Novels by Albetros

Sebastian's POV The rhythmic thud of rain against the windshield filled the silence inside my Rolls-Royce. Only a few minutes ago, the roads had been dry beneath a bright summer sky. Now, dark clouds swallowed the afternoon, and rain poured from the heavens as if it had been waiting for the perfect moment to descend upon New York. The windshield wipers swept back and forth in a steady rhythm. Swish... swish... swish... Traffic had slowed considerably. Headlights reflected off the rain-soaked asphalt, stretching into long golden streaks. Pedestrians hurried beneath umbrellas while others ran for shelter, laughing, complaining, or simply accepting defeat against the weather. I had never liked rain. Not because it was unpleasant. Because it disrupted everything. Schedules. Traffic. Plans. Today's plan included finally seeing Penelope after ten long years. A faint smile tugged at my lips. Ten years... How much could change in ten years? Apparently, everything. I reached f

Sebastian's POVAfter ten years...I was finally back in New York.The city hadn't changed as much as I expected.The towering skyline still pierced the clouds. The endless traffic still flowed through the streets like veins carrying life. The familiar noise of sirens, impatient horns, and hurried footsteps blended into a rhythm I hadn't realized I'd missed until now.Home.No matter how luxurious the places I had lived abroad were...Nothing compared to the feeling of returning to your hometown.Or sleeping in your own bed.The moment my head had touched the pillow in my penthouse two nights ago, every ounce of exhaustion from the long flight had caught up with me. Jet lag had been merciless, but somehow it felt worth it.I had spent the last two days doing exactly what I wanted.Nothing.No unnecessary meetings.No social gatherings.No celebrations.Just work.The company never stopped moving simply because its CEO changed countries.Reports continued arriving.Meetings continued o

Petal's POV He drove in an eerie silence. Not the peaceful kind. Not the comfortable kind. It was the kind of silence that settled heavily inside the car, pressing against every corner until even breathing felt louder than it should. The rhythmic sound of the windshield wipers swept back and forth across the glass. Swish... Swish... Swish... Rain continued to fall relentlessly outside, blurring the city into streaks of grey and silver. Neither of us spoke. I didn't dare look at him again. Instead, I turned my face toward the window. Tiny droplets raced one another across the glass, merging into larger streams before disappearing at the bottom. Streetlights reflected on the wet roads, their colors stretching into shimmering ribbons beneath the rain. Under different circumstances... I would have loved this weather. Rain had always been my favorite. There was something calming about watching it from a warm place. Something peaceful. But today, the rain outside wasn't

Petal's POV My hand continued moving across the canvas without stopping.The gentle rain I had been painting moments ago slowly disappeared beneath restless brushstrokes. The delicate shades of blue and grey blended together into a chaotic mess.I didn't even notice when the umbrella I had carefully painted became darker.Messier.Almost violent.Before I realized it, my brush had formed a pair of piercing eyes.Dark.Cold.Furious.I stopped.A faint smile escaped my lips."Looks like I painted him again..."My fingertips brushed lightly over the dried edge of the canvas before another memory swallowed me whole....I still remembered how he had led me toward the passenger side of the car.He didn't ask.He simply walked ahead with the umbrella shielding me from the relentless rain.And strangely...Without arguing...Without questioning...I followed him.Even now, years later, I couldn't explain why.Normally, I questioned everything.Especially strangers.But around him, my thoug

Petal's POV The red strokes on the umbrella I was painting never changed.No matter how many years passed in the memory.No matter how many times I replayed that rainy afternoon.The color remained the same.Just like Sebastian's temper.Just like the anger that always seemed to live somewhere beneath his skin.As the umbrella unfolded above my head that day, shielding me from the relentless rain, I finally got a proper look at him.And the first thing I noticed wasn't how handsome he was.Or how tall he was.Or even how expensive his clothes looked.No.The first thing I noticed was that he looked furious.His jaw was clenched so tightly that I could see the muscles ticking beneath his skin.His dark eyes weren't even looking at my face.They were fixed on my shoulder.His expression somehow darkened further.I blinked.Confused."What in the world is wrong with him?"The thought immediately appeared in my head."I just met him for the first time.""And all I'm getting is anger."My

Petal's POV That one drop of paint that touched the canvas seemed to spread like a raindrop hitting still water.As I stared at it, the memory pulled me deeper.Suddenly, I wasn't sitting in my room anymore.I was eighteen again.Sitting alone in that college gazebo.Waiting.The sound of rain drumming against the roof echoed around me. The cold breeze carried tiny droplets into the shelter, brushing against my skin and making me shiver. Every now and then, a stronger gust of wind would push a spray of rain across the tiled floor, forcing the few remaining students to move further inside.My mother had simply said someone would pick me up.But who?Other than my family, I didn't really have anyone.No close friends.No relatives living nearby.And even Sammy wasn't around today. She had been sick since morning and hadn't attended classes.I hugged my bag closer to my chest.Maybe Grandpa was coming.That was the only explanation that made sense.Still, something felt strange.The rai