The drive home felt endless, my mind trapped in an endless loop of his face, his words, his presence. Every fibre of my being should have been screaming to run away from Damon, to forget everything that had happened between us. Yet here I was, unable to shake the magnetic pull that drew me toward him like a moth to flame. It wasn't just attraction anymore – it was something deeper, something that terrified me more than his threats ever could.What frustrated me beyond words wasn't even his arrogance or the way he seemed to think he owned the world. It was that girl – my best friend the way she had clung to him like she belonged there, like they had known each other forever. That stupid girl has no idea that he had just threatened me with her life.The image of her holding his arm burned in my mind, igniting slight jealousy. I hated myself for caring, hated that I felt anything at all. How pathetic was I?After everything he had done, every warning sign screaming at me to stay away, I
The biting chill of the evening air did little to cool the inferno raging within me. His words, a silken cord, had tightened around my throat, each syllable a calculated squeeze."Didn’t I tell you….. You can never get rid of me….. that we will meet soon." The exhaled breath, a soft huff against my ear, sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold. It was the shiver of a soul recognizing its captor."Tonight there’s a party at my place and you have to come…. Your friend will be coming. You can join her. I will send my driver to pick you up, as Ryan himself will come to pick up your friend."The casual invitation, delivered with such possessive certainty, was an insidious trap. But then, the real venom dripped. "I want you there. If you don't come, then you might lose your best friend forever.”Hearing his words, color drained from my face.‘Did he just threaten to kill my friend’“Don't use your silly brain too much. By that, I mean that if you won't be there with h
My resolve hardened, fueled by a volatile cocktail of desperation and a burgeoning, reckless courage. I marched towards the section of the parking lot where I knew his car would be. Then I saw it, I felt its presence, an aura of opulence and exclusivity.A limited edition Sweptail by Rolls Royce, a sleek, obsidian beast surrounded by a phalanx of immaculately dressed guards. As I approached, they moved to intercept me, but then, a subtle shift in their posture, a silent command from behind me. I turned, my heart plummeting to my stomach.My world tilted on its axis, spinning in a dizzying vortex of disbelief and a raw, corrosive jealousy. He stood there, his arm draped casually around Eva's shoulder, a possessive gesture that felt like a punch to the gut. Eva, looked up at him, her eyes wide with unadulterated awe and admiration. And Damon, his gaze meeting mine, wore that familiar, infuriatingly smug, evil smirk.A wave of anger, sharp and incandescent, washed over me, threatening to
A few moments ago, the air in the grand hall shimmered with a deceptive lightness, a stark contrast to the tumultuous storm brewing within me when I laid my eyes on him. He moved through the crowd, a magnetic force, his laughter rippling across the polished floors, his handshakes warm and genuine. Damon Knight. The name itself felt like a paradox, a whisper of both torment and tantalizing possibility.I was still processing what had happened, his words. I watched him, heard his words, as a silent, seething observer. It was utterly disbelieving that this approachable, charismatic man was the same one who, just nights ago, had blurred the lines of consent, his touch a violation that had, to my profound self-disgust, awakened something primal within me.“Why the hell would he praise me in front of the crowd? Wasn’t he supposed to despise me? What was happening? Most importantly, wasn’t that man UK-based…. Then how the hell was he here as an alumnus, really? What kind of sick game univers
We finally reached back to India, and I felt like the happiest, luckiest person in the world. My happiness was boundless, beyond words, not just because I was about to live my dream of studying at Columbia University, but because I would never, ever have to see that disgusting man again.Eva, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of emotions – upset, yet also strangely excited and curious. She was always the kind of girl who expressed herself freely, who never hid anything from me. But this time, she was uncharacteristically tight-lipped, especially about her burgeoning connection with Ryan. I tried to rationalize it, telling myself, she was a fangirl that’s the reason for her excitement perhaps they could have become good friends and had their moments in those few days, even though a stubborn part of me couldn't fully accept that, especially after noticing the stark change in Eva’s behavior. The girl who used to despise using her phone for more than an hour was now glued to it twenty-f
“Hey, D, she is Shefali, my best friend, the birthday girl I mentioned earlier.” she said, side-hugging him.A wave of pity washed over me as I saw the sheer respect and adoration in her eyes for him. I glanced at him again. He seemed to have changed his suit, but it was still a black, three-piece ensemble, impeccably tailored.“Oh! You’re the birthday girl, huh? Happy birthday, love,” Damon said, extending his hand for a handshake. I didn’t take it. Instead, I placed a hand on my chest, offering a curt nod and a mocking smile. He didn’t react, his expression unreadable. Anyone, however, could have seen the concern etched across my face, though I couldn't tell if it was because I had hurt him or because of what he might do to me next.“Where is Ryan? Did you see him?” Damon asked, and I looked at Eva, who promptly explained, “Fu, he is Ryan’s cousin, but more like best friend and brother.” I just stared at Eva, irked by the sheer adoration in her eyes for him. I wanted to scream, t