LOGINI walked downstairs annoyed. My head was heavy, thinking about what Paige was up to now.As I approached the grand floor, the voices of women echoed everywhere.I narrowed my eyes trying to see who was sitted beside my mom.Then I saw them...Mrs. Smith and other women who always followed my mum around.I scoffed.Fake people everywhere.I began wondering why Mrs. Smith was here. I wasn't ready for their discussions that always bore me.It's either about why I'm not dating Paige,Or...Why I chose Allison.I ran my hand through my hair as I finally got downstairs."Good day Aaron." One of the women said pulling me in a tight hug that I could hardly breath."Good day Ma'am." I said nonchalantly with a smile which was obviously fake."Aaron, Mrs. Smith came along with her daughter to see you." My mom said.There it was.Mrs. Smith and her unbearable daughter, Paige.Paige came out of one of the corridor with a flower bouquet on her hand.She wore a smile on her face that was so annoying
*Aaron's POV* The city lights streaked past the window as I drove through the quiet streets.I wasn't thinking about Ethan.Or DNA results.Or family secrets.I was thinking about Allison.My fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.A few months ago, I would have laughed if someone told me a girl would become this important to me.Yet here I was.Thinking about her smile.The way she laughed at my terrible jokes.The way she somehow managed to make even my worst days feel lighter.I exhaled slowly.At one point, I had considered creating some distance.Not because I wanted to.Because I thought it would protect her.My life wasn't simple.It never had been.Between family expectations, the investigation, and everything waiting to explode around me, part of me had wondered if Allison would be better off without being dragged into it.But tonight had made one thing painfully clear.I didn't want distance.I wanted her.Simple.Complicated at the same time.Annoying.Perfec
The air instantly felt heavier.Paige jumped forward, voice sugary and poisonous. “Aaron, I saw the whole thing. Liam basically attacked her, but honestly, Allison didn’t seem to mind it at first. She’s been playing both of you...”“Shut up, Paige,” Aaron cut her off coldly, not even sparing her a glance. She froze.humiliated written all over her.I stepped closer to him, speaking fast. “Aaron, Liam followed me out here. He confessed he likes me and said I deserve better than you. I told him to back off and stop interfering, but he grabbed me and kissed me anyway. I slapped him. Paige was hiding and recording everything.” I let out a sigh after narrating everything.My chest felt heavy.Aaron’s jaw clenched hard. His eyes dimmed with cold fury as he looked at Liam. For a heartbeat, the corridor was dead silent.Then he snapped his fingers sharply toward the end of the hall where a couple of guys from our school were lingering.“Yo. Come here. Now.” he snapped.Two tall guys appea
Allison's POVThe party was somehow louder than when we'd arrived.I didn't even know how that was possible.Music pulsed through the hall.Colored lights swept across the ceiling.Students crowded around tables, dance floors, photo booths, and every corner they could possibly occupy.Parkview students truly had a talent for turning every event into chaos.I stood beside Aaron, sipping my drink while watching a group of boys nearly knock over a decorative stand."Five seconds," I muttered.Aaron glanced over."What?""Five seconds before something breaks." I replied.A loud crash echoed from the other side of the room.I pointed."There."Aaron followed my gaze.Then laughed.His attention shifted toward the entrance.A group of Student Council members were heading our way.The moment I saw their matching badges, I already knew what was coming.Aaron clearly knew too.His expression immediately became annoyed."Uh oh."He sighed."Can they just not disturb me today.""They found you.
As I stepped out of the café, my mind kept drifting to the text.What did Liam plan on saying now?"I shouldn't be worried," I muttered, rubbing my face with my palms.Finally, I pulled out my phone and typed back."Yeah. For a few minutes."I slipped the phone back into my pocket and continued walking.My thoughts drifted to the party tonight.What I would wear.Who would be there.What kind of chaos Parkview students would manage to create without teachers around."Ugh."I groaned as I turned onto my street.The Student Council was organizing it.That meant freedom.And freedom at Parkview usually meant trouble.By the time I got home, the sun was already beginning its slow descent.After a quick shower, I stood in front of my closet.And stared.And stared.And stared some more.Why did choosing an outfit suddenly feel like a life-or-death decision?I pulled out one dress.Rejected it.Then another.Rejected that too.A third one.Still no.My bedroom door opened.My mother peeked
Allison's POVThe moment I stepped through the front door, my mother looked up from the dining table and narrowed her eyes.Not suspiciously.Knowingly.I froze.She froze.Then a slow smile spread across her face."Oh."I immediately pointed at her."No.""No what?""Whatever you're thinking." I said.She laughed."I'm not thinking anything.""You are."She laughed.I dropped my bag onto a chair."Mum.""Allison."The innocent look on her face was completely fake.I knew it.She knew I knew it.Yet she kept going."Why are you smiling like that?" She asked.I touched my face."I wasn't smiling."She raised an eyebrow."Sweetheart, you've been smiling since you walked through the door."I groaned."Can I at least sit down first?""Maybe."I shook my head, fighting back a laugh.Home.Simple.Small.Comfortable.Nothing like Aaron's mansion.Yet somehow it always made me feel warm inside.Dinner that night was peaceful.The smell of fried rice filled the house while the television play







