Chloe The car jerked forward and slammed to a sudden halt, dragging my body slightly forward. My chest hit the restraint of the seatbelt hard enough to knock the air out of me. “Stella, goddamn it!” I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. “Do you want to kill us?!” Stella rolled her eyes and slammed the gear into park. “I should be asking you! Chloe Summer, are you trying to give me a heart attack?! I’m too young. Too fucking young to die of shock!” I blinked at her, confused, until she reached toward me. “No—wait—what are you doing?” I asked, fending her off. “I have to make sure you’re actually you,” she muttered dramatically, inspecting my face like I was some sort of alien clone. She touched my cheek, then my forehead, then her fingers slid down to my neck. I shrieked, jerking away with a laugh. “Stop that! You know I’m ticklish there!” Her hand dropped, and she slumped in her seat. “Shit. You are Chloe alright. Not an imposter.” I rolled my eyes. “When are you ever going
Chloe Eight years ago “I’m in love with the shape of you,” I sang at the top of my lungs. “We push and pull like a magnet do, although my heart is falling too…” I turned off the shower, still humming, and grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack. One I wrapped around my body, the other I wrapped around my hair to dry it. I snatched my phone from the counter, still blasting Shape of you by Ed Sheeran, and stepped out of the bathroom, dancing my way into the room like the pop diva I clearly was. “And last night you were in my room…” I shimmied my hips, twirled slightly, grinning at my reflection in the mirror. “Now my bedsheets smell like you…” Still swaying, I made my way to the dorm kitchen. I placed a kettle on the stove and dropped a tea bag into my favorite mug. I was halfway through another verse, hips still moving, when a deep voice echoed in the room. “You’ve played this song on repeat for like… three minutes. Don’t you have anything else?” I paused, the mug slipping from my
Chloe Eight years ago I yawned. I had just stepped out of the library. My eyes stung from all the reading. I’d spent most of the day reading between book pages. My only thought was collapsing into the comfort of my pillow and sleeping. My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and instantly felt my stomach drop at the name flashing across the screen. Psychopath: Come home tomorrow. I have something to show my lovely sister. I promise I’ll make it last longer this time. I stared at it for a long time. My hand trembled slightly around the phone. Last longer. What he meant wasn’t what anyone would normally think. It was so much worse. There was a reason I’d saved his number that way. Richard wasn’t just cruel, he was twisted. He used to torture animals, those little, harmless creatures, and he’d make me watch. He’d time it, test new ways to kill them. Like it was both a game and a challenge for him. And Father… Father never stopped him. Sometimes, he even provided the "subj
ChloePresent timeSome mornings I’d wake up in an empty bed, the sheets cold, and Tristan's voice would echo in my ear.“You and Logan can never have a happy ending.”And on those mornings, I'd ask myself the same question I’d asked a hundred times, if I could go back, if I could do it all over again… would I have listened? What had Tristan seen back then that I refused to? What had I been so desperate to believe?Now, standing in front of him after so many years, I felt like I’d been pulled back into a moment I’d tried to bury. Tristan, the high school bad boy who’d beat up seven students and walked away without a scratch. The reckless idiot who once climbed into my window like an outlaw. The boy who irritated me because he liked seeing me mad.But this wasn’t the cocky high school boy who’d broken into my dorm and commented on my terrible taste in music. This was a man.He was taller, more refined and attractive, but the look in his eyes hadn’t changed. He still had that same fie
Chloe I looked at Stella, my heart thundering so hard it felt like it could punch its way out of my chest. I didn’t even need to say it, she could already read it on my face. I was screwed. “What should I do, Stella?” I whispered. “They’re—” Before I could finish, Stella shoved me straight into another body. I stumbled, nearly tripping, but an arm caught me around the waist. I froze against the hard plane of Tristan’s chest, his grip firm around my waist. His scent hit me like déjà vu, clean and infuriatingly comforting, a smell that always seemed to calm me down. I stared at Stella, eyes wide. “What the hell?” “There’s no time,” she said, already backing away. “What…Stella, no, you can—” “My car is wrecked,” she snapped, already waving me off like she was swatting a fly. “And I can’t leave it here. Plus, you don’t know this, but Tristan’s a crazy-ass driver.” I turned to look up at him, conflicted. Could I really ask him for this? Could I really be that shameless? I opened
Chloe I stared at the man in front of me and shook my head slowly. How did it even come to this? What the hell is going on? Tristan stood there, arms casually crossed, that same annoying smirk playing on his lips. He tilted his head at me and said, "Are you not going to climb, Miss Perfect?" I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. I didn’t have a choice, did I? I had to climb him if I wanted to get into my window without anyone noticing. I sighed heavily, trying to convince myself it would be fine. Except, it wasn’t. It wasn’t fine at all. Because there was one tiny—no, not tiny, massive problem. I didn’t have any panties on. Yes, you heard right. I was naked underneath this dress because Alexander's brother threw my underwear away. If I climbed him, he would definitely notice. It would be impossible for him not to. Tristan raised an eyebrow at me, clearly growing suspicious. His eyes scanned my face, like he was trying to read my thoughts. I shuffled awkwardly on the sp
Chloe I saw my life flash before my eyes. No, really, I actually saw it. My heart skipped a beat. My ears rang so loud it felt like a bomb had gone off next to me. Every part of my body froze on the spot, too terrified to even breathe. The door swung open, and for a horrifying second, I thought it was all over. But Layla didn’t turn toward us. Instead, she stood with her back facing the room, yelling into the hallway, “Oh, I forgot, Mom, can I have that dress you wore last week? The white one—” She kept rambling about God-knows-what, but I wasn’t listening anymore. I jerked away from Tristan, who was still lying there with a unreadable expression on his face, as if kissing me in the middle of a crisis was normal. I didn’t have time to process that. I could scream at him later, but right now. I was in survival mode. I scrambled to my feet, grabbed his arm, yanked him up like he weighed nothing, and shoved him toward my wardrobe. He raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t resist as I
Alexander The man droned on across the conference table, his voice echoing through the wall. “We have already allocated tasks for the initial phase of the new mall, sir. Once the final land acquisition clears, construction should be able to begin immediately…” I tapped my fingers lightly on the desk, pretending to listen, my gaze fixed on the large screen in front of me but my mind was nowhere near this boardroom. It was filled, and consumed, by her. Please… pleasure me, make me cum. Please… let me take care of it. Hngh… Alexander!! A-Alexander, they’re outside. Your friends are literally right outside, we can’t—Nnhg! Every inch of her body, the perky breasts, the slim waist, the softness of her thighs pressing against me, the perfect way her lips moaned my name as she came under me. I could still feel her body wrapped around mine, the way she clung to me like she was surprised by the way she reacted to my touch. Those damn blue eyes clouded with lust. Her flushed cheeks. Th
Chloe I choked on my water. The cough had everyone’s attention snapping toward me, while Logan’s words still echoed in my head. Did he just say… Alexander? “Are you okay?” Logan asked, already rising from his chair. We all turned to Logan, surprised about his suddenly strange behaviour. I coughed, covering my mouth with my hand as the maid quickly stepped forward and patted my back. "Are you okay, ma’am?" she asked again, handing me a handkerchief. I took it, murmuring a quick, “Thank you,” and tried to breathe through the embarrassment burning its way up my throat. What was wrong with me? Why had I reacted so dramatically just from hearing his name? My Alexander isn’t the only Alexander in the world… Wait. My Alexander? What was that? My Alexander? When had he become my Alexander? I felt my cheeks flush immediately. Even my ears were hot. “I’m fine,” I said quickly, forcing a small smile. “Sorry. Swallowed the wrong way.” Layla rolled her eyes. "Be careful next time. You
Chloe "Please, can you reduce the vegetables on one plate? She doesn’t really like them," I said gently, glancing at the neatly plated dishes lined on the counter. The maid blinked, then looked down at the plate in question. “Ah, I’m so sorry, ma’am. I forgot again.” I smiled softly. “It’s okay. It’s hard to remember everyone’s preferences.” She let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging. “It really is. Sometimes I wonder how you remember everything. They all have different tastes, and the madams are so picky. Any single thing becomes an issue. If you weren’t helping me, I wouldn’t even be able to cook and—” She abruptly slapped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I should watch my mouth.” I shook my head. “It’s alright. Just be careful next time.” She nodded quickly, then gave me a sheepish smile. “You’re really an angel, ma’am. I understand why Alfred likes you. You’re so kind to people.” Kind. Kind to people? I almost laughed. People loved using “kind” when they really
Alexander The man droned on across the conference table, his voice echoing through the wall. “We have already allocated tasks for the initial phase of the new mall, sir. Once the final land acquisition clears, construction should be able to begin immediately…” I tapped my fingers lightly on the desk, pretending to listen, my gaze fixed on the large screen in front of me but my mind was nowhere near this boardroom. It was filled, and consumed, by her. Please… pleasure me, make me cum. Please… let me take care of it. Hngh… Alexander!! A-Alexander, they’re outside. Your friends are literally right outside, we can’t—Nnhg! Every inch of her body, the perky breasts, the slim waist, the softness of her thighs pressing against me, the perfect way her lips moaned my name as she came under me. I could still feel her body wrapped around mine, the way she clung to me like she was surprised by the way she reacted to my touch. Those damn blue eyes clouded with lust. Her flushed cheeks. Th
Chloe I saw my life flash before my eyes. No, really, I actually saw it. My heart skipped a beat. My ears rang so loud it felt like a bomb had gone off next to me. Every part of my body froze on the spot, too terrified to even breathe. The door swung open, and for a horrifying second, I thought it was all over. But Layla didn’t turn toward us. Instead, she stood with her back facing the room, yelling into the hallway, “Oh, I forgot, Mom, can I have that dress you wore last week? The white one—” She kept rambling about God-knows-what, but I wasn’t listening anymore. I jerked away from Tristan, who was still lying there with a unreadable expression on his face, as if kissing me in the middle of a crisis was normal. I didn’t have time to process that. I could scream at him later, but right now. I was in survival mode. I scrambled to my feet, grabbed his arm, yanked him up like he weighed nothing, and shoved him toward my wardrobe. He raised an eyebrow at me but didn’t resist as I
Chloe I stared at the man in front of me and shook my head slowly. How did it even come to this? What the hell is going on? Tristan stood there, arms casually crossed, that same annoying smirk playing on his lips. He tilted his head at me and said, "Are you not going to climb, Miss Perfect?" I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. I didn’t have a choice, did I? I had to climb him if I wanted to get into my window without anyone noticing. I sighed heavily, trying to convince myself it would be fine. Except, it wasn’t. It wasn’t fine at all. Because there was one tiny—no, not tiny, massive problem. I didn’t have any panties on. Yes, you heard right. I was naked underneath this dress because Alexander's brother threw my underwear away. If I climbed him, he would definitely notice. It would be impossible for him not to. Tristan raised an eyebrow at me, clearly growing suspicious. His eyes scanned my face, like he was trying to read my thoughts. I shuffled awkwardly on the sp
Chloe I looked at Stella, my heart thundering so hard it felt like it could punch its way out of my chest. I didn’t even need to say it, she could already read it on my face. I was screwed. “What should I do, Stella?” I whispered. “They’re—” Before I could finish, Stella shoved me straight into another body. I stumbled, nearly tripping, but an arm caught me around the waist. I froze against the hard plane of Tristan’s chest, his grip firm around my waist. His scent hit me like déjà vu, clean and infuriatingly comforting, a smell that always seemed to calm me down. I stared at Stella, eyes wide. “What the hell?” “There’s no time,” she said, already backing away. “What…Stella, no, you can—” “My car is wrecked,” she snapped, already waving me off like she was swatting a fly. “And I can’t leave it here. Plus, you don’t know this, but Tristan’s a crazy-ass driver.” I turned to look up at him, conflicted. Could I really ask him for this? Could I really be that shameless? I opened
ChloePresent timeSome mornings I’d wake up in an empty bed, the sheets cold, and Tristan's voice would echo in my ear.“You and Logan can never have a happy ending.”And on those mornings, I'd ask myself the same question I’d asked a hundred times, if I could go back, if I could do it all over again… would I have listened? What had Tristan seen back then that I refused to? What had I been so desperate to believe?Now, standing in front of him after so many years, I felt like I’d been pulled back into a moment I’d tried to bury. Tristan, the high school bad boy who’d beat up seven students and walked away without a scratch. The reckless idiot who once climbed into my window like an outlaw. The boy who irritated me because he liked seeing me mad.But this wasn’t the cocky high school boy who’d broken into my dorm and commented on my terrible taste in music. This was a man.He was taller, more refined and attractive, but the look in his eyes hadn’t changed. He still had that same fie
Chloe Eight years ago I yawned. I had just stepped out of the library. My eyes stung from all the reading. I’d spent most of the day reading between book pages. My only thought was collapsing into the comfort of my pillow and sleeping. My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket and instantly felt my stomach drop at the name flashing across the screen. Psychopath: Come home tomorrow. I have something to show my lovely sister. I promise I’ll make it last longer this time. I stared at it for a long time. My hand trembled slightly around the phone. Last longer. What he meant wasn’t what anyone would normally think. It was so much worse. There was a reason I’d saved his number that way. Richard wasn’t just cruel, he was twisted. He used to torture animals, those little, harmless creatures, and he’d make me watch. He’d time it, test new ways to kill them. Like it was both a game and a challenge for him. And Father… Father never stopped him. Sometimes, he even provided the "subj
Chloe Eight years ago “I’m in love with the shape of you,” I sang at the top of my lungs. “We push and pull like a magnet do, although my heart is falling too…” I turned off the shower, still humming, and grabbed a fluffy towel from the rack. One I wrapped around my body, the other I wrapped around my hair to dry it. I snatched my phone from the counter, still blasting Shape of you by Ed Sheeran, and stepped out of the bathroom, dancing my way into the room like the pop diva I clearly was. “And last night you were in my room…” I shimmied my hips, twirled slightly, grinning at my reflection in the mirror. “Now my bedsheets smell like you…” Still swaying, I made my way to the dorm kitchen. I placed a kettle on the stove and dropped a tea bag into my favorite mug. I was halfway through another verse, hips still moving, when a deep voice echoed in the room. “You’ve played this song on repeat for like… three minutes. Don’t you have anything else?” I paused, the mug slipping from my