تسجيل الدخولA year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.
عرض المزيدThe first one said: “23 hours, Ariel. Have you decided yet? Time is moving faster than you think.”The second one was even colder: “Remember, it is either him or you. It’s his career or your entire future. You have to choose wisely.”The third message was like a set of instructions: “The pills are very small. Just slip them into his desk drawer when he isn't looking, notify me when you’ve done that. Then, an anonymous tip will go to the campus police. It is very simple. One small move and your problems go away forever.”Ariel’s hands began to shake so violently that she almost dropped the phone on the floor. She reached into her backpack and pulled out the small plastic bag of white pills. She held them up to the light and stared at them. They looked so tiny. It was hard to believe that such small, round things could hold such massive, life-changing consequences for someone she loved.“I can’t do this,” she whispered to the empty room, her eyes filling with tears. “I can’t frame him.
Ariel laid perfectly still inside her room, staring at the ceiling. She had not slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same thing: images of her life falling apart, her mother’s crying face, and Luther being led away in handcuffs. The piercing sound of her morning alarm finally began to blare from her nightstand. It felt like a physical blow to her head.Ariel reached out with a trembling hand and silenced the noise. Her phone was right there, lying beside her pillow like a venomous snake. She had been checking it obsessively every twenty minutes throughout the long, dark night. She had been waiting for the next strike, the next threatening message from the person who was so determined to tear her world down.The 48-hour deadline was no longer a far-off problem. It was now less than 24 hours away. The clock was ticking, and with every second, the weight on her chest grew heavier, making it hard to even take a deep breath. “Twenty-four hours,” she whispered into the empty,
Ethan followed her inside, he sat down at the kitchen counter awkwardly, while Susan busied herself with the kettle.“I hope you enjoyed dinner with us the other night,” Susan said gently, glancing over her shoulder as she arranged the cups.“Yes, ma’am. Thank you for having me,” Ethan replied, his voice softening slightly.Susan set down a steaming cup of tea in front of him. “Ethan, can I ask you something? And I need you to be honest with me.”“Of course,” Ethan said, leaning slightly forward.“Has Ariel seemed… different to you today?” Susan asked, studying him carefully.Ethan’s chest lifted with relief that someone else noticed. “Yes! She’s been really distant. Won’t talk to me, avoids my calls. I thought maybe Daniel said something to her, but I don’t know… something feels off. She’s… different, and I don’t know why.”Susan nodded slowly. “Daniel’s been worried about her too. Something’s wrong, but she won’t tell us.”Ethan’s voice dropped, almost a whisper. “Do you think it’s
Ethan sat at the dining table in the Cross mansion, pushing his food around his plate without much interest. His mind was elsewhere, racing with a thousand thoughts about Ariel. She hadn’t spoken to him properly all day, and he hadn’t even been able to reach her on the phone. Each passing hour without her words felt like an eternity. He poked at the mashed potatoes again, sighing, wishing he could simply teleport to her side.“Ethan, sweetheart, you’ve barely touched your food. Are you feeling alright?” Eleanor, his mother, asked softly, placing a hand over his and giving him a concerned look.Ethan glanced up at her, forcing a weak smile. “I’m fine, Mom. Really. Just… tired, I guess.”Reginald, his father, raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with a knowing expression. “You don’t look fine, Ethan. You look distracted. Is it about that girl you’ve been seeing? The one everyone seems to talk about?”Ethan’s fork clattered to the plate as he set it down, a flash of irritation cr


















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