로그인Clara listened to the children’s voices fill the room with praise for their mother, and something sharp twisted quietly inside her chest.
It wasn’t loud. It didn’t explode.
It just… settled there.
A feeling she didn’t say out loud.
Clara sat still on the couch, her eyes moving slowly from one child to another. Their laughter bounced off the walls like light rain, soft and innocent, but to her, it felt like a world she wa
Dominic’s POVVrooooommm!!!!!Screeeeeeeech!The car lurched hard as I slammed the brakes.
Mannie’s POVThe sound of the coffee machine grinding echoed softly through the quiet break room.It wasn’t loud, but in the stillness of the morning, it felt like the only thing keeping the world moving. Steam hissed faintly as hot water pushed through the coffee grounds, filling the air with a bitter, familiar scent that grounded me more than sleep ever could.Today was my first coffee of the day.And I needed it badly.My body felt like it was still catching up with yesterday, and honestly, I wasn’t sure my mind had fully returned from it either. Between work, the kids, and everything else I kept trying to hold together, there was barely space left for me.I leaned lightly against the counter, waiting.The machine clicked.I yawned softly and pressed the next button.That was when I heard footsteps.Slow. Careful. Familiar in a way my body recognized before my mind accepted it.
Clara listened to the children’s voices fill the room with praise for their mother, and something sharp twisted quietly inside her chest.It wasn’t loud. It didn’t explode.It just… settled there.A feeling she didn’t say out loud.Clara sat still on the couch, her eyes moving slowly from one child to another. Their laughter bounced off the walls like light rain, soft and innocent, but to her, it felt like a world she was standing just outside of.Not inside.Not part of.Just watching.Her fingers curled slightly on her lap.Before, it hadn’t been like this.There had been space for her voice. Space for her place in the house. Space where she didn’t feel like she had to fight just to be heard.But somewhere along the line, something shifted.And now—She couldn’t tell when she stopped fitting in.Her gaze lowered slig
Mannie’s POVI watched as Dominic’s expression shifted.The slight spark that had been in his eyes just moments ago after the phone call disappeared completely. His jaw tightened, and something unreadable settled in his gaze. It was like a door had closed inside him, locking away whatever warmth had been there.I didn’t understand what changed.But I didn’t ask.I wasn’t brave enough for that.I stayed quiet, my fingers fidgeting with the torn edge of my dress, pretending not to notice how different the air around him felt now. He looked like someone pulled halfway between two worlds—one I didn’t know, and one I probably didn’t want to understand.My thoughts betrayed me anyway.‘What is the probability that he will kill you if you ask?’ a voice in my mind whispered.I blinked.Then answered myself immediately.“100% of course.&
Dominic’s POVMy eyebrows creased together in a frown seeing her resist, ‘Is she trying to rile me up?’ The thought flickered through my mind, and my gaze deepened as I watched her.Her chest rose and fell unevenly. Her lips parted slightly like she wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.Inwardly, my wolf howled.It wasn’t a quiet sound. It clawed through me, restless and hungry, pacing like a beast locked in a cage that had finally scented freedom. My control thinned with every breath I took near her.Looking at the woman who had been driving me to the edge without even realizing it, I exhaled slowly and reached for the hem of my shirt.The fabric slid over my skin as I pulled it off in one motion.Her eyes widened.That reaction alone sent another sharp wave through me.I placed one knee on the bed.The mattress dipped under my weight. The shift caused her body t
Mannie’s POVDominic chuckled. From his gaze, I could tell he didn’t believe me.His eyes lingered on my face longer than they should have, dark and searching, like he was trying to peel me open and read something I wasn’t even aware I was showing. It made my chest tighten, but I couldn’t even hold that feeling properly because my thoughts were slipping, soft and scattered like sand through my fingers.My brain already felt mushy, and trying to form words felt like chasing something that kept moving just out of reach.Whooosh!The wind slammed against me, wild and unforgiving. My hair flew everywhere, strands whipping across my face, sticking to my lips, brushing against my eyes. I blinked hard, trying to see through it, but everything felt unsteady.“Hey… can… you… wind… up… the… window… and close the roof…” I forced the words out slowl
The sound of my boots echoed on the marble floors as I stepped into the house.No—her house.Or at least the one I gave her.Zarah Twain.The woman who was supposed to be mine. The woman everyone swore was the same one from five years ago. The one my people brought home because she wore the right w
I never thought I’d see the day where I’d stand on a stage in fishnet stockings, an oversized pink hoodie, and pigtails with sparkly clips.But here I was.Trying to survive.The lights in the bar were too bright and too fake. I could feel the sweat sticking to my back under the thick, ugly hoodie
The cold wind hit my face the moment I stepped out of the bar. I looked left and right, scanning the sidewalk. She was already at the edge of the street, wrapping a scarf around her neck, clearly in a rush to leave.“Wait,” I called.She stopped, stiffened, and turned slowly.Her eyes met mine agai
The dim light of the bar gave everything a grainy hue. Music still echoed faintly from the cheap speakers, but my mind was fixed on one thing—the woman who had just stepped off the stage.She wasn’t like the others. There was something deeply strange about her outfit—layers of mismatched clothing t







