LOGINARIELLA "No," I said shaking my head. "I am not doing it anymore." "You barely started," Asher said. "I'm finished." "You ran for three minutes." "It felt like two years." Leon laughed so hard he nearly fell over. "Mom." "No." "Mom." "No. No, no." "You look and sound exactly like Leon wh
ASHER "I think... yeah. I mean, I guess someone who can help me deal with this. Give me ways to deal with this." Ariella explained herself. I tightened my hold on her hands. "I'm here." She looked at me. "Nobody deserves your thoughts. Nobody deserves your truth. Nobody deserves you more than
ASHER Ariella had the right connections to get whatever drugs she could pump into herself if she wanted to. She had the means to do it, and I wasn’t going to let her. “It’s gotta stop,” I told her point-blank without sugar coating it. She narrowed her eyes at me. “I know about your little alcoh
ASHER I stayed patient... or at least I tried. Finding out about the alcohol was the moment that really terrified me. Because Ariella wasn’t like that, she wasn’t reckless and she barely drank unless it was socially, and even then she never lost control of herself. But grief changes people. Loss
ASHER As soon as Leon disappeared, the room became quieter. I slipped my hands into my pockets. “How is he doing?” I asked. Sia’s face softened immediately. “He’s doing great,” she said honestly. “Just as he said himself. If he keeps progressing like this, I’ll contact the school so he can sit
ASHER Luca nodded once. I stood up slowly and walked toward the window overlooking the estate. "We can still pull Fabio in and make him spill everything the hard way." He said. “I want Fabio comfortable,” I responded. “I want him to believe we know nothing. The second he gets nervous, he’ll eith
ARIELLA Later that night, I went back into my bedroom, the silence of the house weighing heavier than it had all day. I had realised something....no, accepted it. I couldn’t change what was coming. I couldn’t stop the inevitable. But that didn’t mean I was going to let it happen quietly. He wasn
I squeal and rush towards the bathroom, the sound of Asher's low chuckle following me as I slam the door shut behind me. My cheeks are burning, and not just from the embarrassment, I’m still reeling from everything. From Leon’s little face full of joy… from Asher’s smile… from the way my body aches
Dana sighed before she snapped “This is all Alan’s fault.” Dana’s words came out like venom, sharp and bitter. “He just can’t fathom the idea of me having a friend. Every time I get close to someone, he either ruins it or tries to sleep with them.” I flinched. “If it wasn’t for him, I’d still ha
I was crouched there, in front of everyone, like I was breaking my own son’s heart right in front of the people I was told to stay away from. I knew everyone was watching. Alan. Dana. Even Rosie, quietly holding her uncle’s hand, was watching her best friend cry. But I didn’t know what to do. I wa







