LOGINJEREMÍAS I touch my lower lip, and pull my hand away to inspect the damage. A small drop of blood beads on my fingertip. My expression hardens as I look up at Caleb. “You're angry?” I ask, my voice deceptively calm. “Why? Because of what I said? Did I say something wrong?”Caleb doesn't answer. His breathing is ragged, his eyes wide with desperate possessiveness. He doesn't think. He just throws another punch at the same throbbing cheek. The blow is harder than the first, a sharp pain to my teeth. But I don't wince. Pain is just pleasure for me.I stumble back, my eyes still locked on his. “Someone else wants her, so fucking leave her life,” I growl, going closer to his space.“You don't even love her,” he spits, his jaw clenching. “Stop pretending like you care!”He raises his fist again, but I don't let him this time. I shove his arm down with a violent motion and jab his face slightly. The impact sends him stumbling back, trying to regain his stamina.I don't know why I did that
CALEB I drop the icepack back into the refrigerator, shutting it gently. I can't sleep; not with the throbbing pain in my cheek. Just one blow from Jeremías is enough to keep me in pain for days. He's much stronger than I am. But he isn't the kind to return a blow, even if it's hard. This isn't my first rodeo with me, so I knew better. Or I thought I did. Each time I threw a jab at Jere back then, he never sent it back to me. He just lets me hit until I get the satisfaction I need. But this time, he hit back. Not relenting once. And this tells me the little I need to know about his obsession with Ashley. I can't sleep. I need to see Ash and talk to her. I need to know Ashley isn't under Jeremías' thumb. And I need to keep it that way. I go upstairs, walking across the hallway until I reach her door. I stop, knocking on the hard wood gently. No response. I knock again, same force, but still no response. There's silence. She's already asleep from exhaustion. Turning the door
JEREMÍAS I touch my lower lip, and pull my hand away to inspect the damage. A small drop of blood beads on my fingertip. My expression hardens as I look up at Caleb. “You're angry?” I ask, my voice deceptively calm. “Why? Because of what I said? Did I say something wrong?” Caleb doesn't answer. His breathing is ragged, his eyes wide with desperate possessiveness. He doesn't think. He just throws another punch at the same throbbing cheek. The blow is harder than the first, a sharp pain to my teeth. But I don't wince. Pain is just pleasure for me. I stumble back, my eyes still locked on his. “Someone else wants her, so fucking leave her life,” I growl, going closer to his space. “You don't even love her,” he spits, his jaw clenching. “Stop pretending like you care!” He raises his fist again, but I don't let him this time. I shove his arm down with a violent motion and jab his face slightly. The impact sends him stumbling back, trying to regain his stamina. I don't know why I d
JEREMÍAS I wipe sweat from my forehead with my wristband, breathing heavily. “That was a bad shot, Jere,” Andre says, jogging over to retrieve his ball that had gone past the net at the other side of the court. “You couldn't even get it into the net even when you were so close to it.” I exhale sharply, looking at the net. “Quit talking and practise more.” I snatch the ball from the air, my movements swift. I bounce the ball, driving hard towards his side of the net, successfully dribbling past Andre in a way that makes him stumble. But when I go for the net, my focus shatters. The ball hits the iron and bounces away. Andre drops down to the floor, sighing loudly. “That was awful, man. 6-0. What's wrong with you today? We have the finals coming up soon, you know. And I can't watch you play like this, especially as the captain of this team.” I don't answer. I walk to the bench, collapsing on the wood. I grab my water bottle, unscrewing the cap and taking a long, desperate swallo
ASHLEY I can't lie to Caleb, but I will have to. Just this once. “He probably saw it when I was leaving the event hall,” I say, my voice casual. “He just cares.” Caleb lowers his voice, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that makes me want to look away. “Still, stay away, Ash. If he cares, it's never a good thing for you. Don't trust him at all. Really.” I feel a flicker of frustration. He always warns me about trusting Jeremías or being close to him. But he never tells me the reason—except his usual pathetic excuses. It's exhausting obeying him without a valid reason. “Why do you hate him so much, anyways?” I ask, wanting to understand. “Except for the fact that you don't like the idea of having a stepbrother, why do you despise him?” But he doesn't answer. He stays silent longer than I expect. Then, he stands, his movements stiff and walks to the door. “The exhaustion is really kicking in,” he says, glancing at me briefly before turning to the door. “We'll talk later, As
ASHLEY I watch Jeremías disappear from the door. My heart sinks for just a fraction. I had been hoping for a flicker of smile from him or a little casual ‘hi’, but nothing. Instead, his expression had been dark and devoid of a pleasant emotion as he glanced at me for barely five seconds. He just walked out, not glancing back. Caleb finally pulls away from me, his eyes locking on mine intently. “Ashley, where have you been?” I blink. “Huh?” He takes my right hand in his, his grip gentle but firm. “I'm really sorry about last night,” he says, his voice laced with pure sincerity. “I did something bad. I shouldn't have done it and I'm sorry.” I look at him, really look at him—the messy hair, the dull eyes, his tux from last night, the relief laced across his face—and I feel a softening in my chest. “It's okay,” I whisper. It's Caleb. I had never been able to stay mad at him for long, not through all the years, and not now either. “You look disheveled.” He lets out a ragged brea
ASHLEY I bite the inside of my cheek, inhaling silently. “I never wanted any of it,” I say, my voice shaky, betraying me. His eyes remain fixed on mine, low and dark. “You're worried about him, but I'm not. You're the one that wanted me badly, remember?” “I was drunk,” I say firmly. “It was a
ASHLEY I furrow my brows, my heart hammering against my ribs like a caught bird. I straighten, trying to look unbothered. “Firstly, you had no right to manhandle me like that, and secondly, I have nothing to hide.” “So, you do love him. And that's why you wanted to eliminate Tessa as a compet
ASHLEY “Caleb!” What the hell? After all the ‘thinking about it’ and needing just closure, I find him inside a pool, tongue in tongue with a Spanish that ghosts him. I wish he doesn't know how to swim. I can just push them far apart and watch him struggle to get to her. He jerks his head arou
JEREMÍAS I surely didn't expect Caleb to bring anyone with him as he was coming, and especially not her. I knew they were best friends but I didn't know she was far different from how Caleb had described her the last time he visited alone. But she? She's pretty and delicate, in a way that make







