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CXX : You Lock the Doors, I Steal the Key
Last Updated:
2025-03-16 22:49:57
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His Son, Her Secret CXXI: If I Knew Then What I Know Now
"It's Mikaela," Aurora said quickly.I'm still staring at Kyara's phone. The words on the message seem stuck behind my eyelids, flickering every time I blink.To Belva Moguel. The cold in my fingers creeps up to my wrists.Kyara sighed, sitting straighter on the bed, her still pale cheeks looking even paler. "Ara..." she murmured in warning. "That's ridiculous."Aurora looked up quickly, her eyebrows already raised. "Ridiculous?" she repeated, her tone rising a fraction of an octave. "She’s our ex-best friend. And she's crazy enough to sleep with her best friend's fiancée." Her eyes narrowed sharply. "Blowing up a restaurant isn't the most extreme thing she might do."Kyara shook her head. "That's... just about Pascha," her tone tired. "She’s not a criminal, Ara. She’s—" She rubbed her face, her fingers trembling despite trying to hide it. "You think she'd blow up a restaurant... just because of Pascha?"Aurora chuckled. Silence for a few seconds, then said, "Crazy people do crazy th
Last Updated : 2025-03-18His Son, Her Secret CXXII : Potatoes, Pride & Pascha Romanov
When I parked the car in front of the house, the sky was beginning to burn orange. The colors of twilight swept across the window pane, reflecting off the surface of the calm sea in the distance. Salty air sneaked into my lungs as I opened the car door, my steps heavy, my heels clicking softly on the wooden floor of the porch.I take off my shoes at the entrance, leaving them lying there, then walk slowly to the balcony, my briefcase hanging loosely over my shoulder.Clara sat in a wicker chair, her bare legs folded comfortably over the seat. A half-empty glass of lemon tea perched in her left hand. She wore a loose, oversized white T-shirt, her hair in an original braid and hanging to one side.She turned her head when she heard my footsteps approaching, her smile slow and relaxed, as if the afternoon were hers alone."You're home," she said.I pulled out a chair from a nearby round table and sat down slowly. My shoulders were still stiff from too much weight bearing, and the chair w
Last Updated : 2025-03-19His Son, Her Secret CXXIII: Flour, Fire, and a Love Long Lost
My fingers moved deftly, removing the onion skin. The knife moves nimbly on the chopping board, slicing the onion, each thin slice falling into the bowl. A tangy aroma instantly fills the air, mingling with the fragrant remains of the dough Pascha failed to make earlier.Clara stands beside me, her sleeves rolled up, and without prompting, she begins cleaning up the mess left behind by Pascha."Are we making arepas too?" Clara asks, putting the remaining potato skins in the trash.I glanced over her. "If Pascha have white cheese, why not?"She walked over to refrigerator, pulling out the ingredients without asking: cornmeal, cheese, and butter. Everything was on the table in less than a minute. Her hands deftly started mixing the arepas without needing my signal.I returned to the piece of meat I was washing under cold water. It was a thin piece of flank steak for sobrebarriga, a dish that is supposed to be slow-cooked, but I knew how to speed up the process without sacrificing flavor
Last Updated : 2025-03-20His Son, Her Secret CXXIV : No Going Home, Mommy!
It's late at night.The San Francisco air feels cooler as the breeze from the ocean breaks through the crack in the kitchen window.Max had been looking sleepy for an hour, but as usual, he refused to admit his defeat to sleepiness. He kept running around the house, driving around Pascha's house in his new yellow mini porche, which Pascha said he had ordered directly from the car company, and babbling endlessly about how he could beat all the Autobots with his new robot.I finally approach the front door, preparing to head back to my own house, literally right next door to Pascha's, Max suddenly appears from behind, standing directly in front of me with his arms outstretched, blocking my way.I frowned, seeing him looking at me with a serious expression."Where are you going, Mommy?" he asked in a suspicious tone.I raised my eyebrows. "Home....?"Max snorted loudly, looking at me as if I had just said something outrageous. "No!"I blinked, confused. "Why? Mommy's house is next door.
Last Updated : 2025-03-21His Son, Her Secret CXXV : San Francisco Mornings & Romanov Madness
My body is warm. Too warm.I was drowning in a strange comfort, the firm plane chest, the regular breath wafting down my neck, and the strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, keeping me trapped in something all too familiar.But this...This is not Max.Instantly, I opened my eyes.The morning light was already coming in through the gap in the curtains, refracting its golden rays across the room. And in front of me—too close—is Pascha.Pascha.His head nestled in the crook of my neck, his warm breath brushing against my skin, while one arm was held around my waist, tight ike I stil belonged to him and would not be let go.My chest tightens.How did he get from the other side of the bed to here?!I swallowed, preparing to push his body away, but before I could move, an annoyed grunt sounded from the other side of the bed."Mommy! Daddy's cheating!"I turned around quickly, finding Max sitting on the other side of the bed with an expression full of complaints. The boy crossed his a
Last Updated : 2025-03-23His Son, Her Secret CXXVI : I Knew You Were Trouble, and Yet…
I pushed through the white picket fence and stepped into Kyara's front yard. The smell of fresh grass mixed with the salty odor of the ocean not far away. The San Francisco air is cool, and the coastal breeze blows gently, making my hair a little messy as I knock on the door.It doesn't take long before the door opens, revealing Kyara already standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.“You finally came too, Moguel. I almost thought you'd forgotten about this lunch.”“Sorry for being late, a lot of work.” I just shrugged, following Kyara into the well-organized dining room. On the table, there were several dishes-seafood pasta, fresh salad, and steaming onion bread. I raised one eyebrow, sitting on the chair comfortably.“Since when can you cook like this?” I asked, smelling the tantalizing aroma of the plate in front of me.Kyara pulled out her chair, sitting down casually before pouring white wine into her glass. “Since I got tired of takeout. Besides, I've had plenty of tim
Last Updated : 2025-03-24His Son, Her Secret CXXVII : You Should Have Known
Pascha was still standing there, so close that I could smell his signature scent, a mix of woody spices and something more familiar. But I didn't let myself be swept away. Not this time.I let out a sigh, pulled my phone from the back pocket of my jeans, and held it out to him. With a quick flick, I unlocked the screen and shoved it his way."Here. Read this."Pascha frowned but took the phone from my hand. His eyes swept the screen quickly, then his jaw hardened.I saw how his fingers gripped the phone tighter, and the look in his eyes, which had been full of judgment, now turned sharper and darker."What is this?" his voice sounded cold.I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, steadying myself. "Threats."He fixed me with a hard stare, waiting for more, but I simply lifted my chin, meeting his gaze without flinching."It was sent to Kyara. Right after the restaurant explosion."Pascha's breathing slowed, each rise and fall of his chest measured, controlled—like he was holding back
Last Updated : 2025-03-25His Son, Her Secret CXXVIII : Flashback : You Tangle Wires, You Tangle Me
I stand in the centre of my small apartment, hands on my hips, my jaw clenched tightly, as my eyes sweep across the room.His backpack is leaning against the wall by the door, and his boots lie haphazardly next to the sofa. In the corner of the room, two of his jackets hang on a chair, one of them still with the folded sleeves I took off last week.And that's not counting my desk, which is now littered with random wires that clearly don't belong to me. I can recognize some of the electronic components he's left exposed, a series of circuit boards and microcontrollers that he seems to be assembling, for who knows what."Pascha."There was no answer.Amidst all the scattered items, Pascha sat comfortably on my couch. His feet rest on my small coffee table. His head rests against the back of my sofa, and, more annoyingly, he's playing my PlayStation.Or... what used to be mine. Because it's been months since I last touched that thing.His two thumbs moved quickly on the control stick, h
Last Updated : 2025-03-26
Latest chapter
His Son, Her Secret CXI : Whispers of the Past
I came down the stairs at seven a.m., my steps slow on the oak wood that felt too expensive—and far too quiet—for the storm inside my chest. The sound of waves drifted in from afar through a slightly cracked window, filling the air with sea salt and cool mist. Morning light slipped softly into the living room, brushing over thick rugs and cream velvet couches that looked like they belonged in an architecture magazine.The Romanov villa in Carmel… was too perfect.Too still.And for the first time since last night, I was thankful for that.No heavy footsteps on the floor.No clinking glasses.No low voice saying my name in that way that short-circuited my entire nervous system.No Pascha.I let out a quiet sigh—half relief, half disbelief. I wasn’t ready this morning. Not for his stare. Too honest. Too lit. Too full of history.I made my way to the kitchen. The interior looked like something out of another world—gray marble counters veined with white like paintings, dark wood cabinets
His Son, Her Secret CXC : Warmth, Ruin & Tart Guardian
His embrace felt like the world I almost left behind—warm, stubborn, and heavy with the shadows of our past.But I couldn’t breathe.Not because he was holding me too tightly, but because my mind was too full. Too loud. Too much to process all at once.I pressed my hand gently against his chest. One small push. Then another, firmer.Pascha let go slowly, but his gray eyes stayed locked on me like he was afraid I’d vanish if he blinked.I took two steps back, holding in a breath that burned like embers in my chest.“I need some time alone,” I said softly.Pascha frowned but didn’t speak.“Another room. In this villa. I know this place is huge—too huge. You can sleep wherever you want. But I need space. I need… somewhere that isn’t you.”My voice nearly cracked, but I forced it to hold.He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me, and I could see something stirring inside him. Not anger. Not guilt.But love—raw and unsure of what shape to take in a moment like this.Then he steppe
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXIX : the page i didn’t read
I fell silent.The only sound was the faucet still running, water hitting the metal sink like a downpour in the middle of silence.That sentence echoed in my head."You're my wife, Bee."I blinked.Once.Twice.Then the world started to spin.Not the usual kind of dizziness, not a migraine from lack of sleep or too much caffeine. This was... like my logic was twisted, crushed, and thrown off the highest cliff without warning.My heart started pounding—not from emotion, but because my brain couldn’t process something this big… this absurd… this Pascha.I took a step back.Then another.My hand reached for the cold edge of the kitchen counter, gripping it just to stay upright.“What... did you just say?” I whispered, even though I’d heard him. Too clearly.He just looked at me, eyes steady, shoulders still slightly leaning forward like a man who just dropped a bomb in the middle of a city and was waiting to see if there’d be an explosion.I laughed.It was dry. Empty. The laugh of someo
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXVIII : What Remains of Us
The cold air hit my skin like a slap of reality.I stared at my reflection in the villa’s bathroom mirror—cream marble walls too smooth to be real, warm lighting that made my swollen eyes look softer, and a wide sink with a bottle of liquid soap that probably cost more than my shoes.But my face... was still the same.Tired eyes. Cracked lips. Unsteady breath.I wiped my cheek with a white towel—clean, lavender-scented—then looked at myself again.“This is the end,” I said quietly.My own voice sounded unfamiliar. But steady.“It has to end. Tonight.”I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling the front pieces back and tying them at the back of my head with a small band I found in my bag. The rest of my short hair fell around my neck—light, out of the way. Practical. Sharp. Just like my intention for tonight.I looked down at my wrinkled sweater—sage green, a color I used to love, now feeling like a burden. My jeans itched too, dusty from the car ride and too much heat from earlier ang
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXVII : how dare the sun still set
“I hate you.”That was the first thing I said after the car crossed the gate and turned onto the main road. My voice cracked. My breathing was still uneven. One hand clutched the seatbelt, the other trembled in my lap.“You think this is funny? Bringing her into your house? Around Max?!”Pascha stayed silent. His left hand rested calmly on the wheel, the right on the gearshift. His eyes were locked on the road like there wasn’t a storm sitting right next to him.“You really don’t realize what a bastard you are, do you?”Still no response.“You’re insane. You’re.....you’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met! You showed up at my house bleeding, crawled into my bed. MY BED, and the next day you brought her to your house?!”Still nothing. The car kept rolling forward, eating up pavement in a steady rhythm.“And you let Max laugh with her? Sit next to her? What.....what’s next, he calls her ‘Mommy’? Is that it? That your plan? To replace me? Hand her the title?”No answer.I turned to h
His Son, Her Secret CLX : Mirrorball Shattered Mid-Spin
The car hadn’t even come to a full stop in the carport when I opened the door."Bell—"I heard Kyara’s voice from behind me, but I didn’t look back. My steps were fast. Hot. Loud.Every heel strike against the stone path between my house and Pascha’s mansion felt like a tiny hammer, fueling my anger higher and higher. I knew he was there. I knew Max was there. And I knew that snake of a woman was there too, sitting pretty in the living room, playing a role so well even the devil would applaud her performance.Aurora was close behind me, her steps quick but cautious. I could feel her breath. Short and startled. But nothing could stop me now.The mansion door opened. Clara stood in the doorway, her expression confused and wary when she saw me. But I didn’t stop.“Where’s Max?” I asked flatly.“In the back room… playing with synthetic sand and Mischa,” Clara whispered.I didn’t say anything else. No need. I walked inside.And there she was.Her.Mikaela.Sitting on Pascha’s way-too-soft,
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXV : I Saw Red
I tapped the green button on my phone and held it to my ear.Three rings.Four.No answer.I frowned, pulled the phone away, and stared at the name on the screen: Ben (my favorite idiot twin). I called again.Ringing.Still no answer. No message.He usually lets me know if there’s a change of plans. Even when he's stuck in a board meeting in L.A., he still manages to send me a photo of a whiteboard covered in scribbles with a caption like, “Does anyone understand this? 'Cause I don't.”But now?Silence.I sighed, slipped the phone into my bag, and pushed the office door open with my shoulder. My actual office—not Romanov International. I’d had enough of Russians playing dress-up as CEOs.This office lobby was nothing fancy. Modern, but human. No marble, no echoing high heels that felt like judgment. Just the smell of fresh coffee, soft lighting, and polite smiles from Ellie the receptionist who talked way too much about her cats.“Good morning, Ms. Belva,” Ellie greeted.I gave a quic
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXIV : hit the pedal, heavy metal, show me your cares [Pascha]
The digital clock beside the bed read 4:12 AM.I opened my eyes slowly, and for a moment, the world felt still.Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains, casting soft lines across the wooden floor and the white bedsheet I was lying on. The sheet Belva said she’d just washed yesterday.I turned my head slightly, feeling the dull throb in my left shoulder.And I just... smiled a little.Still fresh in my memory: her panicked voice, her trembling hands, her frustrated muttering while cleaning up my blood last night. Belva in her panic-anger mode was honestly one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.I reached for my phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up, too bright at first. I opened the messaging app and typed quickly to Jacob.Pascha: Clean my wound again later.Barely two seconds and it showed a blue check.Then I switched to another contact and hit call without hesitation.Ronan.The dial tone rang.Once. Twice.“I swear on my wife and my dog, if this isn’t an emergen
His Son, Her Secret CLXXXIII : Dying, But Still Hot [Pascha]
The pain came in lazy pulses.Not the kind that made you scream or tear up a pillow, but more like a harsh whisper gnawing at the edges of your consciousness.I sat on a black leather chair in the back room of the mansion, my shirt torn, blood dripping onto the kind of expensive floor that would probably make my company accountant faint if he knew how much the carpet cost.Jacob was kneeling beside me, face tight, gloved hands steady, eyes filled with his usual annoyance. Christian stood in the corner, holding a basin of water and a clean towel, looking like he’d just seen a zombie walk into the living room.“Holy shit…” Christian muttered in panic, eyes wide. “Boss, we have to go to a hospital! This is serious! This is insane! This is—”I lazily raised an eyebrow. “If you can’t shut up, Christian, I’ll have Jacob stitch your mouth closed before he does my shoulder.”Christian froze. Literally.Jacob snorted, lifting a shiny pair of tweezers into the air, inspecting them under the des
