LOGINBIANCA Vanessa and I had been downstairs for the past hour and a half.We sat in silence. There was nothing to talk about… except for the fact that I'd seen neither Aunt Kim nor Mrs Callaghan in almost three months. And now…“How much longer do you think he'll be up there?” Vanessa innocently asked. Since the moment she arrived till now, the concern across her face stretched clear.“He hasn't seen his mom in months” I answered. “And the last time he did, she couldn't move a single muscle. Let's give him some time.”Understandably, Vanessa had no idea who they were when they entered Max's room. For some reason, until the brief introductions, she was on the edge. “Max is going to be fine” I assured her. “They're family. And if you're still worried about the fever, it's not the end of the world. I promise.”I'd become so used to seeing a smile on her face, even I felt put off by her nervousness.I tried to change the topic, but just before I could—“Did you happen to see him get back
MAXI could feel myself burning up. The warm cotton beneath me, the gentle breeze drifting in through the window, the suffocating clothes on my body. Everything felt uncomfortable. Slowly, I found the strength to raise my eyelids, and the ray of sunlight peeking in through my bedroom window sent a sharp pang through my iris. “Shit” I groaned, tossing slightly to avoid it while my consciousness slowly returned.There was this weird taste at the back of my tongue all the way up to the tip. My nose was blocked for some odd reason, and every joint in my body felt like it'd been grabbed and wrecked a hundred times over. What the fuck happened last night?Thinking only made my head bang harder. Limo. Tessa. Party. The rest of the night just blurred into oblivion. I sat on the edge of my bed, fiddling the sheets for my phone when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.“Who is it?” I half-heartedly replied, trying to decipher how many missed calls blurred back on my screen. Another knoc
MAXI could feel myself burning up. The warm cotton beneath me, the gentle breeze drifting in through the window, the suffocating clothes on my body. Everything felt uncomfortable. Slowly, I found the strength to raise my eyelids, and the ray of sunlight peeking in through my bedroom window sent a sharp pang through my iris. “Shit” I groaned, tossing slightly to avoid it while my consciousness slowly returned.There was this weird taste at the back of my tongue all the way up to the tip. My nose was blocked for some odd reason, and every joint in my body felt like it'd been grabbed and wrecked a hundred times over. What the fuck happened last night?Thinking only made my head bang harder. Limo. Tessa. Party. The rest of the night just blurred into oblivion. I sat on the edge of my bed, fiddling the sheets for my phone when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.“Who is it?” I half-heartedly replied, trying to decipher how many missed calls blurred back on my screen. Another knoc
Bianca’s POVThe private suite at Sully’s Palace felt like a gilded cage.I stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the delicate black lingerie that barely covered anything. The sheer lace bra pushed my breasts up enticingly, the matching thong left almost nothing to the imagination, and the garter belt with thigh-high stockings completed the look. A delicate mask covered the upper half of my face — enough to hide my identity while still letting clients see my lips and eyes.This was my first official gig.Mia had assured me the clients here were high-end, discreet, and that I could set my own boundaries. “Just flirtation tonight,” I whispered to my reflection, repeating the mantra I’d been telling myself all evening. “Nothing more. You’re only here for intel on Max. That’s it.”A soft chime sounded. The lights in the room shifted from normal warm white to a faint, seductive red. Mia had warned me about that too — it meant the client(s) were ready.My heart hammered. I too
MAX Six in the evening on a Saturday night. After last night’s group study session, I should’ve been getting some rest. Instead, I was sitting in the back of a sleek black limo, heading to some extravagant high-society ball I wanted absolutely nothing to do with. But I didn’t have a choice. Not if I wanted things to work. “Who are you again?” Tessa asked from across the seat, barely looking up from her phone after spending the last ten minutes barking orders at her security team through the intercom. “Manuel,” I answered smoothly. “Manuel Colt.” She finally glanced at me, assessing. Her gaze was sharp, calculating, like she could see straight through the fake credentials and the tailored suit I was wearing. Fair enough. “I’m standing in for your secretary tonight. Valia had a family emergency,” I added, keeping my tone professional and detached. Tessa hummed, slipping her phone into her clutch. “Try not to embarrass me, Manuel. These people smell weakness like sharks.”
BIANCANight class was great. At least for most part, we were able to make some solid progress, exchange ideas, and cover up to half of the material in less than four hours.Max didn't talk to me the entire time. Not that I cared or anything, but I thought the jacket thing was a good sign. Thought I'd at least get a word, or a smile, or even bare acknowledgement.I got nothing, even when we took the bus together back home.He went straight to his room and closed the door behind him, leaving me in the quiet night wondering if I should interrupt his sleep by returning his jacket.I didn't.And unsurprisingly, I didn't have the best ‘nights’ either. It was the weekend, so I didn't have to worry about school, but my body's clock had pretty much gotten used to the six a.m ring of my alarm… even though I'd purposely switched that off today. By the time I'd gathered enough strength to roll back under my covers, I'd also lost just the right amount of strength to plunge myself back into a h







