MasukAlliyah AgustinThe next day, I woke up with a stronger sense of determination settling deep within me, heavier than anything I had felt before.I needed to get out of this hellhole, no matter what it took. And more than that, I needed to find my parents. Deep down, I had this unshakable instinct, the kind that clawed at your gut and refused to be ignored, telling me that Kass had something to do with it.There were too many pieces that didn’t fit, too many details that quietly connected her to their disappearance. The evidence wasn’t loud or obvious, but it was there—subtle, lingering, and impossible to overlook. And that was something I couldn’t just bypass or pretend didn’t exist.On top of everything else, there was the upcoming launch. It was supposed to be something exciting, something I would normally pour all my energy into, but now it felt like just another weight on my shoulders. Still, everything had already been finalized, and we were set to move forward next week, wheth
Alliyah AgustinAfter three long days of being confined in the hospital, I was finally cleared for discharge, though the relief I expected to feel never quite settled in my chest the way it should have. Instead of feeling light and free, there was a strange weight lingering inside me, something quiet but persistent, as if the real aftermath of everything had only just begun the moment I stepped out of those sterile walls.Alexander had stayed by my side the entire time, never once leaving, never once showing any sign of inconvenience or hesitation, and instead of appreciating the effort and care he had given so willingly.I found myself growing more uneasy with every passing hour, my thoughts constantly circling the consequences of his actions rather than the comfort they should have brought me. He had taken care of me in ways that felt unfamiliar, almost intimate, and what unsettled me the most was how little he seemed to care about who might see him doing it, as if the opinions of
Chloe Wayheml“Nicholas? Where are you?” I called out the moment I stepped inside the mansion, my voice echoing faintly against the high ceilings and polished walls. I raised my tone a little more, hoping for a response, but none came—just the same, familiar silence that seemed to linger in every empty corner of the house.With a quiet sigh, I tightened my grip on the stack of design papers in my hand. There was no point in waiting around, not when I had things to finalize. Without wasting another second, I turned on my heel, left the mansion, and hailed a cab to William’s house instead.When I arrived, the door opened almost immediately, as if he had been expecting me. I couldn’t help but smile at that. He had always been like this—welcoming, attentive, never once turning me away, no matter how unannounced my visits were.“What are you doing here this late, Chloe?” he asked, a hint of confusion crossing his face as he stepped aside to let me in.“No one’s home at Nicholas’s mansio
Alliyah AgustinWhen I finally woke up, the first thing I noticed was the heaviness in my body, as though every muscle had been weighed down by something invisible, something suffocating. Pain spread through me in slow, dull waves, making even the smallest movement feel exhausting. Breathing became a struggle, each inhale shallow and unsteady, as if the air around me had thinned.Panic crept in almost immediately, tightening its grip around my chest. For a moment, it felt like I was drowning—like I was desperately reaching for air that refused to come.I forced myself to calm down, closing my eyes briefly as I focused on steadying my breathing, trying to remind myself that I was still here, still alive, even if my body felt like it was betraying me.Then I felt it.Warm hands gently wrapped around mine, a stark contrast to the coldness that clung to my skin. The warmth grounded me, pulling me back from the edge of my spiraling thoughts. Slowly, I turned my head to the side, my visio
Satana“So she’s safe now?” I asked as we walked side by side toward the forest, the sound of our footsteps muffled by the damp earth beneath us. The air felt heavier than usual, thick with the lingering tension of everything that had just happened. “It’s a good thing those Astleys let us go.”“Didn’t you hear?” he replied, glancing at me briefly before returning his gaze to the path ahead. “We’re in a truce with the Astleys now—at least until we figure out who’s really behind all of this…whoever’s been pulling the strings and pushing us to tear each other apart.”“A truce?” I let out a short, disbelieving breath, my brows knitting together. “Damn, I’m only hearing about this now. Why didn’t you tell me?” I added, the question laced with irritation. It didn’t sit right with me—him keeping something like that.He let out a quiet scoff. “And what? You think you would’ve performed well if you knew that after infiltrating the Villanueva family mansion?” he said, raising a brow at me. “Yo
Alliyah AgustinI forced my eyes to stay open despite everything my body had been through the night before, though I wasn’t even sure if it was still the night before—or if days had already passed without me noticing. Time had become a blur, slipping through my fingers as pain took over every inch of me, making it impossible to tell how long I had been tied up in that suffocating silence.After enduring countless blows—fists colliding with my skin, a baseball bat striking me over and over again—I truly believed I wouldn’t make it out alive. There were moments when darkness threatened to consume me completely, when I thought my body would finally give in, but somehow, against all odds, I was still here, still breathing, still fighting to stay conscious.Everything hurt. Every small movement sent sharp, unbearable pain coursing through my body, and even breathing felt like a struggle I had to win every second. But there was nothing I could do except endure it, to cling to whatever st
Alliyah Agustin-AstleyI couldn’t sleep that night.No matter how many times I closed my eyes, my mind refused to rest. The room felt too quiet, too heavy, as if the walls themselves were pressing in on me. Every time I turned on the bed, the images replayed in my head—uninvited, relentless.After
Alliyah Agustin-AstleyWilliam and I managed to have a surprisingly peaceful conversation, despite Alexander’s presence lingering in the room.If I had to guess, Niali’s presence played a huge part in that. The way my cat sat calmly between us, occasionally meowing or nudging for attention, seemed
Alliyah Agustin-Astley“A–Alex… you’re here…” Those were the only words I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper as I stared at him standing right in front of our table. The surprise hit me so suddenly that my mind blanked out for a moment.Crap! I completely forgot to message him and tell
Alliyah Agustin-AstleyWe didn’t get much information about my parents’ whereabouts from my ex-friends. Every answer was vague and evasive. In the end, Alexander and his people decided the next best step was to check on my parents’ businesses instead—following the money, the employees, the paper t







