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Part 11
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-03-05 11:44:41
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Blunt Pain Part 81
NorthHe held Jordan’s hand as they walked into the hotel lobby, his fingers lacing through hers automatically, grounding himself in the familiar warmth of her touch. The lobby was lavishly decorated—marble floors polished to a mirror shine, crystal chandeliers cascading from the ceiling, soft instrumental music filtering through hidden speakers. Fresh lilies stood in oversized vases near the entrance, their scent faint but noticeable. Everything about the place whispered wealth and discretion.North glanced around, instinctively assessing the room the way he’d learned to do over the years. Businessmen clustered near leather couches. A concierge spoke in low tones to a family dressed in designer travel wear. No obvious press. No cameras lurking nearby. That was good. Especially for Axl.His mother hadn’t arrived yet, and though he would never admit it out loud, he was grateful for the reprieve. Seeing her after everything that had happened always stirred something raw in him—guilt, pr
Blunt Pain Part 80
AxlTwo years laterHe closed the flap of the piano slowly, his fingers lingering against the polished wood for just a second longer than necessary before he finally pushed himself to his feet. The roar of the crowd crashed over him in waves. It wasn’t just noise—it was vibration, pressure, something alive. It pulsed in his chest like a second heartbeat, like oxygen flooding his lungs. The stage lights still flashed in blinding bursts of white and gold as they made their way offstage, the heat from them clinging to his skin.Sweat trickled down his spine beneath his shirt. His muscles felt heavy, loose from exertion, the adrenaline still humming in his veins even though the final chord had already faded. He was exhausted—bone-deep exhausted. Europe had been madness. City after city. Flights, buses, interviews, rehearsals. The schedule had been relentless, unforgiving. But when the crowd screamed like that, when thousands of voices sang their lyrics back to him, it made the fatigue alm
Blunt Pain Part 79
NorthHe rubbed the sleep from his eyes and fumbled for his ringing phone, squinting at the unfamiliar brightness of the screen. His room was still dark, the early morning light barely filtering through the curtains.“Hello,” he muttered, voice thick.“North?”He went rigid. “Mom?”“Honey… have you heard from your father?” Sleep vanished instantly.Only four days had passed. Four long, stretched, suffocating days. He had known it wouldn’t take long. Weston St. John was not a man who could disappear quietly. He was too powerful, too visible, too connected.“No,” North said carefully. “Not since that night he came to tell me I wasn’t really married to Charlotte.”There was a sharp inhale on the other end. “What?” she whispered.“So you didn’t know?” North sat up slowly. “What’s going on?”“Nobody’s been able to reach him,” Janine said. “Patrick Marsh called me this morning. He thought maybe Weston had mentioned something to you.”North swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood,
Blunt Pain Part 78
MeritIt was hours later when Weston opened the door again. The metallic scrape of the lock sliding back made her jolt upright. He stepped inside carrying a tray, as if this were a routine domestic visit instead of imprisonment. He set it carefully on the nightstand beside her bed. Merit didn’t hesitate. She lunged for the open doorway, her bare feet slapping against the cold floor. She made it halfway up the narrow staircase before Weston’s arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her clean off her feet.“Let me go!” she screamed, kicking and clawing at him. Her fingernails scraped against his skin. She twisted violently, but he only laughed—that calm, almost amused sound—and carried her back downstairs as though she weighed nothing. He dropped her onto the bed without ceremony.“This won’t work if we don’t work together, Merit.”“You can’t keep me down here!” she sobbed, scrambling backward against the wall. “What did I ever do to you? You could’ve just said you didn’t want a child
Blunt Pain Part 77
AxlHis phone buzzed and he exhaled slowly, staring at the screen before flipping it face down on the counter. Even now, there were expectations of him, places he needed to appear at, people to meet, cameras to smile at.“Is there a way to get out of this building without anyone knowing?” he asked.North frowned as he scooped pasta onto two plates. “Why?”“Because we can’t be seen leaving or coming back. I can post something saying I’m in Cambridge visiting my friend. That gives us an alibi. People already know I don’t do the whole ‘public appearances and autographs’ thing unless I have to.”North set the plates down and leaned against the counter. “Yeah. There’s a maintenance staircase. It leads into an alley at the back. No cameras.”“Good.” Axl nodded once. “Tell me more about this house Weston has. You’re sure he’s there?”“He goes every last weekend of the month. Sometimes more. It’s remote. Quiet. No neighbors for miles. He calls it his escape.” North’s jaw tightened. “He’ll be
Blunt Pain Part 76
MeritShe wiped more tears from her face, the skin beneath her eyes raw and tender. Nothing in her life had gone the way she’d imagined it would. She was supposed to be a society princess, admired and envied, married into power with photographers flashing cameras at every event. Instead, she was alone, pregnant, and clinging to the last fragile threads of hope.She had missed so many classes that she’d officially lost her scholarship. The email had come three days earlier. Formal. Polite. Final. She hadn’t even cried when she read it. She’d simply stared at the screen until the words blurred together. There was no one to call. No one to explain it to. No one who would care enough to fight for her.Axl had told her to go home. He had told her not to contact Weston again. His voice had been controlled, distant. Cold. He still had a week left on his tour. He said he would call her. It was all she had left now, but Axl always kept his promises.The cold glint in his eyes had returned that
Blunt Pain Part 20
MeritThe chilly wind whipped her hair about her face, but she didn’t bother trying to tuck it behind her ear. Her arms were hugging herself, trying to keep warm as she stumbled down the street. The cocktail dress she was wearing did nothing to maintain body heat. The thin fabric clung to her skin,
Blunt Pain Part 16
AxlHe was more amused than angry when North told him what had happened in the kitchen. Aspen, on the other hand, was pissed, and she’d left not long after Merit. He sat on the couch in his trailer, feeding Peyton a bottle before putting her to bed.The small living room glowed softly under the sin
Blunt Pain Part 12
AxlThe adrenaline from the fight was wearing off, but he still felt hyped up. The warm shower was quick, and he dressed even quicker. Peyton was taken care of until Sunday night, and he needed the downtime. He needed to unwind and just be a teenager for one night. The silence in the locker room p
Blunt Pain Part 10
AspenFrancine made omelets, and they sat at the kitchen counter to eat. The woman was a saint. Aspen liked her more than she liked her own mother, but she couldn’t help it. She was warm, honest, and loving. She treated Aspen like part of the family. Everyone did, even North’s mother.The quiet cli
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