the trustees are here. One mistake and they report back. Smile like you mean it.”Lina forced the smile. “I’m smiling. See?”They had barely made it to their table when she saw him — Ethan, standing near the back of the room in a borrowed suit, eyes locked on her.Her stomach dropped. “Adrian…”He followed her gaze and went rigid. “He’s here. Your ex has the nerve to show up at my event.”Before Lina could respond, Ethan started walking toward them. Adrian’s grip on her waist became iron.“Stay calm,” he hissed. “If he causes a scene, it’s over for you.”Ethan stopped a few feet away, ignoring Adrian completely. “Lina. You look trapped. Just say the word and I’ll get you out of here right now.”Lina’s voice shook. “Ethan, please

Lina was in the middle of a quiet lunch alone in the penthouse when the front desk called up.“Mrs. Korr, there’s a gentleman here asking for you. He says he’s an old friend. Ethan? Should I send him up?”Lina’s fork froze halfway to her mouth. “No. Don’t. I’ll come down.”She hung up fast, heart slamming against her ribs. Adrian was in a meeting across town. This was her only window.She grabbed her bag and took the private elevator down, pulse racing the whole way.Ethan was waiting in the lobby, looking exactly as she remembered ,messy hair, paint-stained jacket, that familiar worried expression.“Lina,” he breathed, stepping forward. “God, you look… different. Are you okay? I’ve been texting you for weeks.”She kept distance between them. “You can’t be here. If Adrian finds out..”“I don’t care about him,” Ethan cut in. “I care about you. This whole marriage thing… it’s not you. Let me help you get out. I can take you to your brother right now. We can figure something out.”Lina’s

Lina stood beside Adrian on the rooftop terrace of the luxury hotel, city lights sparkling below them. The private cocktail party for inheritance stakeholders was in full swing, laughter and clinking glasses filling the cool night air.Adrian’s hand rested possessively on her waist as he introduced her to yet another group of suited men. “This is my wife, Lina.”She smiled the practiced smile she’d perfected over the past weeks. “Nice to meet you all.”One of the older men, Mr. Whitaker, studied her with sharp eyes. “So, Lina, how does it feel being married to one of the most eligible bachelors in the city? Must be quite the adjustment.”Lina leaned slightly into Adrian’s side like they’d rehearsed. “It’s been wonderful. Adrian’s been very attentive.”Adrian’s fingers pressed firmer against her waist a silent warning. She was doing fine, but he wanted more.The man chuckled. “Attentive? That’s new. Adrian has always been more… focused on business.”Before Lina could respond, her phon

Lina was adjusting her earring in front of the mirror when Adrian appeared in the doorway, already dressed for the evening fundraiser.“Turn around,” he said.She turned. The emerald green dress Sophia had chosen hugged her figure perfectly.Adrian studied her for a long moment. “It’ll do. But tonight is important. Two of the inheritance trustees will be there. You need to be flawless.”Lina met his eyes in the mirror. “Flawless. Got it. Smile, stay close, short answers, pretend I’m madly in love with you.”Adrian stepped closer, voice low. “Not pretend. Sell it. If they sense any tension, they’ll report back. One bad impression and the lawyers could delay everything.”Lina’s stomach twisted. “I know the stakes.”They rode to the event in silence. The moment they stepped onto the red carpet, Adrian’s hand settled possessively on her lower back. Cameras flashed.“Smile like you mean it,” he whispered, lips brushing her ear.Lina turned to him with the brightest smile she could manage a

Lina was halfway through making coffee in the kitchen when Adrian walked in, still in his suit from the day.“Put the cup down,” he said. “We need to talk.”She set it down slowly. “What now? Another rule I broke without knowing?”Adrian placed his phone on the counter between them. The screen showed a list of deleted messages — all from Ethan.“I had my assistant recover what you deleted,” he said flatly. “An ex-boyfriend. Multiple messages. Some quite personal. You told me it was ‘nothing.’”Lina’s face went pale. “You went through my phone?”“I own the contract that owns your time,” Adrian replied, voice cold. “And right now, your secrets are becoming a problem. Read the last message he sent.”Lina didn’t touch the phone. “I already know what it says.”Adrian read it out loud anyway. “ ‘Lina, if you’re trapped, I can help you leave. Just say the word. I still love you.’ ”He put the phone down. “Explain.”Lina’s hands trembled. “There’s nothing to explain. I never replied. I delete

Maya stepped off the train into air that smelled like home. Not London. Not the flat. Not the cafe with the woman who knew her order. This was different. This was Crestview. The platform was the same. The benches were the same. The light filtering through the glass ceiling was the same. She hadn't been here in two years. Her suitcase wheels caught on the cracks. She didn't care. She walked through the station, past the ticket booth, past the coffee shop where she used to buy tea, out into the parking lot where Jess was waiting. Jess was leaning against her car, arms crossed, sunglasses on. She pushed off when she saw Maya. "You're late." "The train was late." "Same thing." Maya dropped her suitcase. Jess pulled her into a hug. Held on. Neither of them spoke. Then Jess pulled back. "You look different." "Different how?" "I don't know. Like you figured something out." Maya looked at the campus in the distance. The buildings. The trees. The place where she'd learned to stop

Maya woke Saturday morning to gray light and the sound of rain. She lay still, listening. The drops were steady. Today was the last day. Tomorrow, she would leave. Her phone buzzed. David: Same spot. Noon. Bring the book. She sat up. The floor was cold. She pulled on socks. The book was on her nightstand. David's copy. The margins filled with his handwriting. She'd read it again last night. His notes. His thoughts. The things he'd underlined. She picked it up. Held it in her hands. Her phone buzzed again. Idris: You awake? Yeah. What are you doing today? Meeting David. For the last time. Are you going to say goodbye? She looked at the book. The worn cover. I don't know. That's what you always say. Because it's always true. --- At 10, she walked to the cafe. The bell rang. The woman behind the counter looked up. "You're early." "I have plans." The woman poured tea. Set it on the counter. "The guy with the hat?" Maya wrapped her hands around the cup. "The guy wit

Maya woke Friday morning to sunlight and the sound of her phone buzzing. She reached for it without opening her eyes. David's name. Same spot. Noon. Bring yourself. She sat up. The floor was cold. She pulled on socks. Her phone buzzed again. Idris: You awake? Yeah. What are you doing today? Meeting David. For the last time. Last time? I leave next week. He knows. What are you going to say to him? She looked at the window. The sun was bright. I don't know. That's what you always say. Because it's always true. --- At 10, she walked to the cafe. The bell rang. The woman behind the counter looked up. "You're early." "I have plans." The woman poured tea. Set it on the counter. "The guy with the hat?" Maya wrapped her hands around the cup. "The guy with the hat." "What are you going to say to him?" Maya looked at the window. The street outside. "I don't know." The woman picked up a cloth. "You'll figure it out." --- At noon, Maya walked to the fountain. The cou

Maya woke Thursday morning to gray light and the sound of rain. She lay still, listening. The drops were steady. She'd stopped counting the days. She'd stopped counting the weeks. Time had become something she moved through instead of something she tracked. Her phone buzzed. David: Same spot. Noon. Bring something. She sat up. The floor was cold. She didn't bother with socks. She looked at the shelf. The photo was still on the wall. She'd brought that last time. She couldn't bring it again. She looked at the books. Hers. His. She'd already shared those too. She looked at the lamp. The desk. The chair. Nothing felt right. Her phone buzzed again. Idris: You awake? Yeah. What are you doing today? David asked me to bring something. I don't know what. You have a whole flat. Pick something. I already brought the photo. I already brought the books. Then bring something else. She stood. Walked to the window. The street below was wet. A woman with an umbrella. A bus splashing

Maya woke Thursday morning to gray light and the sound of rain. She lay still, listening. The drops were steady. She'd stopped counting the days. She'd stopped counting the weeks. Time had become something she moved through instead of something she tracked. Her phone buzzed. David: Same spot. Noon. Bring something. She sat up. The floor was cold. She didn't bother with socks. She looked at the shelf. The photo was still on the wall. She'd brought that last time. She couldn't bring it again. She looked at the books. Hers. His. She'd already shared those too. She looked at the lamp. The desk. The chair. Nothing felt right. Her phone buzzed again. Idris: You awake? Yeah. What are you doing today? David asked me to bring something. I don't know what. You have a whole flat. Pick something. I already brought the photo. I already brought the books. Then bring something else. She stood. Walked to the window. The street below was wet. A woman with an umbrella. A bus splashing

Maya woke Wednesday morning to sunlight and the sound of her phone ringing. She grabbed it without looking. Idris's name. "You're calling early," she said. "It's noon here. You're the one who's sleeping late." She sat up. The floor was cold. She pulled on socks. "What time is it?" "9 there. You never sleep past 8." She looked at the window. Sunlight. "I was up late." "Doing what?" "Sitting in the dark. David called." Idris was quiet for a moment. "What did he want?" "He wanted to know if I was okay." "What did you say?" She thought about the dark room. The phone in her hand. The way she'd answered without thinking. "I said I think so." "That's not an answer." "It's the only one I have." --- At 10, she walked to the cafe. The bell rang. The woman behind the counter poured tea without asking. "You're on time," the woman said. "I have nothing to do." The woman set the cup down. "That's not true." Maya wrapped her hands around the warmth. "What do you mean?" The wo