LOGIN***~~DANTE~~***It was Zara’s graduation, but despite knowing how important this day was, we slept and woke up far too late.We were both wrecked from how much the past week had drained us—one disaster after another stacking up until our bodies simply gave out and demanded rest whether we’d planned for it or not.Zara had already slipped into full panic mode before I’d managed to open both eyes properly, because she and Julia still hadn’t gone shopping for the day.I happen to know, from close observation, that whenever those two get together for a shopping trip, time itself simply stops mattering to either of them.She went straight into the restroom and showered without waiting for me, which told me everything I needed to know about how serious this panic had become, because Zara never skips our morning shower together unless something in her world feels urgent.The second she stepped back out, towel still damp against her shoulders, she started moving around our room at a pace th
***~~DANTE~~***What in the world had just happened back at my father’s house? I sat with that question the entire drive home, struggling to land on a single explanation that made any real sense of what I’d just witnessed.Something about those sudden apologies didn’t sit right with me, not even a little.Adrian and Dahlia dropped to their knees like they were auditioning for some daytime drama. They all wanted something out of that performance, that much I was sure of.The whole scene had felt rehearsed.And here’s the part that kept circling back in my head, refusing to leave me alone: my mother never once apologised to me. Not a single word in my direction.Every soft look, every careful sentence, all of it had been aimed straight at Zara.Something was definitely wrong here, I thought, watching the road blur past in long stretches of afternoon light, the kind of golden-hour glow that usually made everything feel calmer than it actually was.“Zara, don’t you think what happened b
***~~ZARA~~***Morning came soft and golden through the curtains.When I finally blinked my eyes open, the first thing I noticed was the small table Dante had already set up right beside the bed, with food, juice, and my medicine all arranged so neatly that it looked like something out of a magazine spread.I lifted my head slowly and just stared at it for a second.My eyes widened on their own.“Oh, honey, you really didn’t have to do all this,” I murmured, pushing myself up against the pillows.“Of course I do,” he replied, leaning down to press a soft kiss against the top of my head before settling beside me.While I ate, I kept trying to feed him a piece of fruit, holding it out toward his mouth, but he kept pulling back, refusing to take it from my hand.“Take it, baby,” I urged again, holding it closer, but he still wouldn’t budge.“Oh, you’re playing hard to get now?” I teased, and he laughed softly at that.Then, without warning, he leaned in and kissed me instead.“No, no,”
***~~ZARA~~***“Okay, who is it?” my mom asked, her voice tight, leaning forward like the answer might somehow soften if she got close enough to it.Ethan’s expression shifted as he lifted his eyes from the laptop, and in that exact second my heart kicked into a faster, uneven rhythm, already bracing itself for whatever name was about to leave his mouth.“It’s Mr Edwards,” he revealed.“But he swore on his own life that he was innocent,” my mom said in confusion as all of us turned to look at her at once. “He insisted, over and over, that he had absolutely nothing to do with that missing money.”“Swore?” I repeated, latching onto that one word like it had teeth.“I remember him clearly,” she continued while she rubbed her hands together slowly like the memory itself was cold. “He used to be the accountant at your father’s company, back before everything fell apart. After the bankruptcy, we never heard a single word from him again. It was like the man dissolved into thin air the mome
***~~ZARA~~***Ethan was the first to notice me staring at my phone, completely frozen. The room around me still buzzed with leftover laughter that suddenly felt miles away.I lifted my head slowly and met his eyes, and he was already looking right back at me with that particular focus people get when they can sense something’s wrong before a single word has been said out loud.His expression shifted the second he saw how worried I must have looked.“You need to find out what led to your father's company's downfall.”That’s what the message said.I went completely still.Everyone noticed it at the same time. Dante was already up and he moved toward me before I’d even fully processed what I’d just read.“Zara, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice low and immediate, already reaching for my hand.I couldn’t get a single word out.My throat just locked up, not because I didn’t want to speak, but because something about my father’s death, anything connected to that company collapsing, alwa
***~~ZARA~~***“Sorry to interrupt you both,” Nanny said, suppressing a smile she clearly thought we hadn’t noticed. “But your mother and your friend are here to see you.”“Oh, really? My mom is here?” I exclaimed excitedly. “Okay, tell them we’ll be out in a minute.”“But how did they even know the address to this house?” Dante asked, turning to look at me with confusion written across his face.“We got dressed here before we left for the gala,” I explained. “Even Julia was here. She’s the one who did my makeup that night. My mom brought my dress over and we all got ready together right here before we headed out.”“Oh, that’s sweet,” he remarked, smiling softly. “No wonder you looked so gorgeous last night.”I smiled at him, and we both made our way to the living room together. His hand found mine somewhere along the way without either of us really deciding it.“Such a lovely smell coming from this house,” my mom exclaimed, and she stood up the second she saw me, pulling me straigh
***~~ZARA~~***At exactly 9 p.m., we stepped into the club. Adrian took my hand and led me through the red velvet curtains, with Dahlia just behind us.The room was packed, with pink and red lights flashing, and the bass shaking the floor.“This is crazy,” I shouted over the music.“Just follow m
***~~ZARA~~***I stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and wrapped in a towel, my skin still warm from the hot water.I immediately moved to give Dante space so he could take his turn in the bathroom.I grabbed my textbook from my bag and placed it on the small desk in our room, ready to di
***~~ZARA~~***“Broke ass, Zara.”I turned around and saw the usual troublemaker group walking toward me with phones out and grins on their faces.I placed my hands on my hips and waited for whatever they wanted."Can I help you?" I asked.Raven held up her phone straight at my face. "Just wanted
***~~ZARA~~***I ran all the way from the Wright mansion and didn’t stop until I reached the gate of my family home.When I got into the house, I slammed my door shut, locked it behind me, and then sank onto my bed.I stared at the wall, trying to calm my mind, but all I could hear was Adrian’s v







