Novel-novel oleh Cranium

Astrid’s POV“Girllll,” Dawn screamed, clapping her hand over her mouth a second later when a couple at the next table turned to stare.“Lower your voice,” I hissed, shrinking into my seat as heat rushed up my neck and settled stubbornly in my cheeks.We were seated by the window of a small restaurant just off campus. Sunlight spilled across the polished tables as soft music hummed in the background. It should have been calming, grounding even, but my nerves were too tightly wound for me to enjoy any of it.“I did not sleep with him,” I repeated under my breath, gripping my glass of water like it was the only thing keeping me anchored.Dawn leaned forward, her eyes sharp, curious, and entirely too invested. “But you almost did.”Looking away quickly, I swallowed hard. Dawn wasn’t wrong.Images from last night flashed through my mind uninvited; his hands, his mouth, and the way my body had responded so

Ocean’s POVThe moment she walked out of my room, something in me followed her. Not physically but mentally.I stood there for a few seconds after she left, staring at the door like she might come back, like she might say something that would make sense of what had just happened.But she didn’t.The silence in my room stretched, heavy and unforgiving. Letting out a low sigh, I dragged a hand through my hair and let out a slow breath before turning away, walking back into my room like I could outrun the tension still clinging to my skin.I couldn’t.I dropped onto the edge of my bed, elbows on my knees and palms pressed hard into my eyes.What the hell was that?A bitter laugh left me as I leaned back, staring at the ceiling.“I want her,” I muttered under my breath.It wasn’t a new feeling but tonight, it felt different because now I wasn’t just watching her from a distance or playing some twisted game with Reis.I had tasted and felt it.And it was messing with my head badly.I sat

Astrid’s POVThe TV flickered in front of me but none of it registered.I was sitting cross-legged on the couch, staring at the screen like I was actually watching something, but my mind was miles away. Every few seconds, my fingers would tighten around the edge of the throw pillow on my thigh, then loosen again, like my body couldn’t decide what to do with all the restless energy sitting inside me.The house felt too quiet.Every little sound ranging from the ticking clock, the hum of the refrigerator, and even my own breathing felt amplified.Just when I was going to get lost in my thoughts, the soft click of the front door unlocking made me snap my head up instantly.My heart followed, slamming hard against my ribs as I wondered who it was. Finally, the door opened and Ocean stepped in, closing the door behind him slowly. Tossing the throw pillow aside, I pushed myself off the couch. “You’re back,” I said, the words rushing out before I could filter them.He didn’t respond and

Reis’s POVI didn’t answer immediately.For a second, it felt like someone had reached inside my chest and twisted my heart, leaving me hollow and off balance. Ocean’s question hung in the air, heavy and offensive, echoing louder in my head than it should have.Was I the one who planted the drugs?The audacity.My jaw tightened as I stared at him, searching his face for any hint that he was joking, that this was just another one of his mind games but there was nothing.Just that same cold, steady gaze that always made it feel like he was ten steps ahead of me. “What the hell do you mean by that?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.Ocean didn’t flinch, he didn’t even blink.“That’s exactly what I asked,” he replied calmly, sliding his phone back into his locker like we weren’t standing on the edge of tearing each other apart. “Did you do it?” He repeated with a firmer voice. A humorless laugh slipped out of me, low and bitter. “You’ve actually lost it.” I bit out but even

Ocean’s POVLosing always left a taste in my mouth I couldn’t wash out. It wasn’t just frustration, it was sharper and heavier than that.After a loss, it always seemed like something had slipped through my fingers when I should have held on to it tighter.The locker room buzzed with low voices, the sound of gear being tossed around, lockers slamming shut, and water running somewhere in the background. Nobody was loud.Instead, the atmosphere was filled with that dull, collective irritation that came with a bad game.I sat on the bench with my elbows resting on my knees while I stared at the floor.I hadn’t played like myself.My passes were off, my timing was worse and every time I tried to focus, my mind dragged me somewhere back to Astrid. Biting the inside of my cheek, I scrubbed a hand down my face.“Get it together,” I muttered under my breath.It was too late now.The game was done and we lost.And somehow, that wasn’t even the worst part of my night.I reached down, untying

Astrid’s POVThe moment the door clicked shut behind Ocean, the house became quiet. It was not the comfortable kind of quiet. Instead, it was the kind that stretches too wide, settles too deep, and leaves too much space for thoughts you don’t want.I stood there for a second, staring at the door like he would decide the game didn’t matter and that staying with me did but he didn’t.And I knew he wouldn’t because I was the one who asked him to go.I wrapped my arms around myself, exhaling slowly as I turned away from the door and walked back into the living room. The couch still held the faint dip from where I had been sitting earlier, the mug of cocoa resting on the table like proof that everything that happened today wasn’t some horrible dream.I sat down slowly, leaned back then immediately sat up again.No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get comfortable as my mind kept wandering back to everything that had happened. My chest tightened as the verdict of the committee floated

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

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

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.