LOGINOdell’s POVThe masquerade ball was everything I expected and nothing I was ready for.Music pulsed through the air, low and hypnotic, blending with soft laughter and the clink of glasses. Masks of every kind moved through the crowd: gold, black, feathered, jeweled, hiding identities, revealing desires.Perfect.I adjusted mine slightly, my eyes scanning the room.Then my phone buzzed.A message.Ethan Parker.I’m here. Meet me at the table by the far corner.My chest tightened.Finally.I made my way through the crowd, my heartbeat steady but heavy, like it knew something I didn’t.Then I saw him, sitting there. Waiting. Even behind the mask, I knew it was him. The way he sat, the way his fingers tapped lightly against the table, the way his presence pulled me in like gravity.I stopped in front of him.For a second, neither of us spoke. We just looked at each other and somehow… That was enough.“I missed you,” he said quietly.My throat tightened. “I missed you too.”He stood up slo
Nicole’s POVThe next day…I stood in front of Ethan's house, my heart beating steadily not from fear, but from anticipation.This was it.The beginning of the end.My fingers tightened slightly around the strap of my bag as I stared up at the building. Clean, quiet, and respectable.It suited him.Ethan Parker, the perfect professor. The kind, composed man everyone admired.I almost laughed.Let’s see how perfect you look after today.I had made sure of one thing before coming here. He wouldn’t be home, he had classes. Which meant—His fiancée, Christian would be.I stepped forward and knocked.Once.Twice.A few seconds passed. Then the door opened and there he was.His fiancée. Handsome, poised, and completely unaware.His eyes scanned me from head to toe, cautious. “Yes? Who are you?”I offered a small, polite smile. “I have some information for you.”His brows furrowed immediately. “What information?”I tilted my head slightly. “If you let me in, I can explain better.”His expres
Nicole’s POVTwo days later…The house was quiet.Too quiet.I sat in the living room, legs tucked under me, scrolling aimlessly through my phone, A knock broke the silence.I frowned slightly, getting up to open the door.A delivery guy stood there, holding out a package.“For Odell.”“I’ll take it,” I said, signing quickly.I closed the door behind me and walked back into the living room, dropping the package on the table.At first, I ignored it. Really, I tried to but my eyes kept drifting back to it. That small, innocent-looking box was sitting there like it wasn’t hiding something.Curiosity itched under my skin.Just a look.That’s all.I reached for it, turned it over. My gaze dropped to the label.His name.Still… I opened it, slowly and carefully. And then—I froze.A mask.Not just any mask, a masquerade mask. Black. Sleek. Elegant. Expensive-looking. The kind that screamed luxury and secrecy.My fingers brushed over it lightly. “A masquerade…?” I whispered.Why would he nee
Odell’s POV“What do you mean you got a job here?”The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.I’m staring at Nicole, trying to make sense of what I just heard, but her expression is already shifting—caught, slightly nervous.“I—um… I just got it today and—”“Enough.” The manager’s voice cuts through everything like a blade.“This is my place of business. I will not tolerate this kind of disturbance. All of you, outside. Now.”I barely register it, my focus is still on her. A job? Here? Why?Beside her, Alex steps forward quickly. “Sir, I’ll just go back to work—”“I said leave,” the man snaps, his tone final. “Both of you are fired. You haven’t even started, and you’re already bringing drama. I don’t need that here.”Fired.Just like that.Nicole opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.And for some reason… That annoys me even more.We step out of the café. The door shuts behind us.Silence hangs for a second.Then I grab her wrist—not harsh, but firm enough — and pull h
Nicole’s POVThe moment I shut my door, I froze. Then my breath came out fast, too fast like I had just run a marathon.“What… was that?” I whispered to myself.My heart was still racing. My mind is replaying everything that just happened with Odell Johnson. The way he looked at me, the way his voice dropped.“I don’t want you going anywhere.”“I don’t want you seeing any guy.”I pressed my back against the door, slowly sliding down until I was sitting on the floor.Confused.Completely confused.“Why would he act like that…?”I wrapped my arms around myself, thinking. Was that… jealousy? Possessiveness? Or Something else? My brows furrowed. “No… that doesn’t make sense.”He’s gay.“I haven’t even done anything yet…” I muttered.I hadn’t seduced him. Hadn’t tried anything serious. Hadn’t even properly started. So why was he acting like that?Unless—My heart skipped slightly. “Does he… like me already?”The thought sat there, heavy and dangerous because if that was true, then everyt
Odell’s POVI don’t move.I keep kissing her, my grip on her ass tightening just enough to make her gasp. Her nails rake down my back, her body trembling with the effort of holding back. I can taste her frustration, her need, and it’s overwhelming.“Say it,” I murmur against her mouth, my voice a growl. “Say you want me.”She pulls back just enough to glare at me, her eyes dark with lust, her lips swollen from my kisses. “You know I want you, you bastard.”I smirk. “Not good enough.”Her breath hitches. For a second, I think she’s going to argue. But then her expression shifts, her gaze dropping to my mouth before flicking back up. “I want you,” she says, slower this time. Deliberate. “I want your hands on me. Your mouth. Your dick—”I cut her off with another kiss, this one brutal. Possessive. My tongue sweeps into her mouth, claiming her, and she moans, her body going pliant in my arms. The counter digs into her spine, but she doesn’t complain. She kisses me back, her hands fisting
Nicole POVThe car rolled to a slow stop in front of Valley Hill Lodge, and for a second, I just sat there, staring.This was it.The gates, the manicured hedges, the long private driveway, everything screamed money, power, distance. Then I saw him.Odell was standing outside, arms crossed, dressed
“What the fuck are you doing? And why are you kissing my toothbrush?”My brain stopped working.“I—I wasn’t— I mean— I just—” My words tangled over themselves. My hands felt empty the second he snatched the toothbrush from me.He stared at it as if I had contaminated it, then placed it back by the
I call my mom that evening, pretending it’s casual. I tell her how the school is fine. Beautiful, even. I tell her my roommates are nice. I make sure my voice sounds steady, grateful. Like nothing in my life is unraveling. Then I add it. Just a little thing. “The hostel is okay,” I say ligh
I didn’t wait. The moment our eyes met, the moment I saw the truth written all over his face, something inside me snapped. I turned and ran before anyone could say my name, before anyone could explain, before my heart completely gave out. I pushed past people, past laughter, past music that sud




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