تسجيل الدخولRaven would have never expected Zerra to bring that up tonight of all nights.The words hit him hard enough that he immediately sat up.Beside him, Zerra followed, tucking one leg beneath herself as she studied him carefully.“Why wouldn’t you want to start a family now?” she asked softly.There was no accusation in her voice yet.Just sincerity.And somehow, that made it worse.Raven looked away first.Because the second she said family, another image had already pushed itself into his head without permission.Azzmi.Curled in bed.Alone.And somehow, the atmosphere around her had felt more like a home than this conversation did.Zerra’s fingers slid slowly down his arm before she rested her chin lightly against his shoulder.“We already talked about having kids someday,” she murmured. “So why not now?”Her smile softened.“I want little versions of us running around this apartment.”Then she touched his chin gently, trying to guide his face toward hers.Raven hesitated.And that hes
Raven had spent the last few days avoiding Azzmi on purpose.Because every conversation with her lately somehow turned into a fight.But tonight, he was done letting it slide.Jaw tight, irritation simmering under his skin, he stopped in front of her bedroom door and knocked several times.The door swung open fast.And for a second, Raven forgot what he came there to say.Azzmi looked irritated the moment she saw him, but it was her eyes that caught him off guard. Sharp. Direct. Almost hostile.She had never looked at him like that before.She wore an oversized shirt that nearly swallowed her whole, with a towel wrapped lazily around her waist like she’d given up halfway through changing. Damp strands of hair clung to her cheek, but it didn’t look like she’d been showering.It looked more like she’d been trying to survive something.“What do you want?” she asked flatly.That tone instantly dragged his annoyance back.Raven stepped forward slightly. “First of all, watch how you speak t
“Azzmi.”Her voice cuts through the haze in his head instantly.Raven jerks awake.Reality crashes into him so hard his stomach twists.He immediately rolls away from her and sits up at the edge of the bed, breathing unevenly as the last few seconds replay in horrifying clarity.What the hell did he just do?His hand drags roughly over his face.The kiss.Her body under his.The way he touched her.A sharp wave of guilt hits him square in the chest.For a few seconds, he can barely think straight.Then the realization settles in.This was habit.A terrible one.Whenever he stayed over with Zerra, he always gravitated toward her in his sleep. Half awake. Reaching automatically for warmth beside him without fully realizing it.And tonight, in that foggy state between sleep and consciousness, his brain filled in the wrong person.He heard soft breathing.Felt someone beside him.And acted before he fully woke up enough to recognize the difference.Raven clenches his jaw hard.That explan
The second Azzmi walks out of the bathroom, Raven goes completely still.She still has the robe over the red nightgown.But the front hangs slightly open.Enough for him to notice far more than he should.The silk clings tightly to the narrowest part of her waist before skimming over her hips, and the hem sits dangerously high on her thighs. Delicate lace curves around her chest, drawing attention to cleavage he absolutely should not be looking at.Raven immediately clears his throat and grabs his phone.Pretending to text Zerra suddenly feels very important.Azzmi walks past him without noticing the way his attention keeps following her anyway.Or maybe she does notice.That possibility somehow makes it worse.She sits in front of the mirror and unwraps her damp hair. Wet strands spill over her shoulders and stick to the thin fabric of her robe, darkening it slightly.Azzmi frowns in annoyance before slipping the robe off completely and using a towel to dry the ends.Raven’s eyes lif
Azzmi’s Point of ViewThe second Raven pulled off his belt, something cold tightened in Azzmi’s chest.Not fear exactly.Something worse.The realization that he had already made up his mind.“What did you just say?” she asks, the words catching in her throat.“Don’t act surprised.” Raven grips the belt loosely in one hand. “You knew this was coming.”“But… why?”She rises from the chair too fast and instinctively steps back.“I literally just explained it.” His jaw tightens in irritation. “Were you not listening?”Azzmi folds her arms over herself, suddenly aware of how exposed she feels standing there with him watching her so directly.“But I thought we agreed we’d never do that.”“We did.” He takes a slow step toward her. “But things changed.”Another step.And another.Until her back touches the wall.Raven stops inches away from her, tall enough that she has to tilt her head slightly to keep eye contact. His expression stays cold. Controlled. Like this conversation means nothing
Raven’s Point of ViewFor one dangerous second, I almost defend Zerra.But that would be a disaster in this conversation, so instead, I force myself to let it go.I place a hand on my father’s shoulder lightly.“We should head back downstairs.”“Nice try.” He points at me immediately, amused. “You’re not fooling me.”I raise a brow.“You just want to get back to your wife.”I let out a short laugh, mostly because denying it would only make things worse.“You definitely got me there.”My father looks entirely too satisfied with himself as we leave the office together.Halfway down the hall, his phone rings.He slows to answer it, but I continue walking ahead.Then I hear laughter.A woman’s laugh.Soft.Bright.And unfamiliar enough coming from Azzmi that it immediately catches my attention.I round the corner,and stop.Romel is standing far too close to her.Close enough that my jaw tightens instantly.He’s leaning slightly toward her while she laughs at something he said, and the si
"Are you going out to dinner? Let me pay the bill. Weldon, make reservations.""Yes, Mr. Ray Ford."Weldon immediately stepped aside to make a call.When Ullysis looked at Shantal, Shantal suddenly said, "Shaun, I'm sorry. I forgot that I have some business to attend to at the university. I need to
“Why does Professor Harver only bully you? Don’t you think maybe it’s something to do with you?” one student asked bluntly.Regina froze, her carefully rehearsed victim act faltering for a second.Don’t you think saying something like that is pointless? she thought bitterly.But before she could sp
“Nonsense! How can you be our new professor? Do you know where you are? This is the Department of Medicine at Johnston University, not some obscure university. You’re only a high school graduate, so how can you teach a group of top students at Johnston University? This must be the joke of the centu
Regina had spent the night scouring medical forums for questions, basic first-year ones that every student should know. But Shantal? Shantal had never been to college, let alone medical school. There was no way she'd answer them.Let’s see how long your little professor act lasts, Regina thought sm







