로그인~Sara~“Room 608.” The receptionist says, sliding the keycard across the counter. I stand awkwardly besides Sandra, face cap low. Nose mask up, looking around the reception like I'm fascinated with the paintings on the wall.Sandra grabs the keycard with a bright smile. “Thank you so much.”“You’re welcome,” the receptionist replies warmly. “Hope you enjoy your stay.”Then her gaze shifts to me. "...And you, miss—are you okay?” Oh God.I blink at her, pointing at myself. "M—me?”Sandra moves instantly, hooking her arm around mine and pulling me closer. “Oh, she’s fine! She just got back from… experimental nose reconstruction surgery gone wrong.'Silence.The receptionist’s mouth parts.Her colleague freezes mid-typing.I jerk my head to Sandra, stunned."Very sensitive." Sandra continues, nodding her head solemnly. "Sudden movements trigger… emotional episodes.”I choke.The receptionist gasps. “Oh my God… I’m so sorry.”Her colleague places a hand on her chest. “That must be so har
~Sara~The car zooms down the road, Sandra behind the wheel as we head toward my apartment.I clutch the dishes Mrs. Ford packed for me before I left the mansion. The flask rests on my lap, still warm. With one hand, I hold it steady; with the other, I scroll through my phone.“Here’s some dishes, girl,” Sandra snorts, mimicking Mrs. Ford as she turns the wheel into the next bend. “Make sure to eat well when you get home.”I laugh, slamming my head lightly against the headrest.Mrs. Ford has been… kind lately.First, she approves of my supposed relationship with Jeremy. Now, she’s packing meals for me and stressing that I should eat healthy.Strange.“Maybe she’s had a change of heart,” I say as Sandra continues her impersonation, her face locked in an exaggerated frown. “You know, people tend to get sentimental as they get older.”Sandra grunts, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please. Unless she had a revelation from God Himself that she’s about to die…” She glances at me, eyes narrowing susp
~Sara~I blink. Stunned.My mouth opens… then closes, and I just stare at him, not knowing what to say.He tilts his head, watching me, amused. Then, pinches the bridge of his nose, exhaling dramatically.“You know,” he says, wincing faintly, “this position isn’t exactly comfortable. My knee is starting to hurt.”My eyes widen. “Then—then stand up!”“Not until I get an answer.”I freeze again.Answer?What answer?Sandra leans into me, nudging me with her elbow. “Give him the number already.”“I—what—no—I mean—” Why is this happening?!Jeremy’s smile widens.Sandra straightens and grins at me mischievously.Oh no.I whip my head toward her. “Sandra—don’t you dare—”“Give him the number!” she starts chanting.The maids join in.“Give him the number!”“Give him the number!”“Give him the number!”My jaw drops. “You people are insane!”Sandra cups her hands around her mouth. “NUMBER!”“NUMBER!” the maids echo.I drag a hand down my face, heat rushing up my neck.This is a nightmare.An a
Sara~I huff, looking away. "It was nothing like that.”“Mm-hmm,” she nods slowly. “And I suppose the way you froze when he smiled was also… nothing?”“I did not freeze!”“You hiccupped.” She grins. “Six times. I’ve known you for years, Sara, and I’ve never seen you hiccup in front of anyone.”“That was a medical reaction!”Sandra bursts into laughter.I glare at her, but my lips twitch slightly despite myself.“Medical reaction, indeed.” She crosses her arms and leans back in her seat, a satisfied smile on her face. “I’m starting to believe he’s a lot hotter than Alex!”I almost choke on my drink.“He’s a lot broader,” she blurts out. “Well-muscled, and he has a very enticing physique.” She turns to me. “You and him could be a thing, seeing the way he…” She winks. “Looks at you.”For no damn reason, my chest tightens at the thought.Alex and I were a thing.I didn’t want that—gone.I stare down at my drink and sigh.Across from us, Mira and Jason are practically glued to each other,
~Sara~He grabs my arm again, this time harder.Jeremy moves instantly, stepping between us, and Alex steps forward too, meeting him eye to eye.For a second, it looks like they’re actually going to fight when—“Jeremy?!” a voice squeals from behind.We all turn to see Mrs. Ford standing at the stairs, her eyes wide with excitement.“Oh my God!” she rushes forward, squealing. “You’re here!”Sir Alex follows behind her, calmer but clearly pleased.They both move straight to Jeremy, pulling him into greetings, talking over each other.“You’ve grown so much!” Mrs. Ford gushes. “Look at you!” She touches his face, shoulders, arms. “So strong! So handsome!”Sir Alex sighs. “That’s enough, Rita. You’re going to scare him off.”Mrs. Ford stops gushing but keeps clinging to Jeremy’s arm.Sir Alex Sr. rolls his eyes.“How’s your mother?” he asks, now looking at Jeremy.“On her third trip this year with her new boyfriend,” Jeremy says, smiling politely.Sir Alex laughs. “She still changes men l
~Sara~It feels like a face-off.That’s the only way I can explain it.One second, I’m standing there in Jeremy’s arms, still trying to process the fact that I almost broke my nose. The next, everything changes. Like the room itself knows something is about to go down.Alex and Jeremy stare at each other.In. Tense.Jeremy peers at Alex, amused.While Alex…Alex—He stands there like a storm about to break. His jaw clenches so hard I can see the muscle ticking. His eyes are dark, brows knitted into a tight frown, and a dangerous energy radiates off him in waves. Like something lethal is lurking beneath the surface, waiting for the slightest excuse to break free.And me?Me.I’m the lamb between two lions.Jason steps forward, blinking. "Jeremy? What are you doing here? I thought you never came around.”Jeremy smirks, his eyes still locked on Alex.“I’m here for the anniversary,” he says, amusement glinting in his eyes. “Aunty and Uncle have always been my favorites. It would’ve been b
~SARA~WHAM!I let the crate crash onto the gray tiled counter.Everyone stops moving, turning to my direction.I point at the crate, narrowing my brows. “Who did this?”Martha blinks. “Did what?”“Give me rotten ingredients,” I say, pushing the crate toward her.She frowns. “Impossible. We don’t k
~SARA~“So let me get this straight,” Sandra says on the other end of the line. “You’re on the news for all the wrong reasons. It’s alleged that you planned to siphon half of the money budgeted for a project—a project worth millions contracted to our agency. The board suspended you based on this, a
~SARA~I stare at the burner, blinking.What the fuck have I gotten myself into?I narrow my eyes and take a closer look at the knobs, but one glance tells me this isn’t something I can just try my luck with.The knobs are complicated—more complicated than the ones in Alex’s kitchen. Not only are t
~SARA~She sits across from me, and it feels like a silent standoff.We’re just staring at each other, neither of us speaking, like we’re both trying to size the other up.She looks calm. Too calm. Like she is used to situations like this.She is dressed in expensive clothes. Not flashy, just obvio







