Romans de Mercy Nwokocha

The air in the bedroom was still heavy from our argument. I was still standing by the mirror, my reflection looking back at me with wide, dark eyes. David was standing right behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. His touch was firm, a reminder of who was in charge of the room.He walked over to his desk and picked up the folder again. He opened it and pulled out a fresh, blank sheet of paper. He didn't say a word. He just sat there, waiting for me to join him. I walked over and sat on the floor at his feet, feeling like a dog waiting for a command."You like boundaries, Leo," he said, tapping the paper with his pen. "You like testing them. So, I’m making them permanent."He started writing. He didn't look at me. "Clause forty-two. You will check in with my security team every four hours when you aren't with me. Clause forty-three. You will not attend any social gathering without my written permission. Clause forty-four. You will accept any correction I deem necessary without qu

OversteppingLeo had been in the penthouse for two days. I had kept him hidden away, tucked under expensive sheets and fed well, but he wasn’t himself. He was quiet. He spent most of the time staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the rain hit the glass. The spark he usually had—that defiant, cocky fire—was flickering low. It killed me to see him so subdued.I was still pissed. I was angry at his father for laying a hand on him, and I was still simmering with frustration that Leo had acted so impulsively at that party. He had almost ruined everything for a moment of temper. But seeing him look so small on my sofa made it hard to stay stern.I had retrieved his phone. I won’t say how, but a few calls to the right people at the Hayes estate and the device was back in my possession. I hadn't given it back to him yet. I wanted him to focus on resting, not on the chaos at school.I was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a black coffee, when the phone on the counter buzzed. Then i

The Breaking PointI sat in my office with the lights dimmed, staring at the security footage on my laptop. It was the video everyone was talking about. Leo, my Leo, throwing punches like a man who had nothing left to lose. I had watched it twenty times. I was angry that he had disobeyed me, but seeing him snap like that—seeing that raw, untamed fire—did something to me that I couldn't explain.Then he went silent. No texts. No calls. For twelve hours, the boy who usually couldn't stop seeking my attention had vanished.I poured another glass of scotch, the amber liquid glowing in the light from the city skyline. I told myself I didn't care. I told myself he was just a student, a part of a game I was playing to keep my world in order. But my hand was shaking as I reached for the glass.Suddenly, the private elevator chimed.I frowned. It was two in the morning. No one had the code except for my top security team and—The doors slid open.Leo stumbled out. He wasn't wearing one of the

The Long Drive HomeThe drive to my parents' house felt like a funeral procession. I sat in the back of the car my father had sent for me, staring out the window at the trees blurring past. My duffel bag was on the seat next to me, smelling of gym sweat and the stale air of my dorm. Every time we hit a bump in the road, the bruises on my ribs from the fight twinged, reminding me of exactly why I was being sent away.The driver didn't say a word. He didn't even look at me in the rearview mirror. He knew. Everyone knew.When we pulled into the long, gated driveway of the family estate, my stomach twisted into a tight knot. The house was huge, white, and perfectly manicured. It looked like a palace, but to me, it felt like a cage. I had spent my whole life trying to be the son that deserved a house like this. Now, I was the son who had brought shame to the front door.I stepped out of the car, and the silence of the neighborhood was deafening. I walked up the marble steps and pushed open

The Falling StarThe Dean’s office was too bright. The morning sun hit the white walls and made my head throb. I sat in a hard wooden chair, my hands tucked under my thighs so the Dean wouldn't see my split knuckles. I smelled like stale beer and copper. Across from me, Dean Henderson was looking at a file like it was a piece of rotten meat."I don't understand, Leo," he said, finally looking up. "You’re an honors student. You’re on the Dean’s list. You’re the face of the soccer team. And now I have a report that you nearly broke a transfer student's jaw at an off-campus party.""He said things, sir," I muttered. My voice felt like it was coming from the bottom of a well."He says you attacked him without provocation. There were witnesses. There are videos, Leo. People have already posted them," the Dean said. He sighed, leaning back. "The university has a zero-tolerance policy for violence. Given your record, I’m not expelling you. But you are suspended. Two weeks. Effective immediat

The Breaking PointThe music in Liam’s apartment was so loud I could feel it in my teeth. It was a deep, thumping bass that drowned out the voices of the fifty people packed into the living room. The air was thick with the smell of sweat, expensive cologne, and spilled beer. I stood by the kitchen counter, gripping my red plastic cup. My body still ached from David’s belt, but the alcohol was starting to numb the edges of the pain."You're not drinking fast enough, Leo!" Liam shouted over the noise. He appeared at my side, bumping his shoulder against mine. He looked energized, his eyes bright with the thrill of the party."I'm pacing myself," I said, forced to lean in close to his ear so he could hear me."Forget pacing! We won the scrimmage, and you survived a day of finance. Live a little," Liam said. He reached out and grabbed my hand, the one wrapped around the cup. His fingers were warm. "Come on. Let’s go to the balcony. It’s too crowded in here."I let him lead me through the