SheilaI don't care what Dad says. I want to see Ethan again. Last time we had so much fun together, and we connected so well!I catch him by his locker, so I stride toward him. "Ethan, hi!" I chirp.He looks at me and smiles. "Hey, Sheila. I thought you were forbidden from seeing me.""I am, but I don't care," I say determinedly.Ethan chuckles. "Being a rebel, are we?"I turn serious. "Look, Ethan. I don't care what kind of rivalry your dad and my dad have going on, but I want us to keep being friends. What do you have to say about that?"Ethan smirks and leans toward me. "Friends? I was hoping we could be more than friends."My heart does a little flip inside my ribcage. "Really?"Ethan nods, his smirk fading into a gentle smile. "Yeah, really. I've enjoyed getting to know you, Sheila. You're smart, funny, and we have a lot in common. I'd like to explore the possibility of something more than just friendship if you're interested."I bite my lower lip. "I would like that.""I wanted
Sheila Damien almost looks nervous at the woman, which is kind of funny to me. Isn't he supposed to be some tough Mafia boss?"Hey, Addie. This is Sheila," Damien says. "Sheila, this is my wife, Adeline."Hi," I say shyly.Adeline's eyes light up. "Sheila? Ethan told me about you!"Ethan talked about me? My cheeks warm at the thought."What are you doing here? Where is Ethan?" she asks.I look at Damien, trying to give him a chance to explain the situation, but when he says nothing, I decide to tell her myself."Mr. Damien kidnapped me from my school."Adeline's face twists into a frown. "He did what!?" she exclaimed.Damien raises his hand. "Now, hold on, I wouldn't call it kidnapping."I keep my smile intact. "It was definitely kidnapping. Some guy just pulled over next to me and told me to get inside the car."Adeline glared at him. "And why did you do such a thing?""Mr. Damien found out I am the daughter of his enemy, so he wanted to have a chat with me," I answer for him.Adeli
Prom night.I stand in front of the mirror, admiring my dress. It's a strapless, navy blue gown that hugs my curves in all the right places. My friend Leslie helped me pick it out, and I couldn't be happier.I hear a tapping at my door, and I grin, knowing it's Henrik. I quickly open it."Ready to go?" Henrik asks.I nod, excitement bubbling inside of me. "Thanks for helping me with this, Henrik. I really appreciate it."He chuckles. "Of course, sis. Anything for you. Now, let's go before Dad starts to suspect something."We make our way outside, and I see Ethan's car waiting for us. Henrik opens the door for me, and I climb in. Ethan greets me with a smile. My heart skips a beat as I take in his handsome appearance. He's in a black tuxedo, and he looks like he just stepped out of a magazine."You look beautiful," he says, taking my hand.I blush, feeling flattered. "You don't look too bad yourself, Ethan."He smirks. "Glad to hear it. Shall we get going, then?""Ahem..."We both turn
SheilaI freeze, my heart racing as I look around the room, trying to spot any signs of danger. Ethan notices my distress and places a comforting hand on my arm."Is everything okay?" he asks, concern etched on his face."I don't know," I say, showing him the message from my dad. "He's telling me to leave."Ethan's expression darkens. "We should go, then. Henrik!" he calls out to my brother, who's standing at the punch bowl, chatting up one of the teachers. "We need to leave. Now."Henrik nods, his eyes scanning the room. "I'll go get the car."We rush out of the venue, and Henrik pulls the car around to the front. We jump in, and he speeds off into the night."What's going on?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest."I don't know. But I got the same message from Dad, telling us to leave," Henrik says, scanning the parking lot.Ethan's phone buzzes, and he checks it. "My dad is telling me the same thing.""Someone is following us," Henrik says urgently as he looks into the rearview mir
Madison “Cheating isn’t always physical. If you’re having to hide it, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.” (Unknown). For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted a family, and that dream might soon come true. Gustaf, my boyfriend, has been sneaking around lately, and I think it’s because he is about to propose! He has made strange phone calls, and when I grabbed his phone yesterday, he quickly snatched it back, probably because he is making wedding plans on it! I wake up with a smile, feeling all excited when Gustaf’s alarm goes off at six o’clock in the morning on a normal Saturday. It’s singing the tune of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, and even though I’m thrilled to start our weekend together, the song is beginning to give me a headache. “Babe...” I whine in a tired voice as I desperately try to reach for the phone to turn off the terrorizing alarm. “It’s time to get up.” Gustaf groans and flips around, hiding his face in the pillows. “Five more minutes...” I snort and am abo
MadisonIt's been a week since I fled from my ex-boyfriend Gustaf and moved in with my brother Stanley. He owns a large flat, and I was given the guestroom. It's not the largest room, but I'm more than grateful for my brother's hospitality.Stanley is helpful, perhaps a little too helpful since he is already trying to get me hired by Victor Giovanni. There is no secret that our childhood friend is the wealthiest man in the city, and not only does he own hotels, but he also owns the restaurants associated with them. Since I'm a brilliant chef, my brother wants me to work at one of them."Hold on. Are you being serious right now? Do you really think that I can handle filling in for Victor's head chef at his famous restaurant?" I ask my brother in disbelief. I'm extremely skeptical about this assignment."Well, you needed a job, right? This is your chance to prove yourself. Victor is understaffed and desperate, Mads. He would take anyone, but since you're talented, you might have a chanc
"Maddie?" Victor repeats. "Is that really you?I nod, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. It's been years since I've seen Victor. He was my brother's friend that I had this embarrassing crush on, and now he is my boss. The irony of the situation isn't lost on me."You've changed," he says, his eyes scanning my face. "You look different.""I've grown up," I say, my voice steady even as my heart races. "It's been a long time."Victor nods, his eyes narrowing. "Why didn't you tell me who you were when you first started working here? You could have told me your name in the elevator."I shrug, feeling a little defensive. "I wanted to prove myself based on my own merit. I didn't want to be judged based on who I used to be."Victor nods. His expression is unreadable. "I can understand that, but you should have told me. It's not fair to keep something like that from me.""I'm sorry," I say, my voice quiet. "I didn't mean to deceive you."Victor stares at me intently as if he is tryi
MadisonAfter a long day working in the kitchen, I’m exhausted. Working at Victor’s fancy restaurant was exactly what I expected: hectic and stressful. Yet the work isn’t what got my heart pounding a mile a minute. The phone call I received from Gustaf yesterday is the reason behind my tiredness.I didn’t sleep at all last night.The anxiety of Gustaf coming to find me prevented me from falling into a peaceful sleep. And whenever my eyes would close, nightmares snared me like a deer caught in a trap in the woods. I honestly think I woke up a billion times, drenched in a cold sweat and tears not far away. It was a terrible night, and needless to say, something needs to be done about the Gustaf situation.“Hmm...” I hum to myself while holding up a book named, “How to stop worrying about your stupid ex-boyfriend,” that I found at the store.“Okay…aha…I see…” I tap my chin while thinking, and then I speak out loud—I never claimed to be perfect. “It says I need something from my ex-boyfri