ANMELDEN"They raised you, and then they spent years tearing you down." I reached over and took her hand. "You've done more than enough for them. You're allowed to take care of yourself now."She squeezed my hand. "When did you get so wise?""Always been wise. You just never listened." I bragged, flapping my hand like a fan.She chuckled. "You're crazy.""You love me like that." I gloated."Someone has to keep you humble."I smiled, feeling some of the tension leave my body. It was good to see her smile again. "Okay," I said, settling back into the couch. "Now that we've dealt with your crisis, I have something to tell you."Brielle raised an eyebrow. "Oh?""Yeah." I took a breath. "I'm having dinner with Mason tomorrow night, and yes, I told you about it but I need your real thoughts on this, not as a friend."“Should it be like an interview setting, where I pretend I don’t know you and ask you some questions.” She looked more excited about this.“Yes, we can have it that way.” I was skeptic
Aria POVI had gone to pick up my package but unfortunately the shop had not opened yet when I got there.So I decided to go to Brielle's apartment.The door to Brielle's apartment was slightly ajar.That was the first sign that something was wrong. Brielle was obsessive about locking her door, she'd been robbed once, years ago, and ever since, she'd treated every lock like it was a matter of life and death.I pushed the door open slowly, my heart already starting to race."Brielle?" I called out. "You here?"No answer.I stepped inside and immediately froze.The apartment was a disaster. Clothes were strewn across the floor and everywhere I looked, there were bottles.Wine bottles, liquor bottles. Some empty, some half-full, some still sealed.My stomach dropped. "Brielle?" I called again, my voice sharper this time.A groan came from the bedroom.I crossed the apartment in three quick strides, pushing open the bedroom door.Brielle was sprawled across her bed, still in her clothes
The hallway was empty when I stepped out of the study.My mother was waiting for me by the front door, she looked worried.I was surprised to see her standing there."Are you okay? Did your father do anything to you? What did he say?" she rushed her words.I shook my head. “I’m fine, he can’t do anything to me.”She studied me for a moment, then pulled me into a final embrace."I'm sorry that I couldn’t stand up for you then, when your father was against you." Her eyes were misty. "I just want you to know that I've always been proud of you."I held her close. It was actually the first time she had apologized to me since what happened then, and strangely, I felt a bit relieved, like a load had been lifted off my chest slightly."Thank you," I smiled at her."Anytime, my son. I love you."I pulled back, kissed her cheek, and walked out the door.I couldn’t hold back the smile that danced across my face. I looked back at the house before entering my car.---Third Person POVThe Rossi e
Mason's POVThe Rossi estate loomed in front of me like a monument to everything I'd spent my life trying to escape.That evening, I drove to my parents house.I sat in my car for a long moment, engine idling, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles had gone white. The house hadn't changed. It never did. It had always felt more like a prison than a home.I didn't want to be here.Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to turn the car around, to drive away, to pretend I'd never received that call from my father's assistant demanding my presence.But I couldn't.I killed the engine and stepped out into the cold afternoon air.The walk to the front door felt endless. The door swung open before I could reach for the handle, and there she was.My mother.Katherine Rossi stood in the doorway like she'd been waiting for me. Her hair was perfectly styled, her dress immaculate, even her expression carefully composed. "Mason," she said softly. "You came."I forced a ne
Third Person POVThe bar was the kind of place where people went to disappear.Tucked away in a rundown part of the city, far from the glitz and glamour of the Rossi name, it was the perfect hiding spot for someone who didn't want to be found. The lights were dim. The smell of stale beer filled the air like a fog.Adrian had been there for hours.His jacket was discarded on the seat beside him, his tie loosened, his shirt untucked. Empty glasses lined the bar in front of him, and his eyes were glassy, unfocused, fixed on some distant point that only he could see.The bartender, a grizzled man who had seen too many people drink themselves into oblivion, refilled his glass without being asked."You sure you want another one, Sir?" he asked, his voice flat.Adrian laughed nonchalantly. "What do you think?""I think you're going to regret it in the morning." The bartender said respectfully."I'm not planning on making it to morning."The bartender shrugged and walked away.Adrian grabb
I closed my eyes. She was right, I knew exactly what I was feeling. I was just feeling terrified.Terrified that I still loved him, terrified that I'd never stop, terrified that if I let myself fall again, I would shatter into pieces I would never be able to put back together.> “I need to go. I have work.” I yawned, already feeling the exhaustion in my bones.> “Sure you do.”> “I'll call you tomorrow.”> “You better. I want all the details.” Brielle was so shameless.I set the phone down and stared at the ceiling.---Third Person POVThe bar was the kind of place Vanessa normally wouldn't be caught dead in.Dim lighting that was more grime than atmosphere. Sticky floors that hadn't seen a proper mop in years. A jukebox was sitting in the corner playing something scratchy and old, the kind of music that felt like it belonged to a different decade entirely.But Vanessa wasn't here for the ambiance.She was here because the message had been specific. "Come alone, don't tell anyone. A
That question pulled me back into work mode.I straightened a little. “Better than expected, actually.”“Oh?” His interest picked up. “No disasters?”“Not yet,” I heaved a sigh of relief.That made him chuckle.“Good sign,” he said. “And that guy—Mason, right? He didn’t stress you out like last tim
Isabella.She blinked at me, clearly just as surprised.For a moment, neither of us spoke.Her expression shifted in recognition, then confusion as she adjusted her stance. “Oh,” she said softly.I quickly recovered, tightening my grip on my bag.“I’m really sorry,” I said again. “I wasn’t watching
Sylvie POVHis eyes flicked to me. “He talks too much,” he grumbled slightly.That made me almost smile.I opened my notebook again. “Alright,” I exhaled. “Let’s start.”He nodded.I began with the basics. “Tell me about your current form this season. How do you feel physically and mentally going i
The next person I had to interview was Collin Huderson.Collin Huderson was the exact opposite of Jeffrey.I noticed it the moment he walked in.Where Jeffrey felt sharp and closed off, Collin came in like the room already belonged to him. Loose steps, easy grin, hair slightly messy in a way that l







