LOGIN(Stella)“No!”The scream tears out of me as I stare at the two bold lines on the test strip.“I’m pregnant.”Really pregnant.I drag both hands through my hair, my breathing growing uneven as panic crashes into me.“How could I?” I whisper.My fingers tremble.“How could I let this happen?”A thousand thoughts slam into my head all at once.Felix. Those nights. This baby.No.No, this cannot be happening!I begin pacing the bathroom, trying to steady my breathing.I have to find a way out of this.If Felix ever finds out I’m carrying his child…I stop walking.My stomach twists.Knowing how obsessed he is with having his own family, with having his own child, he’ll never let me go.Never.Before he finds out, I have to bury the truth.Cover it up.I’ve already started this lie.Now all I have to do is make it real.Slowly, I lift my head and stare at my reflection.A smile begins curling across my lips.“Sorry.”I let out a soft laugh.“But not sorry, Rayner.”This is all your fault.
(Amara)I wake with a heavy weight pressing against my chest.Last night’s news. The chaos. The whispers. The murmurs.Everything clings to me like a shadow I can’t escape.I know I should be stronger than this. I should be able to face whatever comes next.But today… everything feels unbearably overwhelming.My hand reaches for the bottle of pain relief medication on the bedside table.For a long moment, I simply stare at it.The cool plastic rests against my palm while my thumb slowly brushes over the cap.Maybe I should just take them. Maybe they’ll dull this ache inside me. Maybe they’ll quiet my thoughts.I begin twisting the cap open.Then I stop.A hollow laugh almost escapes me.This isn’t something a couple of tablets can fix.The pain sitting inside my chest is far deeper than—A tired sigh slips from my lips as my mother’s voice echoes through my mind.“You don’t need to come in today. Just take the day off.”My shoulders sag.Slowly, I finish opening the bottle.Who cares?
(Stella)I swirl the glass in my hand, waiting.The moment I feel his presence behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist in a hug, I gently pull away and turn with a small smile.He doesn’t see it coming.He doesn’t even realize my next move until my palm crashes against his cheek.His head snaps to the side.My anger explodes.“How dare you, Felix?” I hiss. “How dare you do something like this without consulting me first?”Silence. Heavy. Suffocating.But I don’t give him the chance to speak.I close the distance between us, fury boiling beneath my skin.“What were you thinking?” I demand. “If everyone finds out about Amara and Rayner now, how are we supposed to succeed with our plans? How are we ever going to separate them? Didn’t you think about that?”My breathing turns uneven.“Now, because of this stupid stunt, you’ve made everything harder.” I throw my hands up in frustration. “So what if you now own seventeen percent of their company? What good is that if you can’t take th
(Amara)“Amara, you—”She takes one swift step toward me, her eyes locked on my trembling hand.“Maya…”Her name breaks apart as it leaves my lips.Slowly, I lift the phone between us. The photo is still displayed on the screen.My eyes burn.My throat aches.“What…” My voice shakes. “What is this?”Silence. Complete silence.Maya doesn’t answer.She doesn’t even look surprised.A bitter scoff tears out of me as my hand slowly drops.“I can’t believe this.” My chest rises sharply. “I don’t understand any of this. How can you…”I snap my gaze to hers.“Maya, I trusted you.”The words sting coming out.“And you did this to me?”“If you trusted me,” she says quietly, “you wouldn’t be standing here questioning me or thinking I’d ever do something like this.”“What?”My jaw falls open.“What are you saying?”She gently takes the phone from my hand and raises it between us.“This?” She lets out a small, almost offended laugh. “You really think I’m responsible for that article just because t
(Amara)I barely make it three steps into the living room before Grace’s voice slices through the silence.“Wow. Look who finally decided to come home.”A slow clap follows.Every eye remains fixed on me.I stop walking.Grace rises from her seat, shaking her head.“The daughter who disappears all day while the rest of us deal with the consequences of her actions.”“Grace.” My mother’s warning comes immediately.But Grace only laughs.“What? I’m telling the truth.”She points directly at me.“Do you have any idea what people are saying about this family right now?”My jaw tightens.“Everywhere I go, people are talking about the Roosevelt family.”Her voice grows sharper.“About the scandal.”“The affair.”“The disgrace.”Each word lands like a slap.“And it’s all because of her.”The room falls silent.My mother’s face hardens.“Enough.”“No.” Grace shakes her head. “You shouldn’t have brought her back into this house in the first place.”The words sting more than I want them to.Beca
(Amara)I sit alone on the bench, staring out at the amusement park.Life moves on around me.Children race toward the rides, their excited screams carrying through the air. The Ferris wheel turns slowly in the distance while the roller coaster rushes past with another round of terrified laughter. Bright music blares from nearby speakers. Families queue for attractions. Friends stop to take photos beneath colorful lights and decorations.Yet somehow, all of it feels distant.Blurred.Like I’m watching the world through a sheet of glass.My fingers tighten around the edge of the bench as Felix’s voice continues to echo inside my head: You betrayed me first. So whatever you’re facing, you deserve it.My throat tightens.A tear slips down my cheek.Then another.I quickly wipe them away, but they keep coming.“Do you really think I was going to let you go that easily? Certainly not. Not after what you did to ruin my life.”I squeeze my eyes shut.His face flashes through my mind.The co
(Rayner)“You’re in my room.”Stefan’s voice drifts behind me as I adjust my cufflinks.“Why?” I turn to face him. “Is there something you’re hiding that you don’t want me to see?”The question leaves me, and I watch something flicker across his face before he quickly schools his expression. A scof
(Amara)A soft groan slips from my lips as I wake.“Argh…”I curl into the bed and squeeze my eyes shut.What the—Then the memories hit.Fast.My entire body stills.My eyes snap to the space beside me.Empty.No Rayner.No one.For a second, my breath catches.Then I sit up slowly, dragging my kn
(Amara)I want to speak. I want to say something.But the words refuse to come.My eyes stay glued to them instead.The way she stretches her hands toward him.The way he rushes to her side, holding her, asking if she’s alright.The way she nods gently, like a woman loved right, before leaning into
(Amara)“Mmm.”Maya hums as she rounds the corner and catches me packing up my bag. “Don’t tell me you rushed to clear your desk on time just because you’re eager to run home?”I glance at her, smile, then return to arranging my things.Maya, my best friend and work colleague, has never been one to







