Cranium 的作品

Cross’ POV “You mean Cross Voss is your boss?" I asked with a raised brow, trying to sound all natural but my heart was slamming against my chest mercilessly. Judging by the crispness of the magazine, I knew it was a new one but I couldn't bring myself to ask her for it.For months, I have been off the radar thinking that they have forgotten about me already, how wrong I was. The press was a dangerous organization. No matter how you try to steer away from them, they always find a way of popping their heads before you.“I think this line explains why he hasn't been at work for several months now." She mouthed, bringing me back to the present. With my brow raised at her, I asked, "What's the reason?" “He is crippled and no one knows where he is, not even his family." She replied. “I bet his family is behind this, they must have been looking for him so they decided to employ the power of the press." She mumbled. Taking a deep breath, I was relieved when she didn't press further bu

Cross's POVThe frown on Mulan's face deepened as she glared murderously at me. If she doesn't stop glaring, I was going to end up dying, not on the operating table like I had instigated but right here and now.“Are you trying to kill me with your eyes?" I mouthed, watching as her lips twitched to the side. She was getting even more angry now. The only reason why she was yet to flare up was because we were in public and for that, I was grateful. “Why are you acting like I said sometimes out of the ordinary?" I huffed. “Getting into surgery is a gamble, you either lose your life or you retain it." Reaching for her hand, I tried to give it a soft squeeze but she pulled away, still glaring at me. “Come on, you are getting worked up over nothing." I laughed, tossing my face towards the window only for her to tug my arm.“Have you lost it?" She gulped, trying to remain calm but it was to no avail. Her breathing was erratic and it would be a miracle if she didn't pass out. Pushing he

Mulan’s POVFinally, it was the eve of our trip to Germany. All through the day, I have checked and rechecked everything we will be needing for the trip. Kaiser on the other hand was indifferent. Of course I was forcing him to go for surgery against his will but still I had a price to pay. Sitting at the edge of my bed, I was staring at the screen of my phone. I had already dialed my mother's contact, all I needed was to press the call button. With a deep breath, I did and after two rings, the lines connected.“Mulan?” My mother’s soft voice filtered into my eardrum. I had missed her so much so I was giddy with excitement.“Mom.” I shrieked, “How are you?”“I should be asking you that.” She retorted. “You have been so busy these days that you barely have enough time to talk to your mother." “I'm worried about you." She added, her tone mild and almost breaking. “I'm fine mom, you don't have to worry about me." I paused and with a tone tingling with excitement, I said, “I will be

Cross’s POVWheeling my chair through the hallway, I scrunched my nostrils since the sterile scent of disinfectant which clung in the air was messing with my brain. I hated hospitals, and this was just one of the numerous reasons. The private medical ward which was separated from the rest of the building was specially designed for the elites. It screamed luxury which didn't make sense to me but that was the least of my concern.Taking the last bend to Doctor Randy's office, I let out a low sigh, already imagining the look of amusement that would be on his face when he sees me.For months, he had been urging me to go for surgery but I refused and now, I suddenly changed my mind, all thanks to Mulan.The thought of her made a smile appear on my lips but I quickly wiped it off.Getting to his office, I connected my fist to the door before pushing it in and letting myself into his large office. It was clear he had been waiting for me because he was leaning against his desk with a smug

Mulan's POVStaring at him with my eyes almost popping from its sockets, I didn't say anything. My tongue was glued and I couldn't react as I had been frozen in place.What I had expected was, we would end up having a fallout since he has asked me not to mind him but it turned out to be the direct opposite. My joy knew no bounds, I was literally floating in the air as relief washed through my entire body. "You will?" I muttered when I finally found my tongue."Yes." He affirmed only to tilt his head to the side like he was having a second thought. I was almost running my mouth when he locked eyes with me, "On one condition," He said. "Anything." I blurted without thinking.Reaching for my hand, he caressed it for a while. "Our contract will be ending in a few months.” He mumbled while I gulped.He was right about that. Though we were not cut out for each other, I was going to miss him terribly. But I got compensated already; my family was already paying for putting my mother and

Mulan's POVSliding my phone from my ear, I groped my way towards the wall and then placed my back against it. This wasn't the first time Doctor Randy was saying this but each time he does, I always felt cold chills running through my spines. I was terrified but I couldn't do anything.Kaiser was refusing to get surgery for reasons best known to him. Now, this wasn't just about fulfilling my part of the contract, I really wanted him to walk again. Snapping my eyes shut, I pulled away from the wall and with slow but deliberate steps, I made my way to Kaiser’s room. Placing my ear against the door, I was hoping to hear even the slightest noise as these days, he barely gets a wink of sleep.But the room was drowned in a deafening silence, causing me to wonder what the issue was.Pursing my lips, I grabbed the handle and then twisted it, causing the door to creak open. I was about to run away in fright until I saw the wheelchair was empty and he was lying on his back. Cautiously so I

Ocean’s POVMidterms were coming and for the first time in a long time, I actually gave a damn.Biting the corner of my lip, I stared at the paper in front of me, my fingers tightening slightly around the edge of it like I could crush the numbers into changing.My score was embarrassingly low.Still gripping the paper, I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly then proceeded to drag a hand down my face.This wasn’t me.No matter how invested I was in hockey, I don’t struggle with school work but recently, my attention span during lectures was low and now, it was catching up to me.“If you keep staring at it, it’s not going to magically go up.” Calvin’s voice cut through my thoughts.I didn’t bother looking at him. “Thanks. That was helpful.”“I’m serious,” he said, sliding into the chair beside me. “You’re slipping.”“I noticed.”“No, I mean really slipping,” he added. “You’ve had what… three low quiz scores now?”Staring straight ahead, I clenched my jaw slightly.He wasn’t wrong an

Astrid’s POVFor a second, I didn’t move, I just stood there staring into space as something cold slid down my spine. Dawn was still standing by the door, watching me like she was waiting for my reaction, but I didn’t give her one. Instead, I inhaled, then exhaled and walked toward the door.“You don’t have to open it,” Dawn said quickly, her voice lower now. “I can just tell her to leave.”Shaking my head, I said, “No.”“I’ll handle it,” I added, giving her a reassuring smile. Dawn hesitated, then stepped aside slowly. “Fine,” she muttered. “But if she says anything stupid…”“I’ll survive,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure that was true in the way she meant it.My fingers curled around the cold handle. For a split second, I considered not opening it at all then I pulled the door open only to Caitlin standing there like she had been waiting for a performance cue.She had the perfect posture, perfect hair and the perfect smile that stretched just a little too wide across her

Astrid’s POV The following week… It still felt strange hearing the word cleared attached to my name. It was like it didn’t belong to me and like it was meant for someone else who hadn’t spent days being stared at like they were guilty of something they never did but it was real. Hannah’s little empire had cracked, and one of her minions had finally been exposed for slipping drugs into my locker like it was some kind of twisted joke. And just like that, I was recalled to school. I still didn’t know which part felt the most unreal. Adjusting my duffle bag on my shoulder, I stepped into the dorm quietly, shutting the door behind me like I was afraid the world outside would follow me in. Once I was inside, my bag slid off my shoulder and hit the floor with a dull thud. The silence was peaceful, making me draw in a long exhale but it didn't last. “Astrid!” Dawn called on the top of her voice and before I could even turn, she crashed into me. Her arms wrapped tightly around my wa

Ocean’s POVThe moment I stepped back into the living room, the air felt different.Calvin was talking to my father with the kind of tone he only used when he was trying to keep a situation from spiraling but the second he saw me, he stopped.His eyes flickered to mine, something unreadable passing through them before he straightened, stepping aside like he was making room for a storm he knew was about to hit.And just like that, it was just me and him again.My father.Vance Belmont stood near the center of the room, one hand tucked casually into his pocket, the other resting by his side. He looked calm and composed like he hadn’t just walked into my space and tried to dismantle everything I was trying to hold together.His gaze met mine, steady, unblinking and assessing.For a moment, neither of us spoke, then he broke the silence.“Why have you been ignoring my calls?”“Because I don’t want to talk to you,” I replied, tightening my jaw. The words came out flat and stripped of anyt

Astrid’s POVThe moment the words left my mouth, the air shifted.I didn’t even have to look at Ocean to feel it but I looked anyway and I wished I hadn’t.The expression on his face wasn’t just anger. It wasn’t even rage in the way I had seen it before on the rink, or when Reis pushed him too far. This was something else entirely. It was something darker and something that looked like it had been buried for a long time and had just clawed its way to the surface.His jaw was clenched so hard that I thought it might crack. He curled his fists at his sides, his knuckles whitening, as his shoulders went rigid like he was holding himself back with every ounce of strength he had left.He looked like he was about to combust.“Hey,” Calvin’s voice cut in quickly. “Calm down, man. Just… breathe. Talk to him, hear him out.”Ocean didn’t even blink then suddenly, he turned to me. It was so abrupt that it made me flinch.His hands came up to my shoulders, firm but not rough, grounding me in pl

Astrid’s POVI had refreshed my email so many times that the motion had become a muscle memory for me. My thumb would drag down the screen before I even realized I was doing it again and each time, the outcome was the same.There was nothing in my inbox, my spam was blank even my promotion was empty. It was as if the entire school administration had collectively decided to disappear off the face of the earth just when my life depended on them the most.A shaky sigh slipped past my lips as I let my phone fall against my chest, my head sinking deeper into the couch. The silence in Ocean’s house felt louder than usual, pressing in on me and making every thought echo in my head. “You're been suspended, pending expulsion.” The words replayed over and over in my head like a broken record, each repetition digging deeper into my chest.I shut my eyes, willing myself to sleep, in a bid to escape the spiral for a moment. Ocean had said he wouldn’t be back until late afternoon, which meant

Caruso’s POVThroughout the party, I couldn't stop looking at her. The only difference between her and Blue was their facial features. Several times, I was tempted to walk up to her and find out where she had been all this while but I didn't have the courage to do so.First, Max, the man from earlier, was hovering around her protectively. Secondly, I had no idea how she was going to react to my question. At the end of the party, after bidding everyone and the host farewell, I walked up to my car. I was so absentminded that I forgot about Becca, not until she yelled my name, asking me to wait for her. “Were you going to leave me behind?" She asked.“I'm sorry." I mumbled, turning on the ignition. When she didn't speak again, I was grateful. Right now, all I wanted was peace and quietness. But it didn't last long.Shoving her phone into her purse, she turned to face me. She studied my face for a while before placing her hand on my shoulder, caressing it.“Tell me about it." She st

Blue’s POV“Are you okay?" Father asked, halting next to me as the low hum of classical music floated across the night air.“Yeah, I am." I nodded vigorously, forcing a smile that barely got to my eyes. But inside, my heart was thudding against my ribcage like a trapped animal.Taking a deep breath, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Get a grip on yourself, you can do this." I mumbled, rubbing my sweaty palm against my gown. I had practiced facing Caruso a thousand times in the mirror since I learnt he was going to be at the party but none of it could prepare me for the moment when his tall, familiar frame emerged from the crowd, his eyes sweeping across the guests until they landed on me.The flicker of recognition in his eyes made my stomach knot.Right now, I couldn't decide if the recognition was from the past or the scene at the mall earlier."Mr. Milton!" my father called out with a warm smile, stepping forward with his hand extended.“Mr. Smith.” Caruso took his hand

Blue’s POVI wasn’t expecting to see him, not there, and definitely not like that.Caruso Milton, the man whom I swore I was going to stay by his side forever.As soon as I saw him standing in the middle of Monaco Hall, soaked with my coffee and with an expression somewhere between recognition and disbelief, a thousand warning bells exploded in my head. My breath hitched, as my fingers trembled around the paper cup but I held on.I was just an hour away from being formally introduced as the new chairwoman of Nexus Corporation. And the Caruso decided to show his face. It would have been better if it was only him but Becca was standing right next to him.They are going to tell the whole world that I'm a murderer.Panic surged through me, threatening to strangle every breath I took.But then I remembered.My face. — The face I now wore in place of my own.The new jawline, the sharper nose, the cheekbones sculpted by someone else’s grief. I wasn’t Blue Lexington anymore, I was a strang

Caruso’s POVPushing my chair backwards, I arranged my cufflink as I ran my eyes through the last line on the screen of my laptop.This morning, I made sure I dropped by the office at exactly seven am which was one hour earlier than usual. By noon, I was stepping out for a function. The CEO of Nexus Corporation had handed me an invitation card in person for the handover ceremony which was going to happen by noon today and so I couldn't afford to miss it. “I will have to return…” "Aren't you done yet?” Becca asked, poking her head through the door.Flashing me a brief smile, she cleared her throat and with well calculated steps, she waddled her way into my office."Your cologne, you’re still not going to tell me where you got it from?”"I don't want a gift from you,” I said, biting back my irritation. Becca was a thorn in my flesh. She knew this but she still chose to ignore it.After the unfortunate incident, she had always been by my side. Several times, I tried to push her away

Blue’s POV“Have a nice day." I said, shaking hands with all of the directors present until I got to the last. “You too." They replied. As the next chairwomen of Nexus Corporation, my father has suggested I meet with the directors before the formal introduction which was going to be held by the weekend. “We are going to help you in every little way we can." Mr. Langston said and with a smile on my lips, I nodded in appreciation. One after the other, they took their leave until I was the only one left in my office. Reclining against my table, I used my fingers to trace the corners of my name plaque, my smile growing even wider. Nine months ago, I was the wife of Caruso Milton. Fast forward to nine months later, I was the heiress of Nexus Corporation, one out of the three largest cologmerate in the country. Pushing my hair behind my ear, I plopped on my chair, a low sigh escaping from my lips as I turned on the TV. The headlines caught my attention, so I decided to keep watchin

Blue's POVWhat I had expected was, the trial was going to go on forever but to my surprise, it didn't last up to half an hour. Now, that wasn't the interesting part. Feebee kept to her promise and I was released on a bail. Surprised with the outcome of the trial, I couldn't move my feet even after the court session had been declared over. The previous night, I had already said my last prayer to my maker for a safe sojourn into the world beyond but, that wasn't going to happen anymore.At this point, I had no idea if I should be happy or sad. “I told you, I'm going to make sure you're released.” Feebeee’s voiced out, announcing her presence in the process and at once I grabbed her hand. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I tried to speak but my tongue was heavy so I couldn't move the organ. “How am I going to repay you?” I asked when I finally found my tongue. “I don't even know you yet you…” “You were accused wrongly; you don't deserve to be locked behind bars.” She shrugged.

North’s POVThe aroma of cocoa drifted through the kitchen before I even reached the doorway. It was warm, soothing, familiar and it was supposed to calm me down because it always did. But this morning, it only made my heartbeat spike because the last thing I expected was to walk in and see Finn already there, leaning against the counter in grey joggers and a black T-shirt, stirring a steaming mug.He looked up the moment I stepped in and our eyes met for a heartbeat too long. It was long enough to remind me of last night, of how he had pulled me back, how he had tried to stop me from leaving and how I had walked out anyway.Pushing my hair behind my ear, I cleared my throat. “I… I just wanted some cocoa.”Finn’s knuckles tightened on the countertop as if he couldn’t decide whether to move toward me or stay exactly where he was. His voice came out calm, but something underneath it sounded strained.“Do you want a cup?” he asked.I hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. Please.”He reached

North’s POVI yanked my arm out of Finn’s grip with more force than I thought I had. The moment his fingers slipped away, a rush of anger surged through me. It was hot, sharp and cut through the confusion I had been drowning in since last night.“How dare you,” I snapped, my voice trembling more from emotion than fear. “How dare you act like this is… like I belong to you.” I snapped, trying to keep my anger in check but it was to no avail. His jaw tightened as he pushed his hand forward. “That’s not what I…”“No.” I raised my hand sharply, stopping him as I did “I begged you, Finn. I begged that we don’t fight for the rest of our deal. I asked for peace, I asked for space. I asked for something simple, why are you finding it hard to give me that?” My throat ached, but I pushed through it. “Finn, the least you can do is stick to it.” I drawled. He didn't reply, he just stood there, staring at me. His eyes were burning and his chest was rising and falling like he was holding back

North's POVSwaying lightly to the music playing from the speaker, I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my palms down my deep-blue bodycon dress.The neckline dipped lower than what I normally wore. It was elegant and bold as the fabric hugged me in a way that felt both terrifying and empowering. It had accentuated my curves and shape in a way that I wouldn’t stop gushing over. It had been forever since I had the chance to dress this way. Mind you, I wasn’t dressing like this for Curtis, not really.I was dressing like this because I needed to feel something other than confusion, guilt, and the lingering echo of Finn’s silence that morning.Now humming the music alongside with the artist on air, I slipped on my earrings, grabbed my purse, and was reaching for my heels when a knock echoed sharply on my door.I paused, leaving my hand hanging in the air as my heart found its way to my throat because I already knew who it was. Somehow I could always sense him before he appeared.

North’s POVAfter Finn left for work, I spent the next few minutes staring into space as I desperately tried to piece together the reason for his reaction. But my head was blank; I couldn't think of anything that would warrant such a reaction from him. With this thought making rounds in my head, I got ready for work, hoping something else would take over the thoughts but that didn't happen. Because every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Finn’s face when I mentioned the three months left in our agreement. The way he went quiet, the way his eyes darkened and the way he walked away from me like my words had carved something out of him.By the time I got to work that morning, I felt like a ghost wearing my own clothes.I tried to keep my head down, hoping no one would pick up on the gloom radiating off me, but Kora was waiting at my desk with a cup of tea and her eyebrows were raised suspiciously high.“You look like someone told you Saturdays have been canceled permanently,” she

North’s POVThe first thing I felt when consciousness slowly pulled me upward was warmth. It was heavy, solid, and wrapped around me like a claim. My lashes fluttered open, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the soft morning light pouring into Finn’s bedroom.My body tensed on instinct, not because I regretted anything, we both knew I didn’t but because reality had a way of feeling sharper in the morning, like everything you did in the dark suddenly wanted to be acknowledged in daylight.After eating dinner last night, he did eat me like he said. I shifted slightly, trying to ease out of the bed without waking him.But that was a big mistake.The arm around my waist tightened immediately, pulling me back toward him with surprising strength. His breath brushed the back of my neck, warm and heavy with sleep.“Don’t,” he murmured.His morning voice was low, rough and raw in a way that sent a shiver down my spine.“I didn’t want to wake you,” I whispered.“You didn’t.” His h

Finn’s POVI tried. God, I genuinely tried to stay calm but the more days passed, the more I felt like something inside me was tearing open.When I left North’s building earlier that morning, a part of me hoped that she would step out, call after me and give me even the smallest reason not to walk away. But she didn’t and I had no right to expect that from her. Still the silence gutted me more than I thought possible.Instead of heading for work, I drove straight to her place. I told myself it was just to check, to see if she was okay, to see if she needed anything. But when I unlocked the door and stepped in, the stillness hit me like a punch. Her shoes weren’t there, her bag wasn’t by the couch like usual and the air felt cold and untouched.She was gone.Numbed, I stood there for a long moment, hands on my waist and jaw clenched hard enough that it hurt. I wanted to break something, scream, run after her and drag her back just to ask why she was avoiding me. Why the hell the t