LOGINRenee had just finished showering and was putting her dirty clothes into the laundry basket. But as she was about to leave the bathroom, something made her stop in front of it. Suddenly, Renee took the clothes back out and began checking Bastian’s.Piece by piece, Renee examined them carefully. Nothing seemed strange, no unfamiliar scent, until she found a single long strand of hair stuck to one of his shirts. Renee blinked.“Whose hair is this?” she muttered.Curiosity and fear crept in at once, her thoughts spiraling. She quickly left the room and grabbed her phone from the nightstand. Her slender fingers typed a message to Bastian.“Come home now! I need to talk to you!”The message was filled with authority and threat.But just as Renee was about to call him, she heard the soft beep of the door unlocking. She quickly placed her phone back on the nightstand and rushed out of the room.“Well, look at that. I just texted you, and you showed up instantly,” Renee said sarcastically.Ba
Anthony gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. His thoughts were a storm of anger and chaos. Because of Renee, his family’s life had become anything but peaceful.There was no way Anthony could just walk into Mr. Carlyle’s house to meet Tobias. That would be like walking straight into a lion’s den.But he couldn’t just sit still either. The disgust of feeling like he had been “bought” by Tobias made him want to smash anything in front of him.Anthony had only driven a few blocks from his shop when a loud engine roared from the opposite direction. A large motorcycle cut across his lane and stopped right in front of his car.Anthony slammed on the brakes. His tires screeched against the asphalt of Eastbourne’s streets.“Damn it!” Anthony cursed. He nearly hit the windshield.The man on the bike took off his helmet. His hair was messy, his face looked exhausted, and his eyes were
Hearing Anthony’s outburst, Belle went silent for a moment. It was the first time she had ever seen him lose control like that in front of her, and it made the unease inside her grow even stronger.Belle shook her head, tears starting to fall. “It’s not that simple, Anthony. You don’t know what’s really going on.”And it was something Belle couldn’t tell him. What she had with Bastian was real, pure love. But if Anthony found out, everything would fall apart. She felt trapped. Whatever move she made… would be wrong.“Then what is going on?” Anthony pressed.“The point is, both Bastian and I… we’re trapped by Renee. And I’m just trying to do something so all of us can survive.”“Why does Renee hate you? Is there something going on between you and Bastian?”Belle blinked. “No… I don’t know.”Liar! Belle screamed in her head. But she was scared. She knew she was wrong… even if it felt right.“That crazy woman probably hates any girl who gets close to Bastian,” Anthony scoffed. “Even thou
Anthony puffed out his cheeks and let out a relieved breath after he was finally allowed out of the holding cell. The moment he stepped out, all he felt was a burning grudge against Renee. Nick, Kyle, and Pooh were already waiting in the front lobby, their faces instantly lighting up when they saw their friend walk free.Bastian? Of course, he wasn’t there. No way. Anthony’s so-called best friend was now nothing more than a chained dog, stuck between his obligation to Mr. Carlyle and Renee’s twisted obsession.“Hey, you good?” Nick asked quietly as Anthony approached, giving his shoulder a firm pat to make sure he was still in one piece.“Yeah.” Anthony nodded, his face hard, jaw locked tight. “Let’s get out of here.”They walked out of the police station. The air outside felt fresher, even with the smell of hot asphalt and exhaust lingering around. The four of them headed straight to Anthony’s car, parked at the far end of the lot, the same car his friends had brought earlier when he
In front of Belle, Tobias stood upright. His calm face contrasted with the sharp look in his eyes as he stared at her. Yet there was no emotion in them.Meanwhile, Belle stood frozen, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. An uneasy feeling crept into her chest. Of course, she was on guard, confused about why Tobias was suddenly there.“You’re back?” Tobias’s voice was low and controlled.Belle stepped back, her defensive instincts kicking in. “Why are you here? Did Renee send you?”Tobias let out a short, almost unnoticeable breath. “I’m here because your parents called me. And no… Renee doesn’t know I’m here. Your mother called me. She was crying.”“I don’t need your help. I can handle this myself,” Belle snapped.To her, Tobias was part of her family’s plan and Renee’s scheme. No matter what, he was Renee’s cousin. That alone was enough for Belle to label him as the enemy.Tobias stepped closer, ignoring her hostility. He pulled out a business card from his suit pocket and handed i
Belle stared at her phone, filled with dozens of missed calls and messages from her parents, Anthony’s friends, and Eve. The only message she opened was from Eve, and it was full of anger.“Can you stop being selfish for once? Go home, Belle. Your brother’s in custody right now. I’m not telling anyone you were with Bastian, but at least think about Anthony.”Belle’s heart shattered instantly. On the way home, she cried quietly. Her happiness had to be paid for with her brother’s suffering. It wasn’t fair, and she knew it.“We’ll fix this, Belle,” Bastian said.“How? Anthony’s in jail now.”“I’m going to the police station. You go home.”“No! I’ll take responsibility. I’m the one who made Renee angry.”Bastian took a breath, then pulled Belle closer, hugging her tightly from behind. “I’ll handle it.”Be
A surge of desperate longing washed over Belle and Bastian, making them forget about time entirely. They ignored everything that stood in their way. Their kisses grew wilder, hotter, tangled with hunger and need.Bastian’s hands roamed over Belle’s body, squeezing her in the most sensitive places,
Eve shook her head more firmly this time as soon as Belle stepped out of her car.“Don’t tell Anthony anything. You will ruin a decade-long friendship, Belle. Remember that,” Eve warned.Belle nodded. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”“If Bastian isn’t there, you should go home right away. You could ge
A message came in on Belle’s phone. She had just been about to go to sleep when she turned the light back on. Belle reached for her phone on the nightstand, unlocked the screen, and saw a message from Eve.“Did you know Bastian is fighting tonight?” Another message followed almost immediately.“He
Belle insisted on going with her father to the police station, since Anthony and the others would be released that day. Everyone was being let go except Bastian. The charges had already been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office.Belle’s father refused to help Bastian at all. Even though Belle had e







