ログインRenata"You've got to be kidding me."I sat up sharply, staring at Gunther standing in front of my door in the middle of the night. If this was actually real, if Drent had genuinely made him my personal night guard, he had unknowingly made everything about my situation infinitely worse, without even realizing what he had just handed over to this man.I had spent the last hour before falling asleep quietly plotting, trying to piece together some version of an escape plan I could actually execute. Every single idea had run straight into the same wall. Gunther. Now he wasn't just a threat wandering the halls somewhere. He was posted directly outside my door, hour after hour, watching, waiting."Did Drent really think it was a good idea to have you stalk me even at night?" I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief.Gunther smiled, but the expression never quite reached his eyes. "I told you," he said. "He trusts me completely. And with this kind of authority, it's practically impossible for
GuntherI sat close to Renata as she struggled with her straw at the dining table, unable to keep my eyes off her.There was something about the way she carried herself, even now, even trapped inside a house she never chose to be in, that set her apart from every other woman I had ever encountered in this line of work. Most people broke within days of losing their freedom. She still fought, still schemed, still looked for cracks in every wall around her. It only made me want her more."Are you sent to watch me eat dinner too now?" she asked, not bothering to look up.I didn't smile. "It's rare to find myself in the presence of a proper damsel. But with you, I find it nearly impossible to look away. Your energy is the kind most men would call... suppressive."She scoffed. "Do you always talk like you swallowed a literature textbook?""Only when I want to impress someone I actually like," I said. "Which, admittedly, doesn't happen often."She simply shook her head. "Well, this is weird,
RenataI sat at the dining table, waiting, until Drent finally walked in, his guards flanking him on either side.I had spent most of the morning rehearsing exactly how I wanted this conversation to go, keeping my tone soft, agreeable, nothing like the woman who had screamed at him through a locked door only days earlier. If I wanted any real shot at escaping, I needed him to believe I had finally accepted my place here, at least on the surface."You look happy today, Peach," he said, taking his seat across from me."I'm not," I said, straightening. "I've just given up trying to get out of here. So I figured I would ask for some adjustments, if I'm going to be staying."He studied me for a moment, leaning back in his chair. "What do you want?""I just have one request," I said. "If I'm going to be here, I want outdoor time. At least one hour every day. I can't stay locked in a room all day. Let me see the sky at least."He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's not a bad idea."Relief
RenataI woke up panting, my chest heaving, disoriented until my eyes landed on Drent sitting across from me in a chair, a glass of whiskey resting in his hand. His eyes hadn't left me since the moment I opened mine.The room around me looked different from the one I remembered falling asleep in, unfamiliar shadows stretching across walls I didn't recognize, the faint hum of an air conditioner somewhere overhead. Wherever we were now, it was nothing like the estate I had spent the last few days trapped inside."Where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse."You died and went to hell," he said flatly, without even the faintest hint of a smile."What?" My heart lurched painfully."And I'm here to torture you," he added, and this time the corner of his mouth finally curved upward, letting me know he was only teasing."I didn't die?" I asked, still trying to piece together what had happened. "How?""You're not dying on my watch," he said simply."No, I thought—" I started, but he cut me off, gri
DrentThat cute little look was still on my face as I held Reneta in my arms and carried her back toward the room.She was never leaving me.Not now.Not ever.I knew she was angry with me. I knew she probably wanted to fight me, scream at me, and maybe even bite me if I gave her the chance.But I couldn't help smiling.She was too damn cute.The moment we got inside, I noticed the small cut on her finger. It was bleeding slightly, probably from when she had grabbed the broken edge of the chair earlier.I immediately went to get the first-aid box.When I came back, she was sitting at the table with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her lips pushed into the most adorable pout.I placed the box on the table and gently lifted her onto the surface.She glared at me."Never try to escape me again."She didn't answer.Instead, she snatched the bandages from my hand and began wrapping her injured finger herself.She did it angrily, pulling the bandage a little too tightly.I couldn't
BryanI can't let it show, I told myself, staring blankly at the floor of the bar. I can't let anyone see that I still have feelings for Renata after all these years.It had been years since I let myself think about her that way, years since I convinced myself that whatever we once had as kids belonged firmly in the past. Seeing her walk back into my life had cracked something open that I thought I had sealed shut a long time ago, and hearing the fear in her voice on that call had only made it worse.But that call, the panic threading through her voice, the way she had rushed through every word like she barely had time to say them at all. Something was wrong. Was she actually in trouble.Her message had been simple enough on the surface. Go find Edwina. Tell her Drent had her. But who the hell was Drent. Nothing about any of it sat right with me.I turned to my boss. "Mr. Shane, I'm going to need to take today off."Shane looked up from behind the counter, a knowing smile already tugg
DrentThe applause soon faded, the unexpected kiss between me and Renata had amused everyone. I didn't know we had the attention of everyone, and most especially, my father, who seemed to stand from afar with a smile of approval.That alone made me feel so close to getting the company than ever, bu
RenataAfter three straight days in the hospital, I had not taken calls from anyone. I had stayed off social media, away from school, and away from everything else. Just sitting beside my mom and watching over her, hoping she would be alright.I had applied for a job at Tinnies, a fast food spot ne
RenataA week passed and all my efforts to get into the tournament had failed. A part of me began to regret not taking Drent up on his offer, but another part of me was glad I had not. I did not trust him or his family.They were probably the kind of rich family that believed only money mattered, o
DrentThere was something unsettling about her. I had asked for a spa therapist, but instead they had sent me something I found far more amusing. A tiny, curvy girl who I found surprisingly tempting.Which was strange, because I had not felt that way about anyone in years. But it felt like a good s







