ログインMaya's Pov The playground was louder than I expected.Children’s laughter filled the air, sharp and careless, blending with the squeaking of swings and the dull thud of running feet against rubber flooring. Bright colors stretched everywhere, red slides, yellow ladders, blue climbing frames each one buzzing with energy. It should have felt cheerful. It should have felt light but I felt strangely heavy.Nico walked beside me, with his small hand loosely held in mine, two guards trailed a few steps behind us. Nico wasn’t really dragging his feet, but he wasn’t excited either. His face was set in that distant, closed expression I had come to recognize too well.I glanced down at him. “Do you want to go on the swings first?”But there was no answer.I tried again. “Or the slide?”He pulled his hand slightly, not enough to break free, but enough to tell me he didn’t want to be touched.Confusion tugged at me. Then why did you agree to come? I wanted to ask but I swallowed the question.Ma
Luca’s POV Work has always been my refuge.Numbers made sense and the meetings followed structure. People, on the other hand, were unpredictable and exhausting. That was why I preferred the quiet of my office, the steady hum of the air conditioner, the neat stacks of files that stayed exactly where I put them, I made sure a space for my office was created at every one of my houses and it didn't matter the location.I was halfway through reviewing a proposal when a knock sounded on my door.I didn’t look up immediately. “Come in,” I said, my voice neutral, already bracing myself for another interruption I didn’t have the patience for.The door opened softly.For a second, nothing felt different. Then something shifted in the air, it was her scent perfume.I lifted my head.Maya stood just inside the doorway, with one hand curled around the edge of the door like she was contemplating whether to step fully inside or retreat. “Maya, I said you can come in,” She stepped in fully and clo
Maya's Pov “Yes he did, but he has gone now” I said and managed to get up gently from the bed. I have to shower immediately. Sarah stood staring at me like I was some sort of ghost but she didn’t ask anymore questions, soon I was dressing in my pastel night wear ready for bed.Morning came in quietly.The flutters of the sun rays passed through the curtains and rested softly on my skin, my eyelids fluttered and I rolled over to the other side of the bed to block the rays but it didn't help so I opened my eyes slowly, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to my own breathing. I looked to my side and Sarah was not around. I guess she has gone to make breakfast.It didn’t hurt as much anymore. My throat still felt tender, like it had been stretched too far the day before, but the sharp burning was gone, breathing came easier now, and when I swallowed, it didn’t sting the way it had last night. My chest still felt heavy with exhaustion, but it was the normal kind, slow
Maya's Pov The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them, I saw the disappointment in his face and something that looked like anger. I felt scared for Nico immediately and spoke up.“He’s just a child,” I said quickly, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound calm. “I don’t think he meant to do it. Children act without thinking sometimes, and I shouldn’t have let him drag me so far into the water. I should’ve been paying closer attention. I should’ve known better.”I kept talking.I didn’t know why, except that silence felt dangerous. Like if I stopped speaking, something irreversible would happen.Luca didn’t say anything.That frightened me more than if he had shouted.His face was hard, and his expression unreadable. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle jumped beneath his skin. His eyes were dark, fixed on some point just past me, like he was holding something back with every ounce of restraint he had.I swallowed hard.“I know I messed up,” I continued, my
Maya's Pov The room smelled like antiseptic and something faintly minty. It made my head feel light, like I was floating just above my body instead of fully inside it. I sat on the edge of the narrow bed, with my feet dangling, I was still wrapped in the same towel they had given me earlier, though it was now dry and warm.The nurse stood in front of me, holding a clipboard which had some papers on it, which I guess were my results. Her expression was calm but she had an unreadable expression on her face. “You’re lucky,” she said, flipping a page. “You inhaled water, but not enough to cause serious damage. Still, your throat and tonsils are very stressed. Your body too. You’re exhausted.”I nodded slowly, my throat still felt sore every time I swallowed. Even breathing felt like too much effort, I felt like my lungs were sulking after being forced to work too hard.“So what do I do?” I asked quietly.“Rest. Alot of it.” she replied immediately. “No strain, do not stress and also dri
Maya's Pov My lungs burned like they were on fire.Every breath I took was painful, It felt like my chest didn’t remember how to work properly anymore. I coughed loudly, the sound tore out of me. The voices blurred together around me as I walked with Sarah.There were too many strange faces staring at me like I had just come back from the dead. I blinked hard, my lashes felt heavy with water, I tried to focus on wherever Sarah was taking me to. “What happened…..?” I tried to ask, but my voice came out broken, barely louder than a breath.But Sarah remained quiet and continued helping me to move, my legs felt wobbly and suddenly I couldn't move any further, I fell to the sand not minding where I landed.My eyes wandered around and in no time all I could hear were echoes of voices speaking to me. I felt a large hand on my shoulders and then I forced my eyes open and they locked with Luca’s, I looked away trying to focus my attention on something else then I spotted him …… Nico.He sto







