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 53–Laura’s POVI stayed crouched behind the low wall, my back pressed firmly against the rough concrete, the chill of it seeping into my skin. My eyes flicked toward the window through which Aryn had climbed, the exact same window she had thought was unobserved. The thought made a small smi
Chapter 47–Aryn’s POVThe moment Laura walked out of the security room, I almost laughed but I cautioned myself.I kept my face calm but inside, something warm and vicious curled in my chest. Satisfaction, relief and victory. The cameras had worked exactly the way they were supposed to. I can't be
Chapter 44–Laura’s POV After I promised Aryn that I would speak to Daniel, I left her and went in search of him. I spotted him already engaged in conversation with some guests, their laughter carrying across the room. Not wanting to interrupt, I stopped and watched from a distance, deciding to wai
Chapter 42–The PartyAryn’s POVThe invitation arrived a week ago. A gala for the firm event. Daniel had mentioned he needed a date. I knew Laura would be the one he would choose.I smiled quietly to myself. I would make sure she didn’t go. I would make sure that, by the time the night ended, I wou







