LOGIN(Stella)The sound of the remote crashing against the wall makes me jump.I whirl toward Felix, my heart pounding.“Felix.”I force my voice to stay steady despite the shock.“You need to calm down. It was only a press conference. You didn’t think she’d stay quiet forever, did you?”“Yes!”His voice booms through the room.“I never expected she’d be bold enough to call a press conference.”He paces back and forth, frustration radiating off him.“I thought she’d keep everything hidden. That’s the kind of person she was. She always wanted a quiet life.”He lets out a bitter laugh.“That’s why I never imagined she’d publicly address the article and prove it was false. She…”“Then maybe you never knew her well enough, Felix.”I cut him off.I let the words settle between us.“She was only showing you the version of herself she wanted you to see.”His steps come to an abrupt halt.“Do you know…” He drags in a shaky breath. “She’s actually demanding that my mother move out of the house in P
(Rayner)“Rayner.”Stefan rushes into my office without knocking.“Have you seen this?”He lowers his phone in front of me.My eyes immediately land on the screen.Amara.The press conference.My jaw tightens.My mind drifts back to last night. To the conversation we had. She had told me about her plan to call the press conference and set everything straight herself.She wanted to deal with it on her own. She’d asked me not to interfere.“You already knew?” Stefan asks, noticing the look on my face.I nod once.A heavy sigh leaves him as he runs a hand through his hair.“This is insane. Whoever released that article must’ve expected this. They wanted her marriage to Felix exposed. That…”“Stefan.”I cut him off.He immediately falls silent, the rest of his words dying in his throat as he looks at me.I lift my eyes to him.“There’s something I need you to do for me.”The room grows still.The words linger between us.There is no way I’m leaving Amara to fight this alone.Just then—Th
(Amara)“Just to be clear, are you saying you never had an affair with Rayner Sinclair during your marriage to Felix Reid?” a reporter’s voice cuts through the room.I look up.A small smile curls on her lips, almost like she’s enjoying this.“And what about now?” she continues. “You’re divorced now, so is there anything romantic going on between you and Mr. Sinclair?”My heart sinks.My fingers curl around the edge of the table.She holds my gaze without flinching, as though she’d been waiting for this exact moment to strike.But I won’t let the media decide what this conference becomes.I rise to my feet. My lawyer and Nathan immediately follow.“This press conference was called to debunk the false article published about me,” I say calmly. “I’ve addressed everything I came here to address.”A polite smile settles on my face.“Thank you for your time.”I turn and walk away.The room erupts into chaos behind me.Questions fly from every direction. Reporters call my name, each one try
(Rita)Warmth wraps around me long before I fully wake.For a few peaceful seconds, I simply lie beneath the duvet with my eyes closed, letting myself sink into the unfamiliar comfort surrounding me. Then everything comes rushing back.Last night. His confession. His touch. His kiss.Us.My eyes flutter open.The first thing I see is Stefan.He’s still asleep beside me, lying on his back with one arm resting over the blanket. Morning sunlight filters through the curtains, painting soft golden streaks across his face. Without the guarded expression he wears almost every day, he looks… peaceful.My lips curve before I even realize it.It’s real.Somehow…It’s actually real.For years, I’d convinced myself Stefan never saw me the way I saw him.Back in university, I was just the quiet girl who admired him from a distance, too afraid to let him know how I felt. Even after we met again, I still believed nothing had changed. If anything, that one night only made me more certain he’d regret
(Stefan)I spend the entire evening thinking about everything.About Rita. About us.No matter how hard I try to push the thoughts away, they keep coming back, echoing through my head.“It was just a fling.”“Don’t think I’d ever want anything to do with you.”My chest tightens.As night settles over the city, I lie in bed, forcing my eyes shut, hoping sleep will finally rescue me.Seconds pass. Then minutes. Eventually, hours.Nothing works.With a frustrated sigh, I throw the duvet aside and walk out of my room.I stop at the drink stand and pour myself a glass.In one swallow, it’s gone.The burn slides down my throat, briefly distracting me.I pour another.Then another.Soon, the alcohol begins to cloud my thoughts.Good.Maybe now I can stop thinking about her.My slippers scrape against the floor as I make my way to the couch, drink still in hand.Then my eyes drift to the small clock sitting on the side table.A bitter scoff escapes me.I guess I won’t be able to stop thinkin
(Rita)“You’re home late.”My aunt’s voice greets me the moment I step into the apartment.I nod once, kicking off my shoes into the corner.“Yeah. Had a few drinks with some friends.”“Friends?”Her eyebrows lift, and I don’t need her to explain why.Just a few years ago, I barely spoke to anyone. Even throughout university, I mostly kept to myself. So hearing me casually mention friends sounds unbelievable.My eyes widen.Well…I let out a quiet breath.“Aunt, I did have a friend back then, you know.” I roll my eyes.“Exactly,” she replies with a knowing smile. “A friend.”“And she has other friends.”“Hmmm.”“You don’t have to worry.” I walk farther into the living room. “I’m not the timid Rita everyone used to know anymore. Her friends aren’t going to bully me or anything.”I shrug.“She just invited all of us out because she’s leaving the country soon.”“Oh?” My aunt follows behind me, surprise flashing across her face.“Yeah.”I sink onto the couch and pull off my socks with a l
(Rayner)“My phone,” I say, patting my pocket. “I think I left it in the car.”“I’ll go get it,” Stefan offers immediately, already turning away.“No.”The word leaves me before he can take another step.A faint smile touches my lips.“I’ll get it. You go ahead and check in our bags.”He studies me
(Amara)My breath catches as I hurry around a corner, my heart beating hard.So hard it feels like it might burst from my chest.Slowly, my fingers rise to my lips.I touch them.Trace them.And instantly, my mind betrays me.The moment flashes before my eyes again.The moment we almost—I shake th
(Amara)"Alright, everyone, let's have your attention."The host's cheerful voice carries through the hall just as Maya and I step back inside.Conversations gradually fade.Guests begin gathering closer together, their attention shifting toward the small stage at the front of the room."Tonight, w
(Rayner)The long meeting is finally over by the time I head toward my grandfather’s mansion. Of course I was never going to miss his invitation. I already planned to come. But threatening my mother with it had been the only way to gain the upper hand and do things my own way.“But Rayner—”Stefan’s







