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 84–Michael’s POVI never thought I’d go this far contacting her like this but I was desperate. I needed her to understand. I needed her to see that I hadn’t stopped caring, hadn’t stopped thinking of her, and hadn’t stopped regretting.I got her number from her PA. It had been simple, reall
Chapter 87–Michael’s POVSomething felt wrong the moment I drank the water Kayla gave me. At first, I thought it was just fatigue, the day had been long, stressful, and every encounter with her had left a bad taste in my mouth. But the moment I took that sip of water she had handed me, I knew. My s
Chapter 85–Michael’s POVI parked a few blocks from Laura’s office, my heart pounding as if it were trying to escape my chest. I tried to calm my hands as I pushed through the lobby doors, nodding at the receptionist without a word. The elevator ride up felt endless. Each floor ticking by was a r
Chapter 88–Kayla’s POVI couldn’t get him.Michael slipped through my hands again.I growled under my breath, the sound low and feral, and let the shift begin just enough for my claws to emerge. I drove them into the wall in front of me and dragged them down slowly, listening to the scrape, watchin







