تسجيل الدخولCarla~“Do you really have to go?”I leaned against the doorway of the guest room, watching Lily zip up her suitcase with far more enthusiasm than I thought should be legal for someone leaving me behind.She looked up at me and laughed softly.“Don’t look at me like that. You’re making me feel like I’m abandoning a child.”“You are abandoning me,” I muttered dramatically, folding my arms across my chest.Lily rolled her eyes before walking over and pinching my cheek lightly.“You’ll survive.”“I highly doubt it.”That only made her laugh harder.The room around us was a complete mess. Clothes were scattered everywhere, makeup products littered the vanity table, and one of Ryan’s toy dinosaurs sat proudly in the middle of the bed like it owned the place.Typical Lily.She had only stayed in this mansion for a few what, weeks? and somehow managed to leave traces of herself everywhere.And annoyingly enough…I had gotten used to it.“Carla,” she said more gently this time. “It’s harvest
Damian~The ride back to the mansion was painfully silent.Carla sat beside me without saying a single word, her eyes fixed on the passing city lights beyond the tinted window. Not once did she look in my direction.Not once.And somehow, that silence hurt far more than if she had screamed at me. Especially remembering how she had practically covered for me in front of Xavier.The car finally rolled to a stop in front of the mansion gates.Before I could even say anything, Carla pushed the door open and stepped out immediately.“Carla, wait.”Panic instantly surged through my chest as I hurried after her.But she didn’t stop walking. Didn’t even slow down to hear me out.Her heels clicked sharply against the marble pathway leading into the mansion while the cold wind swept through the night air around us.“Carla.”I finally caught up to her near the entrance stairs and moved in front of her, forcing her to stop.The look she gave me nearly made me take a step back. It was almost like
Xavier~“Stop it right now, both of you!”Carla’s voice cracked through the study like thunder, forcing my fist to stop midair just inches away from Damian’s face.For a second, the entire room froze.The only sound left was our heavy breathing.Damian still had one hand gripping the front of my shirt while my own fist remained tangled in his collar. The study around us looked like a damn battlefield, chairs overturned, shattered whiskey glasses glittering across the floor, books scattered everywhere.One of my guards groaned faintly from where Damian had thrown him earlier.And through all that chaos, Carla stood there staring at us in absolute disbelief.“Carla?” Damian and I breathed out at the same time.Her eyes flashed dangerously.Oh, she was furious. And so damn hot at the same time.She stormed toward us in long angry strides, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor like warning shots.Without hesitation, she shoved herself between us.“Are you both insane?” she snapp
Carla~“What?”I shot up from my chair so fast it nearly toppled backward, my heart slamming violently against my ribs as I pressed the phone harder against my ear.“What do you mean he went to see Xavier?”Greta immediately looked up from across the office while Ryan, who had been quietly drawing on the carpet beside the couch, froze at my tone.The voice on the other end continued hurriedly.My blood ran cold.“No, no, no…” I whispered beneath my breath.This couldn’t be happening. How didn't I even think about it?I ended the call abruptly and began rummaging frantically across my desk for my car keys, knocking over a stack of files in the process.Where were they?Where the hell were they?My breathing became uneven.I knew Damian. I knew how much he's always hated Xavier being around.And now he must have learnt of the latter's recent visit. That had to be it.The thought of those two men in the same room made dread curl violently in my stomach.“Mommy?”The tiny tug on my skirt
Damian~“You know maybe Xavier was right all along.”Her voice would not leave my head.It kept replaying over and over again like a curse I couldn’t outrun.“Maybe you're really not better than he is.”I tightened my grip around the glass in my hand until my knuckles turned pale. Any more pressure and I was sure the glass would shatter from my grip.“And you're not half the man I thought you to be.”The words hit harder the second time.And the third.And every damn time after that.I leaned back heavily into my office chair, staring blankly at the untouched city skyline beyond the glass windows while the whiskey burned its way down my throat.Nothing helped. Not the damn alcohol, it barely left any after effect.Not the deafening silence, and definitely not the anger.Because underneath all of it, Carla was right.A bitter laugh escaped me at the thought.When had everything become such a disaster?The office was dark except for the dim amber light near my desk. Shadows stretched ac
Damian~I stood behind my desk with my hands braced against the polished wood, staring at the two men seated across from me while every muscle in my body remained painfully tense.Neither of them looked intimidated. If anything, they looked entertained.Like predators patiently waiting for prey to finally crack.“Gentlemen,” I started with a tight smile that didn’t reach my eyes.“One year, Reeves.”Gus slammed his palm against the desk so hard the whiskey glasses rattled.“You promised us one fucking year.”I clenched my jaw.“Calm down, Gus,” I replied through gritted teeth.“There’s no need to get agitated just yet.”The second man beside him barked out a dry laugh.“No need?” he mocked. “You’re behind schedule and bleeding money.”“And now you’re telling us not to get agitated?”I said nothing, because arguing with men like them was useless.Gus leaned back into his chair, thick fingers drumming lazily against the armrest while his cold eyes stayed fixed on me.I hated those eyes.
Carla~I didn’t know when I fell asleep.One moment, I was counting the steady rise and fall of Ryan’s chest, memorizing it like I was afraid it might disappear if I looked away for even a second. The next, my eyes were burning, my limbs were heavy, and the world softened around the edges until eve
Damian~I couldn’t get home any faster.The city lights blurred past as I pushed the car well beyond what was sane, the engine whining beneath my foot like it could feel my desperation. Every red light felt like an insult. Every slow driver in my way felt like a personal attack.Carla was missing.
Damian~Luca ll Grigio turned to look at me.He had followed Carla's wild gestures toward my direction.His sharp eyes flicked from Carla to me, and then a slow, amused smile curved his lips. He lifted two fingers from the table in a lazy manner, gesturing for me to come forth.The bald man nudged
Carla~Rage burned inside me.I paced the length of the living room, back and forth, my bare feet slapping softly against the floor as if movement alone could bleed some of it out. If anything, it made it worse. My chest felt tight, my jaw ached from how hard I’d been clenching it, and my hands ke







