LOGINNatalia:The hotel room was still warm from the morning sun, the faint hum of the city below spilling in through the half-drawn curtains. I sat at the edge of the bed, legs curled under me, still wrapped in one of Nolan’s shirts. It was too big on me, the sleeves hung past my hands, the fabric soft against my skin, and yet somehow, it felt right.He was sitting opposite me, his hair still damp from a shower, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips as he watched me stir the coffee he’d brought from the lobby.It should have been awkward.It wasn’t. If anything, I don’t know when I last felt this comfortable.“Are you staring at me?” I asked, finally meeting his eyes.“Yes.” His voice was calm, unhurried. “You do that a lot when you think I’m not looking.”I arched an eyebrow. “Do what?”“Overthink.” He said casually. “Try to pretend that you’re not, but I can see it in the way you get lost in your thoughts, sometimes pout. Either way, I can always tell when you are overthinking.”Th
Natalia:The soft hum of morning light crept through the curtains, gentle and golden.The first thing I felt wasn’t the light though, it was warmth. The slow, steady rise of a chest beneath my cheek, the quiet rhythm of breathing that wasn’t mine. The heartbeat that was thumping behind me, and the naked body against my own.Nolan’s arm was around me, strong and protective, his palm resting over my ribs as if anchoring me there. His scent, a mix of cedar, smoke, and something uniquely him, filled the air.For a long moment, I didn’t move. I only listened. I didn’t even know how it happened, and yet, here I was. The sound of his heartbeat, the faint rustle of sheets when he shifted, the quiet peace that I hadn’t felt in years. A peace that I didn’t think existed in the world that we lived in.When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself nestled against him, close enough that our legs were tangled under the covers, his jaw resting against my temple.I felt… safe.The thought startled m
Nolan:The drive back to the hotel was quiet, not the strained kind of silence that used to sit between us, but a softer one. The air hummed with something that neither of us dared to name. But I knew that the tension was one that we couldn’t escape.When we reached the room, she stood by the window again, the same way she had before, her hand brushing the glass as city lights painted her reflection in shades of gold and shadow. “We didn’t need to go to a hotel, you do realize that?”“We didn’t have to, but I wanted to do it for you.” I said softly.I took off my jacket, setting it aside, and for a while I just watched her. There was something about her stillness that undid me more than anything else, something so fragile, yet steady, as if she carried an entire storm beneath her calm.“You should rest,” I said finally, though my voice sounded low, rougher than I meant it to. “You need to give yourself a little break.”She turned slightly, a small smile curving her lips. “I’m not tire
Natalia:The forest had always been quiet at night, but tonight it felt alive, the air heavier, every whisper of wind carrying the echo of what we weren’t saying.And after everything that I had gone through with my parents, the number of conflicts, and the conflicted feelings that I had… this quiet was something that I found myself embracing. At least, it is real, and though many might not find themselves liking it, I was grateful f or it.We’d stayed by the lake longer than we meant to. The moonlight spilled across the water, soft and silver, and Nolan stood close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. He hadn’t let go of my hand since we’d left the house, and even now, his thumb traced slow circles against my skin.“You’re quiet,” he said finally. “And I know that you have a lot on your mind.I smiled faintly. “You tell me to breathe, and now you’re asking why I’m quiet. It is a little bit of a contradict, isn’t it?”He chuckled under his breath, the sound low, like
Nolan:I heard the last of their voices fade as I stepped down the corridor, sharp words muffled behind a closed door, followed by silence so tense it felt like it cracked through the air.Her mother brushed past me moments later, chin lifted high, eyes sharp. She didn’t acknowledge me, not beyond a stiff nod, but she didn’t have to. The look she gave was enough, disappointment, judgment, the kind of coldness only a woman trained to wield silence as a weapon could manage.And when I walked into the room, Natalia was standing by the window, her back to me.Her posture was stiff, hands gripping the edge of the desk so tightly her knuckles were white.“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked quietly.She didn’t answer right away. Just a shallow nod. “She came to remind me that I’m still their property. She wants me to allow my father to cross me, to go over everything that I know and just be that girl who they can push around because they want to. In their eyes, I am not your wife, I am n
Natalia:I had just finished reviewing the reports from the Gamma unit when I heard the faint click of heels behind me.I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. The scent of jasmine and old perfume, sharp, dignified, suffocating, filled the air before her voice did.“Mother, I didn’t expect you to come.” I said, putting down the paper as I looked at her. I nodded at the gamma, Lilian, who held the folder for me, waiting for what I had to say. “I will call for you later.”“Yes, Luna.” She walked out without saying a word, leaving me alone with my mom.“I see that you’re still working,” my mother said, stepping into the room like she owned every inch of it. “You’ve always had that trait. You forget the world when you want to prove a point.”“Mother. You could’ve sent word before coming.” I said, choosing to ignore her remark. “I would have come to greet you myself.”She smiled faintly. “Would you have preferred that? Or would you have found another excuse to avoid me after that scene w







