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CHAPTER 3 - Paired
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-07-04 23:27:00Ezra's POV
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The entire classroom seemed frozen in shock.
Then the whispers started.
"Oh my God."
"That is brutal."
"Mr. Holloway definitely dislikes somebody."
A few students laughed.
Ezra sat motionless in his chair, staring at the desk in front of him. Surely he had heard wrong. There was no way this was happening. No path existed where the universe could be this cruel.
Unfortunately, when he finally looked up, Jace Ryland was already staring at him from across the room.
And judging by the expression on his face, he was not exactly thrilled either.
Mr. Holloway continued reading names, completely oblivious to the chaos he had just unleashed.
Beside Ezra, Sophie leaned closer.
"You have got to be kidding."
Ezra let out a humorless laugh.
"I wish."
"Maybe it will not be that bad."
They both knew she was lying.
The teacher finally finished assigning partners and dismissed the class. Students immediately jumped from their seats, eager to leave before the final bell.
Ezra remained where he was.
Maybe if he waited long enough, everyone else would leave first.
Maybe Jace would forget.
Maybe...
A shadow fell across his desk.
His stomach dropped.
Slowly, he looked up.
Jace stood in front of him.
Of course.
"Monroe."
Ezra resisted the urge to sigh.
"What?"
Jace crossed his arms.
"We need to talk."
Several nearby students immediately slowed down.
Eavesdropping.
Great.
"What about?"
"The assignment."
Ezra shoved his books into his bag.
"What about it?"
Jace looked irritated.
Actually irritated.
As though this situation was somehow Ezra's fault.
"We need to figure something out."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Jace said slowly, "there is no way we are surviving an entire semester together."
A few students nearby snorted.
Ezra felt anger flare inside him.
"You think I asked for this?"
Jace did not answer immediately.
His jaw tightened.
For some reason, that tiny reaction made Ezra even angrier.
Years.
Years of being humiliated by this guy.
And now Jace wanted to act inconvenienced?
Unbelievable.
"You know what?" Ezra said. "Do not worry about it."
Jace frowned.
"What?"
"I will do the project myself."
The hallway outside was growing louder as students headed home.
Inside the classroom, however, the tension felt thick enough to choke on.
Jace stared at him.
"You cannot do the whole thing yourself."
"Watch me."
For the first time since approaching, Jace looked genuinely caught off guard.
Ezra enjoyed it more than he should have.
"Monroe..."
"No."
Ezra stood, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.
"I am serious."
Jace's eyes narrowed.
"Why are you acting like this?"
The question almost made Ezra laugh.
Why was he acting like this?
Really?
Years of mockery.
Years of humiliation.
Years of being treated like garbage.
And Jace was asking why?
Something dark twisted inside Ezra's chest.
"You would not understand."
Before Jace could respond, Ezra walked away.
This time, he did not stop.
Did not look back.
Did not care if people were staring.
All he wanted was to get home.
Away from school.
Away from Jace.
Away from the constant feeling that he was not good enough.
Unfortunately, escaping Jace Ryland was impossible.
Because twenty minutes later, Ezra looked out the window of his bedroom and saw the Ryland house directly across the street.
Just like always.
The sight made him groan.
Their families had lived across from each other for years.
A fact that felt increasingly unfair.
Out of all the houses in the city, why did Jace have to live there?
Why did fate insist on torturing him?
Ezra dropped his backpack onto the floor and collapsed onto his bed.
The ceiling stared back at him.
Silent.
Mocking.
His thoughts drifted back to the classroom.
To Jace.
To the project.
To that stupid question.
Why are you acting like this?
Maybe because I am exhausted.
Maybe because I cannot keep doing this.
Maybe because being your favorite target is draining.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Ezra?"
His mother's voice.
He sat up immediately.
"Yeah?"
The door opened.
Monica Monroe stepped inside carrying a plate of fruit.
The universal sign that she wanted to talk.
Wonderful.
"How was school?"
Ezra almost laughed.
How was school?
The same way it had been every day for the last three years.
Painful.
Embarrassing.
Exhausting.
"Fine."
His mother gave him a look.
The one that said she knew he was lying.
Mothers had a terrifying ability to do that.
"Ezra."
"I am okay."
"You do not sound okay."
He looked away.
The concern in her voice only made him feel worse.
Because she cared.
Because she would be furious if she knew how students treated him.
Because he did not want to give her another reason to worry.
The election season was already stressful enough.
His father barely slept these days.
Every news channel seemed determined to turn the Monroe-Ryland rivalry into entertainment.
The last thing his family needed was another problem.
"I am fine, Mom."
She studied him for a long moment before finally nodding.
"If you say so."
After she left, silence returned.
Ezra walked toward the window.
Across the street, a light glowed in the second-floor bedroom of the Ryland house.
Jace's room.
He was probably in there.
Probably not thinking about Ezra at all.
Probably hanging out with friends.
Living his perfect life.
The thought should have comforted him.
Instead, it hurt.
Because despite everything, a part of Ezra still wanted Jace to think about him.
Just once.
Not as a target.
Not as entertainment.
Just... him.
Across the street, the curtain suddenly shifted.
Ezra froze.
A figure appeared behind the glass.
Jace.
Even from a distance, he was unmistakable.
For a second, neither moved.
Neither looked away.
The moment felt strangely intimate.
Dangerously intimate.
Then Jace stepped closer to the glass.
Ezra's heart immediately started racing.
And for reasons he could not explain, he found himself unable to look away.
He actually has a cute face, for a chubby guy, Jace thought.. What the hell!! Jace snap out of his thought.
Bab terbaru
MINE TO BULLY CHAPTER 80 – EPILOGUE, TWO YEARS LATER
Two years had transformed nearly everything about our lives, though the fundamental core of what we'd built together remained exactly as steady and certain as it had been that day on the rooftop when Jace first asked me to marry him.Phoenix, my new company built from the ashes of everything Eros Cosmetics had survived, now operated in twelve countries, its ethical sourcing and transparent business practices becoming something of an industry standard other companies scrambled to emulate. I'd rebuilt from scratch after everything my father's manipulation had nearly destroyed, and something about starting fresh, unburdened by his legacy, had felt like its own kind of liberation.The decision to rename and rebuild entirely hadn't been easy, months of careful strategy alongside Diane and a new board I'd personally vetted for genuine integrity rather than mere profitability. But watching Phoenix flourish now, entirely free from any lingering shadow of my father's influence, made every diff
MINE TO BULLY CHAPTER 79 – THE WEDDING
The morning of the wedding arrived softer than I expected, golden light spilling through the curtains of the small guesthouse where I'd spent the night separately from Jace, tradition winning out over practicality despite both of us grumbling about the arrangement for weeks beforehand.I'd barely slept, replaying every detail of the past year in fragmented, restless dreams, waking repeatedly just to reach across the empty bed before remembering, with a mixture of amusement and longing, exactly why the space beside me remained cold.Helen burst through the door precisely at eight, carrying coffee and an armful of garment bags, Lena trailing behind her with considerably calmer energy.Today's the day, Helen announced, setting everything down with theatrical flourish. Are you nervous.Terrified, I admitted, accepting the coffee gratefully. Excited terrified, though. Not the bad kind.That's the best kind, Lena said, smiling warmly as she began unpacking my suit with careful precision.Di
MINE TO BULLY CHAPTER 78 – THE PROPOSAL
The car ride into downtown felt charged with an anticipation I couldn't quite name, Jace's hand finding mine at every red light, his thumb tracing idle circles against my knuckles that betrayed nerves he was clearly trying to mask beneath calm exterior.You're going to have to tell me eventually, I said, watching the city lights blur past the window.Not yet, he said, though a smile tugged persistently at his mouth.Is this the reason you've been so distracted all week, I pressed, studying his profile in the passing streetlight.Maybe, he admitted, a small laugh escaping despite his obvious nerves.I've never seen you this nervous, I observed. Not even during the board meeting, not even in the warehouse.This is different, he said simply. This actually matters in a way I get to control completely.I studied his profile in the passing streetlights, something warm settling in my chest at the sight of him this openly vulnerable, this transparently invested in whatever surprise awaited us
MINE TO BULLY CHAPTER 77 – ORDINARY DAYS
Three weeks passed in a blur of ordinary, precious days, the kind neither of us had believed we'd ever actually get to experience together. My father passed quietly in his sleep during the second week, the funeral small and private, attended mostly by lawyers and a handful of distant relatives who'd never truly known him. Vivian came, standing at the edge of the gathering, and afterward we spoke briefly, an uneasy but genuine truce settling between us that felt like the beginning of something neither of us fully understood yet.I found myself surprised by my own reaction to his death, grief tangled uncomfortably with relief, anger still simmering beneath both, a complicated inheritance I suspected would take years to fully process rather than resolve neatly at a single funeral.He doesn't deserve your grief, Jace said gently that evening, holding me as I stared numbly at the ceiling.Maybe not, I admitted. But he's still the only father I ever had. Grief doesn't require deserving, app
MINE TO BULLY Chapter 76 - Forever begins
The message turned out to be nothing more than Weiss’s final, petty attempt at chaos, a scheduled press release exposing minor financial irregularities that Diane’s team neutralized within hours, framing it correctly as the last gasp of a desperate man already in federal custody. By evening, the stock had stabilized, the board had unanimously reinstated my full authority, and for the first time in what felt like months, no new threat waited on the horizon.Diane called around six, her voice carrying genuine relief for the first time since we’d started working together.That’s the last of it, she said. Weiss’s remaining contingencies were mostly bluster, easily contained. Your father’s cooperation with the will and the public apology helped considerably too. I think we’ve finally turned the corner on this entire situation.Thank you, I said, meaning it more deeply than the simple words could properly convey. For everything.Just doing my job, she said, though warmth colored her voice d
MINE TO BULLY Chapter 75 - The truth
I woke again sometime past midnight, the hospital room dim and quiet, Ezra still curled carefully against my side, his breathing slow and even in sleep.I studied his face in the low light, memorizing the soft curve of his mouth, the way his lashes rested against his cheekbones, feeling something profound settle deep in my chest despite the lingering ache from the day’s ordeal.He stirred slightly, eyes fluttering open, and a soft, sleepy smile crossed his face the moment he registered me watching him.You’re awake, he murmured. How do you feel.Better, I said honestly. Still sore, but better.He shifted carefully, propping himself up on one elbow to look at me properly.You should be resting, he said, though he made no move to leave.I’ve been resting all day, I said. I want to actually be present with you for a while, not just unconscious beside you.Something warm flickered across his expression at that.I like being present with you too, he admitted quietly.We lay there together
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