登入ElaraI couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off my face. I finally had a job! And not just any job out of the eight places I applied to, five actually wanted me. I thought my small fame was limited to Italy, but apparently people here knew me too.I quickly swiped on some lip balm and called out to Leo to make sure he was ready. He’d started school just three days ago, and so far, everything seemed to be going well.Grabbing my bag and sunglasses, I headed downstairs.Mom and Dad kept insisting that Leo and I should just stay with them instead of wasting time and money on an apartment in New York. Their points made sense, but I had already found a place. Boxes of our stuff from Italy were still sitting unopened in the guest room. They’d arrived a few days ago, but they wouldn’t even fit properly in an apartment anyway.Leo was eating breakfast when I walked into the kitchen. Mom poured him a glass of almond milk and slid the juice toward Dad.My heart always felt so full seeing the three o
"....Fine. Yes, Dad. Adrian is here with me," Vivian said into the phone, repeating "fine" at least five times. "Okay, Dad. Bye."She hung up and handed the phone back to me. As she tried to lie down again, she hissed in pain. That neck brace looked incredibly uncomfortable."Dad worries too much sometimes," she huffed, though a small smile played on her lips. "Thanks for coming, though. I know you must’ve been busy.""We’re friends, Vivian. It’s no big deal," I replied. "Besides, if I hadn’t shown up, your father probably would’ve dragged himself out of bed and come here himself."I sat on the couch in her VIP room at Trident Private Hospital. When I first walked in, I was shocked to see her wrapped in bandages with a neck cast. There had been a minor accident on set during an action sequence, and as the lead, Vivian had taken the brunt of it. Thankfully, it wasn’t serious otherwise, the movie crew and director would’ve faced the full force of Victor Holt’s anger."Can you pass me th
Adrian“What’s going on?” I asked as Holden suddenly pulled the car to a stop. I narrowed my eyes and peered out the window. A crowd had gathered ahead, completely blocking the road.“I’m not sure, sir. Looks like some kind of incident up front.”We were supposed to be at the site by ten, and it was already nine-thirty. I hated running late. “Turn around and take the other route.” Holden nodded and swung the car left. Who the hell caused a traffic jam right in the middle of the street?I was staring out the window, only half paying attention, when something caught my eye. “Wait.” Holden slammed on the brakes.“Everything okay, sir?”I leaned over a little and there he was—the kid from the airport. He was standing beside a black car, watching the chaos around him. What was he doing out here by himself?Without thinking, I got out of the car, ignoring Holden’s concerned questions, and walked straight over.“Hello there,” I said. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. Those bright blue eyes
ELARA VALE “Watch out!”The truck’s headlights hit me like a spotlight and I froze in the middle of the street. One second I was on the sidewalk, the next I was standing there like an idiot with my heart trying to punch its way out of my chest. People were shouting all around us.Then a calm voice cut through the chaos. “Are you both alright?” I looked up and saw him watching me with genuine concern. I nodded shakily. My first worry was the old lady. I let out a relieved breath when I saw her standing right beside me, grumbling to herself.“Yeah… thank you,” I breathed. “That was so reckless of me.” I’d tried to save her and nearly got us both killed instead. Thank God this stranger had yanked us out of the way in time.“Your heart was in the right place, but you really need to be more careful,” he said gently. There was something familiar about him, like I’d seen him before, but I couldn’t quite place it.His dark curls fell over his forehead as he turned to the old lady, who I gue
St. Joseph Elementary looked a lot bigger in person than it did in any of the pictures. Kids spilled out of buses while others sprinted past us, laughing and shouting at the top of their lungs.The whole scene made me smile. They were all so adorable in their matching uniforms. I glanced over at Leo and caught him scrunching up his nose in clear disapproval. Back in Italy, he used to take the bus without any fuss. I still carried a lot of guilt for missing so many of his school events and award ceremonies, but I’d promised both him and myself that I wouldn’t miss a single one from now on.I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He looked up at me. “Do you like the school?” I asked.He shrugged, nowhere near as excited as I was. This kid… winning him over could be harder than climbing a mountain sometimes. “I’ll tell you after I see what it’s like inside,” he said. I chuckled and nodded. My son had a way of making me feel a little silly at times, but I didn’t mind.Dad had wanted to come wit
Jackson blinked, looking like he'd just seen a ghost. My face probably mirrored his shock. Running into my ex in the supermarket after nearly six years was the last thing I ever expected.“Elara,” he said, color slowly returning to his cheeks.“Jackson,” I replied. The awkwardness between us felt thick enough to cut with a knife. He looked older now, but still handsome sandy blond hair neatly combed, the same eyes now framed by glasses. This wasn’t the Jackson I remembered at all.“How are you? This is so weird, bumping into each other after all this time,” he said with a nervous chuckle.“I’m good. How about you?” I asked. He gave me a calm smile. I’d always imagined I’d still be furious if I ever saw him again, but standing there now, I felt… nothing. No anger, no resentment, not even a spark of the old pain.“I, um… how’s everything with you?” I’d never seen Jackson look this flustered before. It almost made me smile. Before answering, I reached out and grabbed the last bottle of a







