MasukChapter 172 – Laura’s POVThat night didn’t leave me easily.Even after Michael had gone, even after the house had settled into silence, I found myself awake longer than I intended, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers I wasn’t ready to face. The calm from earlier hadn’t disappeared, but it had changed shape. It was no longer just quiet or peaceful. It was… unsettling in a different way.Because it was real and that made it harder to ignore.I turned slightly on the bed, pulling the blanket closer around me as I exhaled slowly. My mind kept replaying the day. The way he looked at me when I spoke. The way he didn’t interrupt. The way he waited.Michael had always been patient. But this… this was different.This wasn’t patience born out of persistence or stubbornness. It wasn’t him trying to prove something or win something. He wasn’t pushing. He wasn’t even asking.He was just there. And for the first time, I didn’t feel like I had to fight that.That realization alone should h
Chapter 171 – Laura’s POVI knew Michael would be coming over soon. I could feel it, not because of any message or indication, but because the routine we had slowly started building had begun to settle into a rhythm, one I hadn’t expected to feel comfortable with again. I adjusted the blanket around my shoulders and pushed myself up, letting the soft mattress release me into the new day.As I walked to the kitchen, I found my mind drifting to last night, to the brief moment Michael and I had shared outside. It hadn’t been monumental; there hadn’t been declarations, or promises, or dramatic gestures. But there had been something far more powerful presence, patience, understanding. He had allowed me to be stubborn without judgment, to maintain my walls without feeling condemned, and in doing so, he had started dismantling them in the only way that mattered: with trust.I busied myself with making tea, the warm liquid steeping slowly, filling the room with its earthy aroma. The kettle w
Chapter 170 – Laura’s POVThe afternoon air felt heavier than the morning had, warmer in the sun but still carrying a weight I couldn’t shake. I walked slowly along the edge of the yard, my hands folded loosely in front of me, and I realized I had been replaying every second of last night over and over in my head. The memory wasn’t just persistent, it was magnetic, pulling me toward a truth I had tried to ignore.I loved Michael. That was undeniable. But love alone wasn’t enough. Not yet. I needed to be certain of myself, certain that letting him in again wouldn’t cost me everything I had fought to protect. And yet, every glance, every word, every small memory of him pressed against the walls I had built, chipping them away despite my stubborn determination.Catherine’s teasing advice still echoed in my mind “You’ve already let him back into your heart. The rest is just practice.” I had laughed at the time, partly embarrassed, partly defensive, but now I understood what she meant. I
Chapter 169 – Laura’s POVThe house felt quieter than usual as I stepped outside into the cool morning air. The sunlight hit softly, washing over the yard and painting everything in shades of gold, but it didn’t make my heart feel lighter. The moment with Michael from the night before lingered in my mind, and I knew it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I hadn’t regretted what had happened, yet I also couldn’t pretend that it hadn’t shaken something loose inside me. There was a pull toward him that I couldn’t fully explain, a desire that no amount of stubbornness could mask, and that was exactly what scared me the most.I had told myself so many times that I was done with letting him control my emotions, done with allowing him to slip past every barrier I had built. But the truth was that he had already slipped past them. He had always had a way of doing that, of bypassing every defense I put up, even when I didn’t want him to. And last night had proven, once again, that it didn’t m
Chapter 168 – Laura’s POVThe house felt quieter than usual as I stepped outside into the cool morning air. The sunlight hit softly, washing over the yard and painting everything in shades of gold, but it didn’t make my heart feel lighter. The moment with Michael from the night before lingered in my mind, and I knew it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I hadn’t regretted what had happened, yet I also couldn’t pretend that it hadn’t shaken something loose inside me. There was a pull toward him that I couldn’t fully explain, a desire that no amount of stubbornness could mask, and that was exactly what scared me the most.I had told myself so many times that I was done with letting him control my emotions, done with allowing him to slip past every barrier I had built. But the truth was that he had already slipped past them. He had always had a way of doing that, of bypassing every defense I put up, even when I didn’t want him to. And last night had proven, once again, that it didn’t ma
Chapter 167 – Laura’s POVThe house had settled into a quiet place that no longer felt threatening, just still. The kind of stillness that came after too much had already happened, when everything else was waiting for the next move.Michael stood a few steps away, his attention no longer on the doors or windows, but not entirely on me either. It was somewhere in between. Careful and controlled.Like he was choosing where to stand without crossing a line.I should have said something.Told him we were done for the night. That he could go. That I didn’t need him here anymore.But I didn’t.Instead, I walked past him.“Stay,” I said.The word came out quieter than I intended, but it was clear enough.He didn’t respond immediately.I could feel that slight shift in the air, the way the space between us changed without either of us moving much.Then, “Alright.” he replied.I moved into the kitchen, more out of habit than intention. My hands reached for a glass, filling it halfway before I
Chapter 54–Aryn’s POVMy hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles had turned white. My breath came in shallow bursts, ragged and uneven. I had thought I was meticulous, untouchable and Flawless. But what happened a few minutes ago shattered the illusion.I had been exposed. The real
Chapter 56–Daniel’s POVThe first thing I felt was fear.Not the kind that makes you scream or run, but the kind that settles deep in your chest and turns your blood cold. The kind that reminds you that no matter how long you’ve lived, no matter how much power you think you control, there are still
Chapter 59—Laura’s POVThe courtroom did not erupt the way movies always portrayed moments like this.There was no shouting, no dramatic gasps echoing endlessly.Instead, there was silence.For several seconds, no one moved. No one spoke. Even the judge seemed frozen, his gavel resting loosely in h
Chapter 55–Laura’s POVSomething was wrong.I didn’t know how I knew it. There was no evidence yet, no proof in my hands, no document or confession. But my sharp and insistent instinct refused to let me relax. Aryn didn’t walk like someone who had just been cleared of suspicion. She walked like som







