로그인Alina's POVThe phone screen illuminated my face in the darkness of the bedroom, casting eerie shadows across the walls. 1:17 AM, the digital clock on the nightstand read. I wondered who it could be by that time.My fever had broken hours ago, but sleep remained elusive, and that was only because I couldn't get Lila’s visit off my mind.Whatever she had said to Leo and Sebastian weighed on my mind heavily. I wonder when next she would strike, but I know I wouldn't allow her to do that again. I picked up my phone from the nightstand and my blood turned ice on seeing the name displayed on the screen.Lila."How's your fever, Alina?" Lila's voice dripped with false concern, each syllable laced with mockery that made my skin crawl."Save your fake care," I snapped, my fingers tightening around the phone. “I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing."Her laugh tinkled through the speaker, light and airy, as if we were old friends sharing a joke. “Oh, but you should be intereste
Alina’s povThe evening air was cool against my skin when I finally woke from my long nap, probably the aftermath of the fever. The fever had broken sometime during the noon, leaving me weak but clear-headed. I refused to go to the hospital with Sebastian because I wasn’t ready to face the outside world up until this moment. He was quick to call for a doctor seeing my resistance to go to the hospital.I could hear movement in the kitchen, the familiar sounds of dinner being prepared, and I forced myself out of bed despite my trembling legs.Sebastian had ordered takeout. I could smell the rich aroma of Italian food as I made my way to the dining room, steadying myself against the wall. He looked up when I entered, relief flooding his features.“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”“Better,” I managed, though my voice came out hoarse. “Much better.”Leo sat at the table, unusually still, his small hands folded in his lap. He didn’t run to me the way he normally would have. He didn’t
Sebastian’s POVI watched Lila circle my office as she touched everything her hand could reach in a feathery touch. Her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Each step was like she was purposely stepping on my nerves, and I drummed my fingers against my desk, fighting to maintain composure.“Just say what you have to say, Lila.”She stopped by the window, glancing outside for a moment,” the paparazzi aren't completely gone I guess” She must have seen someone lurking around the house. I made a mental note to send Viktor to send them off. I wonder if Lila was always this dramatic. The first time I met her, she was all over me, not minding Alina's presence.When she turned, her expression was sickeningly sweet.So shameless!“Leave her, Sebastian.”“Excuse me?”“Alina.” She said the name like it tasted bitter. “Leave her and marry me instead. I’m better than her in every way that matters. I have the pedigree, the connections, the understanding of your world that she’ll ne
Sebastian POVAlina woke up one day with a fever. It was so bad that I wanted to take her to the hospital but she vehemently refused. I pressed my palm against Alina's forehead again, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. "We need to go to the hospital. This fever is too high.""No." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the fear in her eyes was sharp and clear. "Please, Sebastian. No hospitals.""Alina...""They'll recognize me." She gripped my wrist weakly. "After everything in the tabloids... I can't face those stares, those whispers. Please."My jaw tightened. The scandal from three weeks ago still followed us like a shadow, photographers, gossip columns, strangers with their cameras ready. I was still dealing with the aftermath in the company. It was obvious that Madam Estelle was bent on ascertaining her authority over the company.The thought of Alina vulnerable and feverish in a hospital waiting room, exposed to all of that, made my stomach turn."Fine," I relented. "I
Sebastian's POVI watched Alina leave, her plea echoing in the sudden silence of my study. "Fix it…”If only it were that simple.I returned to my room to freshen up. I had a lot to do.My desk in my study had lot of of financial reports and legal documents that I had to go through. And that's how I spent my entire night, trying to fix it…I have barely had a single moment of rest since the scandal broke, I'd barely slept. Every phone call was another fire to put out, every email another problem demanding immediate attention.The company's stock had dropped like a stone, seventeen percent in a single trading day. I'd spent that entire night on calls with investors, with board members, with the PR team, desperately trying to stem the bleeding.Day two had been marginally better. I'd managed to stabilize things. Press releases more carefully crafted, statements and that seemed to do a bit of damage control.The paparazzi finally left the house premises completely, but Alina and Leo
Alina’s PovI kept talking, trying to keep my voice as steady as I could. I didn't look at Sebastian in the eyes, if I did, I would shatter. "She admitted she created the scandal. Every photo, every story,it was all her. She's threatening to make our lives even more miserable if I don't comply. She called Leo hers, said he belongs to the family, to the legacy." My laugh was bitter, broken. "She's right about one thing. I have nothing. No power, no money, no way to fight her."Sebastian crossed the room, reaching for me, but I stepped back. I was too exhausted, too defeated to accept comfort that couldn't fix anything."She's not right," he said fiercely. "And we're going to fight this. Together."I looked down at Leo, at his tear-stained face pressed against my shoulder, and felt the weight of Madam Estelle's threat settling over us.Together.The word should have brought comfort. Instead, it just reminded me of how much we had to lose."Leo, can you go and set up the scribble game







